It's the beginning of the school year and just a few weeks until the first report cards start showing up! Now is the perfect time to start focusing on your grades - beginning with a homework routine that you can follow throughout the school year.
By concentrating on three important life skills - Organizing, Taking Action, and Communicating, students can simplify their life and develop habits that will help them later in college, at work, and in life.
Learn to master these skills early in life, and you'll be all set for success for years to come!

Organize
Have your own personal routine for homework. Are you the type of student who comes home from school and needs to get homework done right away so you can have the evening free? Or, do you need a rest first, some time to expend some energy, a chance to put school on hold for a while? These aren't trick questions; there's no "right" answer. Either is okay. Know which describes you. Your needs may be different from your sister's, your parents', your friends'. Set up a routine that follows your preference. Have a time that's just for homework. Routines are important, and the routines that help you succeed in school are the most important routines.
Have a place for your homework. You don't need to have your own room, just a regular place that's yours for the time it takes to complete your homework. It should be quiet and conducive to your work.
Have your supplies. Keep your supplies - pens, calculator, highlighters, and papers - in a convenient place. Don't waste your precious time looking for stuff. If you have your own desk, organize it. If you don't have your own desk, that's okay. Keep your supplies in a plastic organizer with a handle, so everything will be at your fingertips each evening. The last step in your homework routine is to make sure everything is ready for the next day.
Keep a planner. A planner doesn't have to be an expensive electronic gizmo. A simple notebook will do. The important thing is to get in the habit of writing down your assignments and their due-dates, and then working to get them done. If you don't write them down, you'll forget some of them.

Take Action
Set goals. It's your life, take control of it. At the beginning of the school year, set goals about what you'd like to accomplish. Improve that algebra grade? Take a challenging literature course? Then at the beginning of each month, review those goals to see if you're on track.
Pace yourself. You'll have lots of long-range assignments as you move up the grades: book reports, term papers, and science projects-even extracurricular tasks like an article for the school newspaper or a project for student council. Start early, and break up the maxi-job into mini-jobs. This will seem much less overwhelming. Plus, it'll eliminate the awful feeling you get when you know something's due and you haven't even started it yet.

Eliminate distractions. Yes, you need music. You need your phone or your Blackberry. You need to have the TV on, "just for background noise." It is important to "focus" without any distractions. Multi-tasking is not required at least during homework time.

Communicate
Speak up. Participate in class. Ask questions when you're puzzled. From your homework, make a list of questions to ask tomorrow in class. In class, make comments when you see connections to other things you've learned in this class or, better yet, in other classes. Learning how and when to speak up is a skill you'll value and will take you far. If you need help, ask for it. Get it early.

Review. Go over your assignments on a regular basis with a "study buddy," a friend who's as motivated as you are. Keep each other on track by clarifying assignments, studying together, supporting one another's goals. Keep track of your grades, so you'll know how you're doing. Success in school is as much a team effort as success on the athletic field.

Organizing, taking action and communicating will simplify your school life. Have a successful school year ahead!