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Life as a student can be a daunting process and effective management is the best way for you to achieve your maximum long-term potential. If you are more slap dash than strategic or find yourself cramming a weeks worth of study into one afternoon, then it's time to put a plan into place. Read on for our top tips on how to plan and organise your studies.
Attitude and Belief
Before you begin, it’s vital that you consider your current attitude towards your schooling and studies, believing in yourself that you can do it. Maintaining a negative or "can't be bothered" approach towards your work will bring about negative results. To start off on the right foot with your studies, you need to nurture a positive and "can do" attitude. This way of thinking will make the next steps and ultimately, your studies, easier.
Organising Your Environment
Your environment has a powerful effect on the way you work and what you can achieve. Balancing your book on your knee on a packed bus is never going to be as effective as finding a quiet space where you can study and learn. Find out what helps you learn better and what keeps you motivated. If you learn best in a group, organise a study session at the library with other students. If you work better alone without distractions, then think about setting up a study corner in your room or find a quiet spot in the library.
Goals
To achieve goals, you need to plan what they will be. Many students will start work without a specific goal detailing what they want to achieve and why. Goals provide motivation and provide structure to your studies. A good way to identify your goals is by planning back wards. If your ultimate goal is to work towards an A in English for example, try to work out what steps you need to take to get there. If you identify your ultimate goal first, you will be able to carry out the next steps easily.
Prioritising
This tip is one of the obvious ones, but a strategy that some students fail to carry out. Review your work based on importance and time constraints. If your ideal job is to become a Scientist, for example, although all of your subjects are important, it makes sense that Science will take priority over French. Another thing to remember here is time, if your English exam is in two weeks but Mathematics is in three, then make English a priority right now. You will need to continually review your priorities for maximum impact.
Creating a Study Schedule & Keeping Track
Creating a schedule is essential to the successful organisation of your studies. A schedule allows you to see with ease what you should be doing and when. You can also list your goals and the steps you need to take to increase motivation and keep you on the right track. List each subject and decide how much time you need to study each one to achieve your goals. When you have done this, work out how much time you have each week to dedicate to study time. Be realistic on this one and always allow yourself a bit of extra time on top of what you think you will need. You can also use this schedule to review and keep track of your studies.
Maximising Productivity
There are a number of ways you can increase your productivity and some will be unique to you. Here are a few ways you can implement productivity in your studies, the key is to find what works for you. Take regular breaks; Endless studying or working is the quickest way to burnout. Plan a treat; If your goal is to study English for X amount in a week, plan a treat for when you achieve it, a treat can be anything from a chocolate bar to a DVD or a day out with friends, anything that motivates you. Organise your study in to small goals that all add up to your big goal; These smaller goals are more easily achieved and will feed your motivation levels.
Using Resources
With current technology, it has never been a better time to be a student with the resources that are available to you. From a traditional library to reading a textbook on your Kindle and studying online, the opportunities are limitless. Another good way to study is by listening to audio podcasts, this type of learning enables you to listen to your study material via an online podcast stream, cutting out the need to read endless text and allowing you to listen wherever you have an internet connection. Remember to use all of the resources available to achieve your maximum potential.
Good Luck!
