When it comes to organising their time and resources, you’ve given your child clear advice.
Read the notification. Start earlier. Break it into chunks. Work on it gradually. Don’t leave it to the last minute.
Teachers, tutors, and coordinators have echoed the same strategies. And yet—your teen still leaves everything to the last minute. Assignments are still being left too late, rushed through, or not completed at all.
And let’s not get started on their papers and supplies that either magically disappear or end up anywhere but their study desk…
By Year 9, you’d expect students to have the basics of time management and organisation habits in place. But the truth is, many don’t.
It can look like your child is lazy or unwilling, but from what I’ve seen from over 15 years of coaching teens, most of the time, teenagers simply don’t know HOW and WHERE to begin.
When teenagers feel stuck at the starting line, stress takes over. That mental overload kills motivation, erodes confidence, and causes learning gaps to grow wider by the term.
So how do you guide your child to become more organised—without constant nagging or risking their wellbeing?
In this article, we reveal how one of our students, Jane, broke free from overwhelm and poor organisation towards academic success. We’ll also share three powerful strategies you can use today to help your child take control of their study habits and a tool that helped our students achieve 95+ ATAR through effective planning.
How Jane Transformed Her Study Habits in Six Weeks
Jane was stuck in a cycle of poor time management and constant overwhelm. She wasn’t lazy—she simply didn’t have a system that worked for her.
To improve her study effectiveness, we built a personalised, handwritten system for her unique learning profile. The core of it was the Assessment Tracker—a tool that could monitor her progress and create logical decisions based on task purpose, outcome, and priority at any point in time.
Within a few days, Jane’s confidence improved – she knew exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. No more guesswork. No more spinning her wheels.
Within just six weeks, Jane’s results jumped by 10% across multiple subjects. She ranked 5th in her Business assessment—something she never thought possible.
But more than the academic achievement, the most compelling shift was her mindset. Seeing her effort translate into real progress reignited Jane’s confidence and motivation. For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t just coping—she was aiming higher.
If you want the same results for your child, we’ve compiled the top three strategies we use to help teens go from overwhelmed and disorganised to confident and proactive in a few weeks.
3 Ways to Create a Study System That Your Teen Will Actually Use
1. Get your child to collaborate on the process.
A lot of parents want their child to own their learning, but many accidentally step in and take over—organising assessments, writing up planners, colour-coding schedules. But when your child isn’t involved, they don’t feel any ownership. And without ownership, they won’t stick to the plan. The number one reason planners go unused? They were built for the student, not by them. So, if you want long-term change, your child must lead the process.
2. Tailor the system to your child’s learning profile.
Generic tools don’t work because every student thinks and learns differently. Your child needs a structure that fits how their brain works—from how they prioritise, to where they tend to get stuck, to what their strengths are. A poorly matched system is like writing a calendar in Roman or Chinese numerals— it’s possible to use, but ten times harder if that’s not how your brain works. So why make things harder?
3. Keep it simple.
Overcomplication kills momentum. One of the most effective tools our students use is a basic 5×5 Assessment Tracker. It’s not flashy—but it’s clear, actionable, and gets results FAST.
Want to see the exact version our 90+ ATAR students use to boost exam results? Click here to access the assessment organiser.
An effective assessment organiser does more than just track due dates—it maps out exactly how each task will be completed. That means breaking assessments into smaller steps, planning when to use key resources, and scheduling review sessions ahead of time. It also includes strategies to manage distractions, boost motivation, and reduce stress.
The real goal? To help your child feel more in control—not overwhelmed. When there’s a clear plan in place, students don’t just get more done—they perform better. With the right system, study becomes less stressful and more empowering, helping your child feel confident, focused, and ready for assessment season.
If you want to create a personalised and powerful study plan for your child before assessment notifications pop in, we’re here to help! Book a call with our education strategist today.
