• Get Organized!

    It's up to you to set yourself up for success. Focus on getting your day, your materials, and your study time organized.

    Use your agenda.

    SMS believes that your agenda is important enough to purchase one for every student in the school. Take the time to record your schedule in the place provided and then your assignments every day. You're a busy person. If you write your assignments down, you won't have to waste time and energy trying to remember them. Always check your agenda before going home each day so that you know what books and materials you need to take home with you. And, remember to take your agenda home with you.

    Some of your teachers may provide you with special helps to keep you organized and on track. Make sure you follow the directives of your teachers.

    Show your planner to your parents and impress them with how organized you have become and how you are making good decisions and are in control of your academic life.

    Organize your notebooks.

    Locating your notes and homework is easy if you set up a system. Label your folders or sections of your notebooks. If you have trouble picking a system, ask your teachers, your counselor, or your parents for tips.

    Clearly label your notebooks so that you can quickly spot the ones you need in your locker. Use bold marker.

    Arrange your locker and keep it clean.

    Lockers are small.  You must keep your locker organized.  Give your combination (or key) to your homeroom teacher--just in case.

    Clean out your locker regularly. Every Friday, take home those items you don't need. Gym clothes and multiple jackets take up space and hide the books and notebooks you need to find quickly. Make sure that your gym clothes are laundered once a week . This will insure that your locker won't smell like a gym.

    Choose a study time.

    Look at your daily schedule and plan at least an hour a day of standard study time. Use it to complete homework, review notes, study for tests, or read. Make a note in your planner what time you studied at home as well as what you studied.

    Some students study best as soon as they get home. Others like to study later in the evening. Choose the time that's honestly best for you. Let your family know when your study time is. Commit to it. Building this time into your day is one of the best habits you can form. It can assure your success now and later in high school and college.

    Select your study space.

    Find a spot in your house where you can complete all your work and study. Some students have a desk in their rooms. Some prefer a table in the kitchen. Some like to study on the floor. Pick the spot that works for you. Ask your parents to help you select a quiet spot that you can use consistently. Turn off the electronic gadgets (stereo, TV, or the computer) that distract you. Often these distractions keep you from completing your work quickly.

    Pick a "book drop."

    Select a location in your room or house where you can place all your materials at the end of your study time. A spot close to the door makes it easy to grab everything as you leave in the morning. Designating a "book drop" prevents last-minute hectic hunting (and upset parents).