The Homework Grid

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received about college success was given to me by my step-brother, Josh, who taught me how to use his genius invention, the homework grid. He told me, as I was preparing to start university coursework, "Take a sheet of paper and make yourself a grid. On the left side of the paper, write the days of the week in descending order, Monday through Sunday. On the top of the paper, write the names of your classes left to right in the order in which you attend them. Monday classes come before Tuesday classes, and 9 a.m. classes come before 11 a.m. classes. Put the dates in and make yourself a page for each week of the term. Then, when you receive assignments, write them in on their due dates. Write in tests on the days that they occur. Now you have a visual layout of what is due and when. Every spare scrap of time you have, work on your assignments left-to-right and top-to-bottom. And above all, don't get behind."

This has proven to be a highly effective method of task management, though of course I have gotten behind. I combine the homework grid with weekly time-blocking (wherein activities and tasks are scheduled for blocks of time throughout the day hour by hour on a large weekly grid that shows mealtimes, work times, study times, etc.). I don't follow this perfectly, but it provides a nice idealized structural framework, reassuring me that I do have time for my commitments. And sometimes it is necessary to work, not left-to-right, top-to-bottom, but by priority level. And that's okay. The important thing is to have a handle on what is due and when.

When I have used the homework grid, I have generally done well. And when I haven't... well, I haven't.

By the way, he is Dr. Josh now, so his advice can be trusted.

When I am particularly stressed or lacking motivation, I indulge my inner kindergartner by awarding myself a gold foil star on my calendar for each hour of homework completed.

The other cherished words spoken to me were (prior to an important test about which I was hugely anxious), "Yes, you can do it well." Thank you, Mom. And I did. And I can.