With only one quarter left in the school year and seniors already starting to check into summer mode, you might’ve done the same thing as me and gotten a bit lackadaisical in your organization. But with AP tests around the corner, quarterlies and the general end of year hubbub, it’s good to stay consistent with keeping track of all your commitments. I have a few tips to make it not only easy, but fun and rewarding, for the last stretch of the school year.

First, for motivation, have a planner. The school gives every student an agenda at the start of the year, and while it will certainly work, it’s plain which doesn’t make it fun to use. You could definitely doodle and make it pretty, but there’s nothing wrong with finding a planner you like and using that. The nice thing about this time of year is that 2023 planners are never more than ten dollars. Find a planner you like, whether it’s monthly, weekly or day by day. Also, you don’t have to get a plain one, find something you’ll like looking at and you’ll be far more inclined to open the planner up and jot stuff down, or check your tasks off.

Second, to keep organized, write down everything you do. You have lacrosse practice every weekday? Put that on your calendar. You have a movie night with your friends? Doesn’t matter if the time keeps changing, you know the date. No matter how big or small, consistent or inconsistent, it’ll help when you have to plan something big because you won’t have to remember every small thing you’ve committed to. Not to mention it feels good to check the event off or cross out the day once you’re done. Start equating your planning with doing the activity, and you’ll find yourself with some extra motivation to finish.

Third, for organization and motivation, mark important dates. You can use stickers, highlight, write in different colors, bubble the words in, whatever you’d like. These help those dates stand out so you don’t forget them, it’s helped me remember to get birthday presents more than once. Don’t be afraid to color code or get as creative as you’d like, but don’t feel obligated to. Maybe all you need is a highlighter and you’re set. Find what works for you.

Finally, no matter what kind of planner you use or how you use it, just writing things down will help you. The number of times I’ve forgotten when something was due after I’d already gotten home from school, it was so much easier to just pull my planner out than having to hunt through Brightspace for the deadline. Be consistent with your planning. If a teacher mentions a deadline, pull your planner out and write it down. Trust me, it’s better to know when your math test is than not.