I recently answered a question about getting organized for study on Yahoo Answers – and I thought it might also be helpful to my readers who are students – and their parents.

The question asked how to get organized in order to achieve better grades. Here’s my suggestion, along with a few extra tips just for you.

6-Point Strategy For Being an Organized, Successful Student

1. Plan

Create a week-by-week timetable to plan out all your classes and commitments.

Tip: Use a diary or wall planner; create a table in Word; use whatever format makes it easy for you to see exactly what you have to do each week.

2. Schedule

Enter all your due dates for assignments and exams as soon as you get them.

Tip: Entering everything in one place like this will help you quickly identify challenging weeks. You can shift some tasks to lighter weeks to even out your workload.

3. Work Backwards

Working backwards from your due dates, allocate all the tasks needed for completing your assignments and exams. Enter these tasks into your week-by-week plan.

Tip: Work backwards to avoid those last-minute stresses. List all the sub-tasks of each assignment, essay and exam, then schedule the tasks backwards from the due date. That way, you’ll meet all your study deadlines.

4. Work Hard

Unfortunately, I have to add this one, because without it the others are a waste of time. When you’re studying, study hard. The rest of the time, relax.

Tip: Each week, complete all the tasks on your weekly plan. You might need to go to the library or say no to friends – work out what you need to do and do it. But then reward yourself with some fun. Which leads me to:

5. Rest

Schedule relaxation every day and every week to keep your energy and motivation up.

Tip: Get some exercise, learn relaxation or meditation techniques, have fun with friends. Learn what you enjoy – and do it regularly.

6. Set Goals

Set a few SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) for exactly what you want to achieve. It will keep you focused on what you want and what you have to do to get there.

Tip: Use goals to remind yourself of the big picture benefits that will come from being a good student. It will help you stay motivated.

More Stuff on SMART Goals

• Here’s how to write SMART goals (with a free goal-setting template)
• Here’s a video on using the SMART goals template
• Here’s how to set smart goals for students
• Here’s how to use SMART goals to change a habit.

And good luck to all you students about to start a new academic year!

Want Your Own Student Success Kit?

With the Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Student Edition you have a Student Success Kit – all the tools a student needs to get organized, plan a successful semester, and get good grades.

The pack includes the essentials – to-do lists, goal planners, time-management tools, daily, weekly & monthly schedules and timetables, and budgets.

But it also contains many innovative worksheets to radically change your personal organizing skills – including:

- ‘Backwards’ assignment, exam and essay planners that take the hassle out of getting things done on time
- Detailed semester planners that guide you to create a week-by-week student success program.

Learn more about the
Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Student Edition.

[Image by billaday]

Related posts:

1. Student Success: How To Become A SMART Student Before Summer’s Over
2. Student Planners Galore! [Product Release Info]
3. Setting Goals, Achieving Goals – Tools for Success