Assignment Tracker Template for Students: Free Excel File

Planning · 5 min read

By NowOne · 8 September 2026

Download this free assignment tracker template to keep coursework deadlines, progress and next actions in one place. Open the Excel file directly, or import it into Google Sheets. It includes sample entries and space for your own assignments.

A tracker is useful when a due date tells you too little. “Essay due Friday” describes the finish line. “Find two sources on Tuesday” tells you how to start. This template keeps both the deadline and the next piece of work visible.

What the template tracks

Dates use year-month-day to avoid ambiguity. A due time is kept separately so you can record “16:00 campus time” or the time zone stated in the assignment brief. Never assume that a deadline means midnight.

Open it in Excel or Google Sheets

Excel

Download the file, open it in Excel and save your own copy. Replace the example entries, keeping the column headings. Use the Status dropdown to update progress and the table filters to view a course or unfinished work. The header stays visible as you move down the sheet.

Google Sheets

In Google Sheets, create or open a spreadsheet, choose File → Import → Upload, and select the downloaded workbook. Choose the import option that creates a new spreadsheet so you keep existing work separate. Google's Excel-to-Sheets guidance explains the supported import process.

After importing, check one date and the Status dropdown before entering a whole semester. The file is a normal workbook with manual entries; it has no scripts, calendar connection or notification service. If you need an alert, add one in your calendar or task app.

Set up your first week

1. Collect the official deadlines. Open your syllabuses and course platform. Record assignments, lab reports and assessed presentations. Check announcements for revised dates.
2. Add one row per submission. A project with an outline, draft and final hand-in needs separate rows if each has its own deadline.
3. Name a next action. Replace “work on report” with “label the three graphs for the results section.”
4. Choose a work date. Look at classes, paid work and other commitments before assigning a day.
5. Review the next two weeks. Filter to unfinished items and look for deadlines that land together.

Cornell's semester-calendar guidance recommends gathering major assignments and events to see busy periods ahead. Use your tracker for the detailed actions and a calendar for the time you have available.

Worked example: a report due next Friday

Suppose an illustrative lab report is due Friday at 16:00 campus time. You have collected the data but have not made the figures. Your row might read: Course “Biology”; Assignment “Lab report”; Status “In progress”; Next action “Create and label three results graphs”; Planned work date “Tuesday”.

After the graphs are finished, change the next action to “Write the results paragraph” and choose the next available work date. Keep the official due date unchanged. The tracker should show your current next step, not a growing history of every completed action.

If the report needs several parallel steps, keep those in a separate checklist. Our guide to breaking down an assignment shows how to turn a vague brief into manageable pieces. Add separate tracker rows only for distinct submissions, or the deadline list becomes hard to scan.

A weekly review that keeps it useful

Once a week, check the course platform against the sheet. Update changed deadlines, mark submitted work and make sure each unfinished assignment has a next action. Then compare planned work dates with your actual calendar.

When several items compete, look at the deadline, the amount of work left and any step that depends on someone else. A group project can require an early start even when its final date is later. The assignment-prioritisation guide explains this decision in more detail.

Keep “Submitted” for work that has actually reached the submission platform. Save or check the confirmation there. Finishing a document and handing it in are separate actions, and the tracker cannot verify either automatically.

When to use a tracker and when to use an app

A spreadsheet suits a semester overview and a weekly review on a larger screen. If you prefer capturing tasks on your phone and seeing them alongside a calendar, a student planner app may fit your routine better. Choose one place to maintain deadlines so two copies do not drift apart.

NowOne does not need this spreadsheet to get started. Copy the assignments you want to manage into your modules, then maintain them there. This download is a standalone resource, and we do not claim an automatic import into the app.

For a wider setup that includes email, the course platform and submission checks, read how to keep track of assignments.