How To Organize Assignments So You Never Miss A Due Date Again
If you aren’t a pro at organizing your assignments for school, I guarantee you will be after this! One of the first things a student should do before school starts is to make sure that they have a reliable way to organize their assignments. This is why I’m going to teach you how to organize assignments so you never miss a due date again!
Putting all of your assignments for the semester in at least ONE place will actively remind you of your due dates so you don’t ever forget them. I will go through some of the most popular methods to organize your assignments as well as let you know which method I prefer the best.
How To Organize Your Assignments As A Student
The three major ways you can organize your assignments include using a school planner app, using a physical planner, and using Google Calendar. All of these methods have their benefits and drawbacks, but they all have been proven to work and I know you will find the perfect method for you.
myHomework App
One of my favorite apps for college students is myHomework! It is the ultimate app for organizing your assignments. You all do not understand how life-changing this one app was when I discovered it during my freshman year! Because of myHomework, I never missed an assignment due date. The best part is that it’s extremely easy to use! Check out the tutorial video below.
how to organize with myhomework:
- Download the app from your app store
- Create a free account
- Create a folder for each class you’re taking
- Color code each class
- Put in what times you will take that class
- Import your assignments for each class and input:
- What type of assignment it is
- Priority level (how important/urgent it is to get it done)
- Reminders (so you don’t forget to actually do it)
- Attach any additional files (instructions, deadline timeline, etc.)
- And completing an assignment is as easy as swiping to the left and poof💨 it’s gone!
This is by far my favorite method because after you set everything, you’re done! Unlike a physical planner where you have to constantly refer to what you wrote, with this app, you can get automated notifications and reminders for each assignment. Spend a day before the semester begins to take a couple of hours to import all of your assignments. Seriously focus on customizing exactly how you want (reminders, priority level, etc). Once you’re done, you will have a complete look at every single assignment you will need to complete and any additional information right at your fingertips. It’s simple, straightforward, and reliable.
Why it works:
- Built-in structure for organizing classes and assignments
- See monthly, weekly, and daily views of assignments that you need to complete
- Your data can sync across multiple platforms
- Supports time-block and period-based schedules
- It’s 100% free
Related Article ⇾ The Best Essential iPhone Apps For Students
Planner Method
Another way to make sure you keep track of your assignments is to have a physical planner. This is the old-school way that still gets the job done. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are new planners with different and cool features popping up constantly. There’s a reason why… Planners work when you make them work! The steps for this method are very similar to the steps you would use with the myHomework app.
- Go through each syllabus and write the classes you will be taking (in the notes section of your planner)
- I would also highlight them in a particular color and write the days and times that you will take these classes
- Write down every single assignment that you will have to turn in throughout the semester on its due date
- Add in every quiz and test day as well as the day you will have to take them
Now the next thing you need to do is create reminders. As far as reminding you when things are due, there are many options:
- You can write reminders in your planner. If you have all of your due dates in your monthly view (as I instructed and recommended above), you can then use the daily or weekly view to insert reminders weekly of assignments/quizzes/projects/tests coming up.
- If you have all of your due dates in your planner, you can couple this method with using your phone for reminders. Using apps such as Google Calendar or the regular Calendar app can help you get instant reminders to work on assignments and study for tests.
I will have a post all about the best college planners soon! I have tried countless planners. So, I can’t wait to share what has worked a lot for me and how it can help you as well. So stay tuned by signing up for my email list to know when that post will be live!
Why it works:
- You’re more likely to remember things when you write them down
- Complete freedom in organizing and being creative with your planning
- You don’t have to worry about not having wifi
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a God-send. I prefer this method right now in my daily life because it helps me stay organized and informed of my schedule at ALL times!! I have a complete tutorial on how I set up and organize my Google Calendar so I will have that linked below. But I want to give some great tips in this article as well for organizing your classes and assignments!
Related Article ⇾ How To Time-Block Your Life For Success
Google Calendar has an incredible feature that allows you to create different calendars. For example, I have a calendar that’s strictly for work-related things, I have one for getting random things done, which is appropriately named “Getting Sh*t Done”, and even a calendar strictly for family things. I can also subscribe family members to the “family” one so we all know what is going on.
Color coding helps keep everything more organized as well. Different colors mean different calendars. Choosing brighter colors can be for the more important calendars such as work and appointments and dimmer colors can be for more routine things.
How to apply this method to your classes:
- Have a different calendar for each class
- This allows you to color-code your classes to differentiate every class and their assignments
- Have one calendar for all school-related things
- This blends every class together, but you will be able to determine what’s school-related and what is not related to school in your schedule
- Have a calendar for your class times and have a calendar for all your assignments (and even one for study times)
- This helps you see a clear difference between when you have classes when things are due, and when you will work on the things that are due (study time)
Why it works:
- See monthly, weekly, and daily views of assignments that you need to complete
- Your data can sync across multiple platforms
- Complete organization of classes and assignments
Final Things To Consider
Choose what works for you. I like to give different options because I know everyone is different. What works for me might not work for you. So try one way of organizing your assignments. If it doesn’t work out, no biggie, just move on to a new method. The goal is to keep trying until you find that magic formula that helps you stay on top of your school life.
Don’t wait to import your assignments. This is a major pro tip. There was a time one of my professors added a random assignment that we had to complete that semester and I forgot to put it in the myHomework app, so I missed it 🥴 lol… This is why I encourage you to always put things in your planner when your teacher announces any extra assignments or extra credit opportunities that may not have been on the syllabus – right when it’s announced. Otherwise, you will most likely forget. Also, check out my post about how you can get every assignment, even new/random ones automatically imported into your Google Calendar if your school uses Canvas.
Related Article ⇾ How To Sync Your Canvas Calendar To Your Google Calendar
Lastly, make sure you insert reminders for every assignment. In the case that you do forget about a due date, you have enough time to complete it because you placed a reminder for that assignment. Whether you’re super busy or not, we constantly forget things throughout the day and it’s important to have that sort of virtual “personal assistant” to remind us of things. So use your phone to your advantage and make sure you keep track of your due dates.
Many classes, especially in college, won’t allow you to turn in anything late. Which makes organizing your assignments and due dates that much more important!
If you have any other ways that you organize your assignments and due dates, please leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear how you organize your class dates. I hope you’ve found some awesome ways how to organize assignments in a way that works for you!
This is great advice! I’m looking into these tools, I think they will help a lot. Thank you 🙂