Organization Strategies for Students, Part 3: Organizing Unscheduled Time

This is the third in a 4-part series on organization strategies that will cover organizing things, organizing scheduled time, organizing unscheduled time, and maintaining organization systems. In the last post, we discussed organizing scheduled time. Here, we will discuss organizing unscheduled time.



This part can be the most challenging, especially students who are new to longer-term assignments that require planning ahead over several days or weeks. This is where it can be so important to meet students where they are. While some can jump in and begin managing large chunks of time and complex, multi-part projects, many will need support as they learn the skills they’ll need for the rest of their lives.


The goal of this section is not to take students instantly from no idea what to do, to having time managed perfectly (because let’s be honest: who really does have time managed perfectly). The goal is to provide students with tools that will help them move towards completing assignments, handing in assignments, and keeping it as low-stress as possible. It’s a lifelong process that has to start somewhere.



Remember, our basic rules are:

  • Keep it simple

  • Meet students where they are

  • Keep it novel (without breaking rule 1)



The list below has a series of small evidence-based goals that build upon one another to help students get (and stay) organized. The list picks up where the previous list ended and continues into the next articles in the series.




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Goal 5: Write down every assignment.

  • Academic Planner: It’s easier to manage one planner than a separate one for each class or random scraps of paper with assignments written down. Some schools provide planners to students. If a student doesn’t have a planner (or has misplaced theirs), find a simple one with both weekly and monthly planning pages, for keeping track of both short- and long-term assignments. The first goal in this section is to write down every assignment. Information often gets lost between short-term memory (in class) and long-term memory (once the student gets home). Writing it down is a good way to keep track of it all!

  • Planner App: Everyone has their own preferences for organization. An app can eliminate the challenge of having to keep track of a physical planner all the time. The Todoist app has some complicated features and even a premium subscription, but the free version has helped me stay organize through entire school years as a teacher, graduate student, and mom of two. The app allows students to sync between the phone version and a web browser that can be accessed from any device or computer. It also allows students to assign due dates, categories, and priority levels. Students usually prefer a physical planner or a digital planner. Don’t try to use both at the same time!

Goal 6: Work in chunks.

  • Timer: Having a manageable goal can make it easier to get started. Focus is something that can be built and grown through practice. Start with whatever amount of time feels manageable: 3 mintues, 5 mintues, 10 minutes, or more. Work up to 25-minute chunks of work with 5-minute breaks in between. It can be easier to focus when there’s a break waiting - and that break can be anything: exercise, social media, or even some deep breathing.

Stay tuned for Part 4: Maintaining Organization Systems.

Robin SattyComment