If there is one aspect of our lives that technology will never change, it would be time. Regardless of how far technology evolves, we will always have 24 hours in a day. Once you factor in sleep, we only have 16 to 18 hours in a day to do everything that we need to do.
For students that could be a challenge because their lives are not just about study. They have to consider family, time with friends and extra-curricular activities. If school takes up eight hours of their time, they only have 10 hours to allocate for everything else that happens in their lives. 10 hours may seem a lot but when you consider the time spent on the commute, personal errands you may be left with only four to six hours of free time every day.
Since school is a big part in their lives, they must dedicate hours every day for study. With only a few hours left in a day, the key is to focus on productive study time.
1. Set aside a schedule
To succeed in any endeavor, you must have discipline and commitment. In order to progress in your pursuit of academic excellence, this means adhering to a daily schedule of study. Setting aside a schedule shows you are committed to the process and prioritizing study in your daily schedule.
Your schedule should encourage productive study habits. In other words, conditions should exist which make study a dynamic activity. First thing you should consider is the duration. If you are home at 5:00pm, set aside one hour to relax. Perhaps take a quick 15 minute nap, dinner then a quick shower before you hit the books. Second, find a place which is conducive for study. Remove all forms of distractions and use your computer only for research.
At the end of your study period, give yourself one hour to relax and unwind before going to bed.
2. Use focus blocks
Personal Development coach Steve Pavlina shared that most full-time office workers only turn in 90 minutes of productive time per day. Out of the 480 minutes paid time at the office, a worker will only account for 19% productivity.
Pavlina recommends the use of “focus blocks”; clusters of time where you can dedicate 100% focus and concentration in accomplishing an activity. The length of the focus block will vary among individuals. Determine what your focus block is. If it is 45 minutes, dedicate that focus block on a subject without distraction or interruption. No water or bathroom breaks allowed!
Once you have completed a focus block, reward yourself with 15 minutes free time. You can have a snack or a quick nap but do not exceed 15 minutes. The purpose of the break is to relax your mind and prepare for the next focus block.
3. Work on your assignments
An effective way to get your study period going is to work on your assignments first because the subject matter is still fresh in your mind. It also keeps you from procrastinating which is the worst thing you can do when developing discipline. Another benefit of doing your assignments first is that accomplishing them is an achievement which already makes your study period productive.
When teachers give you an assignment, these are designed to give you a structured frame of reference for the subject matter. Think of assignments or school projects as practical applications of theories.
4. Prioritize weak subjects
Some research has shown that the length of study time must be twice the amount of school hours per subject. Thus if your school schedule allocates two hours per subject, you should designate four hours of study time per subject per week. So if you have five subjects that means 20 hours of study time per week.
The best approach would be to organize your subjects in terms of priority. Your priority subject must be the one where you need the most help or where your performance is lowest.
For example you have set aside 20 hours of study per week and Math is your poorest followed by Science, Social Studies, Economics and English. You can set aside six hours a week for Math, four hours for Science, four hours for Social Studies, three hours for Economics and three hours for English.
5. Develop a “game plan”
Having a daily study routine should not confine you with just visits to the library or setting aside a few hours a day in your study room. You need to be more purposeful and strategic in your approach to get the most of your study time. Here are a few techniques you can consider:
- Get a tutor. If the world’s greatest athletes still hire coaches and the world’s most successful businessmen still need mentors, why shouldn’t you get a tutor? Spend two hours a week with a tutor for your poorest subject.
- Become a tutor yourself! One of the most powerful and effective ways in increasing your competency level is by providing feedback. Articulating knowledge as a form of instruction forces your mind to work harder and comprehend the subject matter. Start out with one hour per week and escalate as you become comfortable.
Organizing your daily study schedule means charting a plan to accomplish a specific goal. You simply cannot succeed if you go about a task or an objective blindly. Having structure is a great way of developing discipline but you must also consider another important quality for your study schedule: Flexibility. If you maintain your schedule and follow-through your courses of action with purpose you will surely improve in your weakest subjects. Flexibility allows you to revise your study schedule according to your level of progress.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Felix works with MarkitUP, a company providing assessment proofread services. He regularly publishes education articles on the blog.
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