Q: Keeping all of your assignment due dates in one place will help you turn in your work on time and help you keep up with multiple classes. Write down both the day your assignment is assigned and the day that it is due.  Check off assignments as you finish them.  If you have not finished an assignment yet, continue to add it to the following day until it is complete.   You can keep your assignment book/planner in one of your binder pockets. Look ahead in your planner to see when everything is due.  Read your planner at the end of each day so you know what you need to take home with you. A pencil bag with holes can also be included in your binder.  Put pencils, pens, erasers and other small items in the bag.  It is easier to stay organized when everything you need is in one place. You may not always have time to file your papers neatly in your binder throughout the day.  Keep a special folder for items that need to filed.  At the end of the day, file all the papers in your binder. This will keep your papers from getting crumbled in the bottom of your backpack and keep your from forgetting the papers all together. Have a buddy in each of your classes that you can call in case you forget an assignment or have questions about something.  Check in with this person at the end of class to make sure you both have written down your assignment information correctly.  You can also ask the person what he or she is taking home from school that day.  You can also share pens and pencils with your buddy if one of you forgets. Trade phone numbers with your buddy in case you need to call them when you get home. In addition to having your binder, you can try using an app to help you organize all of your assignments.  MyHomework Student Planner and Studious let you keep track of your class schedules, due dates, and reminders for assignments and are more suited for college students.  Complete Class Organizer, EpicWin, Chore Pad HD, iHomework, and iRewardChart Lite are good for children and adolescents. These apps should be used in combination with your binder and are not a substitute. If you are struggling to stay organized or feel overwhelmed by all of your assignments, talk to your teacher and/or parent.  They can help you organize your binder.  Many students are able to stay organized once a good system has been set up. Do not be afraid to speak up.  It takes time to learn good organizational skills.
A: Use an assignment book or planner. Get a pencil bag. Have a catch all folder. Get a buddy. Consider using an organizational app. Ask for help.

Q: Choose a trusted person to talk to who will not gossip about conversation within your circle of friends. Be as objective as possible when explaining the circumstances and ask for an unbiased opinion.  Talking over your problem with family, a friend, a therapist, or a clergy member may help you come to a good decision as to how best to handle the situation. If it gets back to your friend that you have been talking about them behind their back (even if it was not a negative conversation), then you may not be in the driver's seat about ending it any more. You and your friend have already had a fight bad enough for you to consider whether or not the friendship can survive. Don't complicate things by talking about it with someone you both know; talk to someone outside your shared circle. Ask a friend, family member, or even the friend you fought with (if you are speaking to each other) about how you contributed to the fight. Maybe they can help you see something in your personality that is contributing to the problem in your friendship. Be sure to think about the feedback the person gives you and why they might be giving you this feedback.  If you think your fight was more about your own problems than your friend, talk to your friend about it. You could say, “I think part of the reason why our fight was so bad was because I have been dealing with a lot of stress lately. I took it out on you, and I am sorry,” or “I’ve ditched friends in the past after getting into fights with them, and I think it’s a pattern with me.” If your conversations reveal patterns in your behavior that are troubling you, then you may wish to seek professional help. For example, your friends and family tell you that you have a volatile temper, then you may want to seek help. Consider talking to a counselor about your concerns. Keep in mind that good communication skills are essential to healthy relationships. Work on building your communication skills and body language to express yourself more effectively to friends, family, and coworkers. If you and your friend are on speaking terms, you could decide to talk about the fight and figure out what went wrong and attempt to compromise with them. Make sure you do this when you are calm and able to keep your emotions in check. It may be good to wait a few days for to get over the raw emotions.  Find a time and place to talk privately. You could say, “I think we need to talk about what happened. Would you be able to meet me this afternoon?” Don’t go into your conversation with an agenda. Keep an open mind about what your friend has to say and listen to their perspective. Remember, you don’t want to continue your fight, you want to figure out if this friendship is worth saving.  If your friend gets argumentative, you could say, “I don’t want to argue, I just want to figure out what’s going on with us. If we can’t do that without anger, then maybe we should take a break.” You could decide to follow up later with another conversation, or make the decision to keep your distance from the person. Compromising can be a win-win situation for you and your friend. To find middle ground for a compromise, try asking questions like,  "Is this something where I have to have the final say and be right?" "What is it that I am right about?" "Is this something that is of value to the other person?" "Is it okay that they have their own opinions on a particular matter?" "Is my conflict with this person or issue more important than my friendship?" "Is it worth spending so much time and energy arguing, or would our time be better spent in a more positive interaction?" You and your friend could discuss what each of you see as problems in your relationship, and figure out how each of you can help solve the problem. Make sure both of you keep an open mind and listen to what the other person has to say.  Name the problem and suggest a fix. For example, maybe your friend is not good at returning your texts and calls. You could say, “You don’t have to respond to every single text, but it really hurts my feelings when you don’t communicate with me, especially when I need to talk to someone. Do you think you could do a better job of responding to me?” Listen to your friend’s concerns. Acknowledge their point of view. For example, you could say, “I can see how you would think I was ignoring you when I was talking to Juan. I’m sorry that I hurt you. What I was really doing was….”
A:
Find a trustworthy person to talk to. Find out what others think about your behavior. Discuss the fight with your friend. Discuss ways you could change.