I left my homework at home! How many times have you said this? It’s a terrible feeling to know you’re going to get a failing grade on homework after you actually did the work. It seems so unfair!
There are ways to prevent this dilemma and others, but you must be willing to prepare ahead of time to save yourself from future headaches. The most important thing you can do to avoid a dilemma like this is to establish a strong routine.
Once you form a strong, consistent homework pattern, you will avoid many of the big problems, like leaving a perfectly good assignment at home.
1. Establish a Homework Base
Does your homework have a home? Is there a special place where you always put your paperwork each night? To avoid forgetting your homework, you must establish a strong homework routine with a special homework station where you work each night.
Then you must get in the habit of putting your homework where it belongs right after you finish it, whether this is in a special folder on your desk or in your backpack.
One idea it to put the completed assignment in your backpack and leave the backpack right beside the door.
2. Buy a Homework Bell
This is one of those ideas that sounds silly, but it really works!
Go to a business supply store and find a counter bell, like those you see on store counters. Place this bell in the homework station and work it into your homework routine. Each night once all the homework is completed and in its proper place (like your backpack), give the bell a ring.
The ringing of the bell will let everyone know that you (and your siblings) are ready for the next school day. The bell will become a familiar sound, and one that your family will recognize as an official end to homework time.
3. Use Your Email
Email is a great invention for writers. Each and every time you write an essay or other assignment on the computer, you should get in the habit of sending yourself a copy via email. This can be a real lifesaver!
Simply open your email as soon as you finish your document, then send yourself a copy by attachment. You’ll be able to access this assignment from anywhere. If you forget it—no problem. Just go to the library, open, and print.
4. Home Fax Machine
The fax machine can be another lifesaver. These contraptions have become very affordable lately, and they can come in quite handy for parents as well as students in a time of crisis. If ever you forget an assignment, you might be able to call home and have a parent or sibling fax your assignment to the school office.
It may be a good time to talk with your parents about investing in a home fax machine if you don’t have one already. It’s worth a try!
5. Put a Checklist by the Door
Try putting a checklist somewhere conspicuous where you and/or your parents will see it each morning. Include homework, lunch money, personal items—anything you need each day. Remember, it’s the routine that makes this work.
Be creative! You can put a checklist by the front door, or perhaps you prefer someplace more interesting. Why not place a sticky note on the back of your cereal box each time you open a new one?
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