SCHOOL ANTHEM
— EDD, ANSECO
PTA MEETING HELD ON SATURDAY, 19TH MARCH 2022 FOR PARENTS OF FORM 3 STUDENTS
As a new academic year begins,
it's unlikely that you're already planning your revision timetable
- but having a study timetable in place all year can really help
you reach your top potential.
...Not only does it keep you focused,
but it also helps you maintain a healthy life-study balance, meaning you
don't end up having to cram before deadlines, or have to wave goodbye to
your social life during busy periods.
It's hard to know where to start when you think about organising your study
schedule, so we've broken it down for you below...
Step One: Identify your deadlines and important social dates
To effectively plan a study timetable, you need to have all your important
dates written down - that means both your academic and social commitments.
Think about:
•Assignment deadlines
•Exam periods
•Application deadlines (scholarships, internships etc.)
•Birthdays
•Important occasions (anniversaries, religious and national holidays)
•Other commitments (music festivals, sporting events etc.)
Once you know these important dates, they need to go down in your calendar. If you
know it will take up your entire day or maybe even a few, block this time out right
away. Otherwise, make a note so you're aware you may be busy for at least some of the
day.
This will help you account for days you won't be able to study. Rather than finding
yourself a week before a deadline with only three available days, you will have
prepared for this in advance.
Step Two: Decide how long to dedicate to key dates preparation
Now you know your key events, it's time to decide how long you need to prepare for them.
This will depend on your unique style and level of study, but leave enough time to work
on your commitment without having to dedicate all your time to it.
Whether it's an exam you're studying for, it's
tempting to ignore these important events until you have time to drop everything
else and focus, but by planning your timetable at the beginning of the year, you can
ensure this doesnt happen.
Once you have a clear timeline of what you need to achieve and how long to spend on this,
you can move onto step three.
Step Three: Schedule your classes and extracurricular activities
Before you factor how to balance your free time, you also need to account for
time in your schedule eaten up by classes and activities. This will depend on what
course you're studying and how time-intensive your hobbies are.
You might be spending the majority of your week in class, or you might be
scheduled down for a study stint in the library - it all depends on your subject
and level of study. Alternatively, your weekends and evenings can mainly be spent
on the sports field or at band practice, or you may have entire days free to
allocate your time.
Step Four: Balance your free time
So now you know exactly how much time you have, you can work out how much
of it you need to spend studying, which areas to prioritise, and schedule
some social time for yourself as well.
If you have an intensive course where you're in class for most the day, you'll
want to reserve most of your evenings and weekends for non-academic activities.
If, however, you're pursuing a research degree or only have a few hours of
contact time, reserving 70 percent of your free time for studying and 30 percent
for relaxing and socialising is a good benchmark.
This weighting might slightly change as plans evolve or particularly busy
times arise, so it's a good idea to approach your timetable flexibly, almost
like a guideline rather than a written law.
Conclusion
By managing your time properly from the start of the academic year, you
have a better chance of knowledge being stored in your long-term memory,
making it easier to accurately recall during exams and assignments.
It should also help lower stress as you're aware of what's expected of you
from the start, rather than allowing deadlines and important dates to sneak
up on you.
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