Here’s how:
(Take what you like and leave the rest) 1. Print 4 copies of the school’s YEARLONG calendar. Tape 1 in the planner, post one in your study space, one in the desk or locker at school and one on the fridge or other convenient reference spot. Refer to it often. 2. Enter ALL relevant info for the entire school year into your planner BEFORE day 1. This includes job hours, extra curriculars, birthdays, etc.. Box out every single day off with a highlighter. (If you are a college student, print ALL syllabi BEFORE day 1 and enter every single relevant detail into your planner. All tests, projects, assignments, etc.. BEFORE day 1.) 3. Print 3 copies of your SCHEDULE. Put one in your planer, post one where you do homework, and 1 in your desk or locker. 4. Clearly label EVERYTHING possible with your name- on a sticker or with a sharpie. 5. Get a MONTHLY planner. Not weekly. Create a simple shorthand coding system and use it. 6. COLOR CODE folders and composition notebooks, 1 color per class. 7. Make a CATCHALL folder to centralize important stuff, homework to do and homework to turn in. 8. Create a SACRED STUDY SPACE. Just as it sounds, this is a space that you have intentionally designed to be the ultimate space to focus and be productive. The more focused your study time is, the more free time you have. Good luck. And feel free to leave a comment below with any great ideas you might have. It gives all of us ideas we can adapt to our situations!
Video transcript
Hey, this is Seth from SethPerler.com. Good morning — beautiful morning here at the end of summer. It might not look like summer because I’ve got a hat on, but trust me, it’s summer.
I’m here in Colorado, and I want to talk about the new school year coming up. It’s August, and school around here starts around August 17th, August 22nd for most of my students.
As you know, I work with struggling students — right-brain students, outside-the-box thinkers, kids who often struggle in traditional schools.
I wanted to touch base with you and give you some tips. School is going to come up really fast, and it’s very important for these students to have everything in place on day one.
What I like to do with my students before the school year starts — usually about one or two weeks before — is go through several systems to get them prepared so they can hit the ground running on day one.
I don’t want them scrambling, looking for things, or feeling unprepared. They need to feel grounded and stable. They need systems in place, and they need to be able to articulate those systems — meaning they actually understand what their systems are and why they use them.
I am not a fan of one-size-fits-all systems. So each student I work with has systems tailored to them.
When I say “systems,” I mean things like managing backpacks, folders, supplies, papers, and what I call a “sacred study space” — a place in the home where they can focus, reduce distractions, and work as best as they can.
That sacred study space is itself part of the system.
Getting ready for the school year
One of the first things I do is get a copy of the calendar for the entire school year — usually a one-page document from the school district website.
I print about four copies of it.
One goes into the planner (I cut it down and tape it inside)
One goes on the bedroom wall
One goes on the refrigerator
One goes inside the homework folder
I usually use a simple homework folder even with college students. For me, it’s about streamlining everything into one place.
That homework folder is where everything goes.
Planners and systems
Next, I help students set up their planner at the beginning of the year — whether it’s a paper planner or something like Google Calendar.
I usually focus on two types of paper planners:
A large desk calendar
A small planner that goes in the backpack
It doesn’t matter if the student is in elementary school, middle school, high school, or college — the system can be adapted for all of them.
In most schools, students are given planners, which is nice, but for right-brain, disorganized students, those planners are often not helpful.
They tend to have too much visual clutter — different colors, quotes, decorations — which can be distracting.
These students struggle to “systematize” information, meaning they have difficulty organizing time into clear structure. They are still developing a sense of time — seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years.
When planners are visually overwhelming, it becomes even harder for them to understand time.
Many planners also include unnecessary pages like periodic tables, math formulas, or school rules — things that often go unused but still add clutter and overwhelm.
Why simple planners work better
These planners are usually weekly planners, meaning the school year is broken into about 36 weeks.
For many students, managing 36 separate time blocks is too complex.
That’s why I prefer a simple, black-and-white monthly planner.
It should be:
Simple
Clean
Easy to read
Minimal
I remove all unnecessary pages and simplify it down to about 15 usable pages — month by month.
Then I go through the entire school calendar with the student and highlight every day off — weekends, holidays, breaks, everything.
This process takes about 30 minutes, but it’s very powerful. Students suddenly gain a clear understanding of their entire school year.
Building ownership of the system
We also add everything we possibly can into the planner before day one:
Holidays
Birthdays
Appointments
Important events
The goal is that students walk into school already knowing how their system works.
They have ownership because they built it before the school year even started.
Folders and supplies
I am not a fan of three-ring binders for these students. They are too complicated and involve too many small steps.
Instead, I recommend:
Simple accordion folders, or
Color-coded folder systems
For example:
Red folder = Math
Red composition notebook = Math
You can even color the edges of notebooks to match the subject.
The idea is to simplify recognition — the student looks for color, not details.
I also avoid spiral notebooks because pages rip out and they get damaged easily.
Composition notebooks are more durable and reliable.
Labels and organization
I strongly recommend labeling everything:
Backpack
Folders
Notebooks
Pens and pencils
Most lost items are never stolen — they are simply not labeled and never returned.
The first weeks of school
The first 4–6 weeks of school are critical. That’s when habits are formed.
At first, students usually feel confident, but around week 4 to 6, problems start to appear — missing assignments, falling grades, confusion.
This is what I call the “dip.”
If systems are strong early, students avoid that downward spiral of stress and falling behind.
Coming home routine
One simple habit that helps is this:
When students come home, they should empty their backpack onto a table.
Just getting everything out makes it easier to start homework and reduces avoidance.
Final thoughts
Homework is not always meaningful, and I’m not always a strong supporter of homework depending on the situation. If it is overwhelming or interfering with family life, it should be evaluated and addressed.
The main goal is this:
Before school starts, get everything ready:
Supplies
Planner
Folder system
Study space
Make sure the student understands how their system works before day one.
That creates stability, confidence, and a strong start to the school year.
If you do that well, the rest of the year becomes much easier.
You’ve got this. Have an awesome school year.
Take care.
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