How to Create a Simple Assignment Tracker in Google Sheets | Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through creating a simple assignment tracker in Google Sheets. Whether you're a student managing homework or a professional tracking tasks, this tool will help you stay organized, set deadlines, and monitor your progress effectively.

Step 1: Create Assignment Sheet

1. Open Google Sheets and create a new spreadsheet.
2. Label the first sheet as "Assignments."

Set up the following columns

• Course
• Type of Assignment
• Due Date
• Status
• Priority
• Completed

Step 2: Create Setup Sheet

1. Add a new sheet and name it "Setup."
2. This sheet will serve as the reference for dropdown menus.

Step 3: Make Dropdown Menus for Course's Column

1. In the "Setup" sheet, list all your courses.
2. Go back to the "Assignments" sheet.
3. Select the cells under the Course column.
4. Click on Data > Data validation.
5. Choose "List from a range" and select the range from the "Setup" sheet where your courses are listed.

Step 4: Make Dropdown Menus for Type of Assignment's Column

1. In the "Setup" sheet, list types of assignments (e.g., homework, project, exam).
2. Repeat the data validation process for the Type of Assignment column in the "Assignments" sheet.

Step 5: Insert Checkboxes

1. Select cells in the Completed column.
2. Click on Insert > Checkbox.
3. This will allow you to mark tasks as completed.

Step 6: Adding Pop-up Calendar for Due Date

1. Select the Due Date column cells.
2. Click on Insert > Date.
3. This will enable a pop-up calendar for easy date selection.

Step 7: Make Dropdown Menus for Status

1. In the "Setup" sheet, define statuses (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, Completed).
2. Follow the same data validation steps to create a dropdown for the Status column.

Step 8: Make Dropdown Menus for Priority

1. List priority levels in the "Setup" sheet (e.g., High, Medium, Low).
2. Use data validation to create a dropdown in the Priority column.

Step 9: Adding Summary Sections

1. Create a summary section at the top of the "Assignments" sheet.
2. Include fields for Total Assignments, Completed Tasks, and Pending Tasks.

Step 10: Create Strikeout for Completed Tasks

1. Select the range in the Assignment sheet.
2. Click on Format > Conditional formatting.
3. Set a rule that applies a strikethrough format if the checkbox in the Completed column is checked.

Step 11: Calculate Total Assignments, Completed, and Pending Tasks

Use the following formulas

• Total Assignments: =COUNTA(A:A) (adjust column as needed)
• Completed Tasks: =COUNTIF(F:F, TRUE) (assumes checkboxes are in column F)
• Pending Tasks: =Total Assignments - Completed Tasks

Step 12: Calculate Days Left

1. In a new column, use the formula: =D2-TODAY() where D2 is the Due Date cell.
2. This will calculate how many days are left until the due date.

Step 13: Create Pie Chart for Completed and Pending Tasks

1. Highlight the summary data.
2. Click on Insert > Chart, and select Pie Chart.
3. Adjust settings to reflect completed vs. pending tasks.

Step 14: Create Helper Columns for the Charts

1. In the "Assignments" sheet, create additional columns to summarize data for charts if needed.

Step 15: Create Bar Chart for Courses

1. Select data representing assignments per course.
2. Insert a Bar Chart to visualize workloads across different courses.

Step 16: Create Donut Chart for Status

1. Choose the summary of tasks by status.
2. Insert a Donut Chart for a clear visual representation of task statuses.

Step 17: Create Column Chart for Type of Assignment

1. Summarize assignments by type.
2. Insert a Column Chart to compare different types.

Step 18: Adding Filter for the Sheet

1. Click on the filter icon in the toolbar.
2. Apply filters to each column to easily sort and manage your assignments.

Conclusion

You now have a fully functional assignment tracker in Google Sheets. This tool not only helps you organize your tasks but also allows for easy tracking of deadlines and progress. Customize it further as needed, and consider exploring additional features or templates to enhance your productivity. Happy tracking!