A History Assignment that Went Wrong

…and a lesson on organizational skills

“You have until the end of the month to prepare a presentation about a famous person in history” the teacher announced to the students. “Please, don’t leave it until the last minute, you won’t make it!”. The bell rings; it’s break time.

The two friends go out to the schoolyard and discuss the assignment. George has already decided to present Marie Chiuri, the famous physicist and chemist. He is planning to work on the assignment in the next few weekends, before his football practice. First, he will talk about the era in which she lived, then he will discuss her achievements and two Nobel Prizes and finally he will explore the impact she had not only on the scientific community but on the entire world. He has everything planned! On the other hand, Nick leaves it all in the hands of fortune. “I’ll come up with something when the deadline approaches, no need to stress now”, he tells his friend and starts eating lunch. The bell rings again; it’s time to go to class.

Weeks go by and the day of the presentation arrives. That morning, George comes in holding a well-constructed poster, featuring pictures and information on Marie Chiuri’s work and life. Seeing George with his poster, Nick shouts in surprise: “Oh no! I forgot all about the assignment!”

Organisational skills are described as the ability to effectively use our time, energy and resources to achieve our goals. For students in particular, organisation is of utmost importance, as it teaches them how to prioritize activities and homework, to achieve their goals and reduce stress levels. In addition, good organisational skills promote communication with others and increase productivity and effectiveness, in and out of school.

Having organised your work and activities, you’ll notice that you have gained time for fun, extracurricular activities and everything you wish to spend your free time on, without having to worry about last-minute deadlines!

To efficiently organise ourselves, we don’t need much; an organiser to note down our to-do activities, a plan and a schedule. Perhaps, even a few highlighters wouldn’t hurt!

Next time you have an important assignment at school or a crucial meeting at work, remember B. Franklin’s words:

“For every minute spent in organising, an hour is earned”.