8 Reasons Every Student Needs a Planner

1. It’s a central place to track your homework assignments. 

If you simply wrote down each homework assignment in that class’s binder or notebook, you’d have to flip through at least six notebooks every night to track all of your assignments. However, if you write every assignment for each class in one planner, you only have one place to look to find what’s on your plate each night. Using a planner also ensures that you’re not carrying unnecessary items home with you each night—you only have to bring home the books you’ll need and you can leave the rest in your locker. Plus, if your parent or tutor asks you what your homework is, you have it all written down in one convenient location.

2. You can write down quizzes and tests long before the date arrives. 

One of the best parts of using a planner is right in the name—the ability to plan ahead. If you use a planner, you can write a test or quiz in right when your teacher mentions you have one. This saves you time trying to figure out when that next math quiz is, and allows you to plan study time long before the test date. This system also prevents any surprises when a test date comes around.

3. Writing down a task can help lessen anxiety surrounding specific assignments. 

If you’re not sure what is expected of you for an assignment, or you can’t remember its due date, you’re much more likely to find yourself worrying about it. Being able to go back to your planner and see the tasks all laid out can help ease your anxiety. Having your tasks organized spreads the assignments throughout the week, linking due dates and tasks together and reminding you that you’re in control of when and how to complete them.

4. The act of writing down your assignments helps you remember what you have to do. 

After sitting through a long class period, the teacher’s instructions for tonight’s homework may gloss right over you. If you take notes about the assignment in your planner, it will help your mind remember that there was, indeed, science homework assigned today. Listening to your teacher’s message uses one part of your brain (the part that handles listening and language), while writing it down on paper uses another part of your brain (the part the governs movement). Connecting these both together helps your brain remember what your teacher said better than if you had just listened to her words.

5. Google Classroom is not always reliable. 

Relying on Google Classroom or another class website to track assignments is not a perfect method for organization. There are so many ways that Google Classroom or your home computer could malfunction, preventing you from seeing the assignment. Also, some teachers don’t use websites, so one entire subject could be missing from your online calendar. A paper planner ensures that nothing gets skipped or hidden—even if the WiFi is out.

6. You can also use it to track social events! 

Aside from the academic reasons for having a planner, it can also help you map out social events! Got a soccer game next Saturday? Put that in your planner! Are you and your family going to your grandparents’ house next weekend for dinner? Write it down! Putting social events in your planner helps you block out available study time and makes your planner more fun.

7. It will help you prepare for high school (and beyond). 

Teachers in high school expect that all students have their organization figured out when they walk in the door. Forgetting your homework assignment is not appropriate, and you’ll be expected to remember all of your assignments each night. A planner supports you in doing this, since your tasks can be tracked by completion.

8. It can be fun! 

One of the best parts of having a planner is that you can use it however you want! Classroom assignments may need certain headers or colors, but your planner can be designed however you like. Stickers, colored pens, and drawings can all take your planner to the next level. Or, you can opt for a simple layout. However you choose to design your planner, it should be structured to work for your needs, not the other way around.

For more awesome planner ideas, follow Sage Tutor, Siena’s, Instagram channel @CraftsandCalculus

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