‘This is the key to time management - to see the value of every moment.’ - Menachem Mandel Schneerson
In our last blog, we tackled the big issue of time management. This month, with prelim exams and assessments looming, we’re looking at the specifics of managing study time and avoiding procrastination. We’re also having a quick look at some different study techniques. Again, these are such vital life skills that are so beneficial to learn when you are young. They can be applied to every aspect of your life from your studies to your career to your fitness to managing and running your home and family. It’s important to take time to figure out what works for you - we’re all different!
In this blog, we are going to explore:
how to manage your study time
how to create a study plan that works for you
how to overcome the tendency to procrastinate
trying different study techniques
asking for support with your studying
‘The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.’- Vidal Sassoon
How to manage your study time
All that we covered in our previous time management blog can be applied in a more specific way to managing study time. So, do re-read that for a refresher on time management skills.
First, it’s important to be really clear on your values, goals and priorities in relation to your exams and assessments. If you’re not clear on the why of your studies, it could be much harder to stick to a study plan!
Values - try to identify at least one of your values that fits with studying for exams. This will help you feel more aligned and at ease with spending so much time studying. For example, you might value hard work and commitment.
Goals - be clear on what your personal goals are in relation to your exams and assessments. What are you aiming for?
Priorities - are some subjects more important than others? For example, if you need a particular grade in a particular subject to get into a further or higher education course, then perhaps that’s your priority. Do you have any competing priorities for your time? For example, a part-time job or caring responsibilities. All of this will be part of managing your study time.
‘Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn.’ - Albert Einstein
The pickle jar theory of time management can help you to find clarity on what you need to fit into the time you have available.
Rocks are the most important tasks you need to do
Pebbles need to be done too, but are less important than the rocks
Sand is the smaller, less important tasks that can be done anytime.
This video explains why in order to have enough time for everything in your life, you need to put the rocks in first!
In the run up to exams, study time has to be one of your rocks. Take some time to plan ahead from now until the exam period - this will help you make sure you can schedule in the study time you need, and you’ll feel more organised which can help reduce any anxiety you may feel.
Here are some important things to think about in relation to how you will manage your study time:
Think ahead - make sure you understand exactly what you need to do for each subject, whether it be exams, written or other assessments.
How much work is involved in each one?
Do you have a note of all the exam and submission dates you need to know about?
Do you need to create reminders for yourself?
Are there any subjects or topics that you need some extra help with?
Study space - where are you going to study? If it’s not in your home - for example, at the local library - do you need to consider travel time to and from there when you are planning your study time?
Limit distractions - do you need to turn your phone off to allow you to focus? If studying at home, perhaps you need to tidy your room before you begin, to improve your comfort and reduce distractions.
Try your best - some days or weeks are just not as productive as others, so try not to stress if you don’t get everything done exactly when you had planned to - your best is all you can do.
‘You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.’ - Martin Luther King, Jnr
How to create a study plan that works for you
After you’ve had a think about managing your study time, making a study plan or revision timetable can be really helpful to keep you on track. Here are our top tips!
mindful scheduling - have a think about when you study best. Are you an early riser? Or do you study better after you’ve exercised and been outside for a while? Experiment to find out how and when your brain studies most effectively, then use that information to create your study plan.
include sleep and breaks - you really can’t study all day and night! Adequate sleep and proper breaks are very important for a learning brain.
break it down - once you know what you need to do and when exams are happening, can you break your subjects down into manageable chunks? You can then allocate the chunks to appropriate study sessions in your timetable.
prioritise - once you know all the relevant dates and tasks, you can prioritise accordingly. Perhaps you might focus on the subjects that have the closest deadlines, or you may prefer to prioritise studying the subjects you find most challenging, or the ones that are most important in relation to your goals and future plans. Figure out how each subject can be allocated the appropriate amount of time and effort.
avoid comparison - your revision timetable might look completely different to your friends’. That’s absolutely fine! As long as your study plan works for you, that’s what matters.
you might create your study plan using your online or paper calendar, with a simple pen and piece of paper, or use a template like this one.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) have also created an app called My Study Plan app that will automatically create your own personalised study plan based on your exam times, their importance and when you want to study.
Another few apps worth having a look at if you need some help with limiting distractions and improving focus:
Freedom helps you manage your screen time by blocking digital distractions
Forest helps you stay focused on what you are doing
Offtime helps you think about what’s really important to you and help give you time to focus on it
‘My advice is never to do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.’ - Charles Dickens
Overcoming procrastination
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing something. It can definitely creep in when there’s important work to be done, like studying for exams! There can be all kinds of ways to procrastinate when studying for exams, for example:
sleeping in late to avoid getting up to study
busying ourselves with other ‘useful’ tasks like walking the dog, doing some exercise, cleaning the house - but really just putting off doing the studying
staying up late online gaming when you know you’ll be tired and less effective tomorrow
putting off studying until the night before the exam
browsing social media when you should be studying
Do any of these sound familiar?! Procrastinating is a very human thing to do, so you’re not alone. However, the result of procrastination is usually more stress and overwhelm.
In order to address procrastination, take a step back and be curious about whether you are procrastinating and if so, why. Notice your own habits and tendencies. Often, it may also be a feeling of stress and overwhelm that causes the procrastination in the first place, or it may be fuelled by boredom if you have a subject to study that you don’t enjoy. Sometimes perfectionism can fuel procrastination, as you are putting so much pressure on yourself to do something so well that you can’t even get started on it. Try to remove self-judgement here, and talk kindly to yourself.
Once you’ve identified what’s going on, make a conscious intention to try a different way. Perhaps you might review your study plan, take a night off, get a good sleep and start fresh tomorrow. It can help to break down what you need to do into even smaller chunks, and to tell yourself that it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Some questions to ask yourself to help you overcome procrastination:
what is the minimum I need to do here?
what are the next three steps?
have I broken down the study tasks into small enough chunks? For example, if I need to study an entire textbook, break it down into chapters, and then into smaller segments if the chapters are long.
is there some way I can reward myself after I have done this? For example, I will study for three hours then watch TV for an hour/hang out with a friend.
can someone help or support me with this?
am I being realistic about the amount of time I need to study?
‘The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started.’ - Dawson Trotman
Study techniques
There are so many different study techniques out there! Finding what works for you is really important. This is something we’ll take a deeper dive into in our next blog, but for now here are three techniques to try:
Pomodoro technique
This is basically a method of using timers to improve focus. You can use any timer that works for you - your phone, a battery-operated kitchen timer, or there are many apps you can use, for example Focus Keeper. The suggested time period to work on your chosen task is 25 minutes with a 5 minute break. Experiment and see what works best for you - perhaps 20 minutes with a 3 minute break or 45 minutes with a 10 minute break is a better fit. The idea is that you only work on your chosen task or topic for that period of time - no distractions!
buddying/studying with someone else
Some people find studying a lot easier when they are with other people. This could be done in various ways, for example, by creating a small group to study a particular subject with, where you talk through what you need to learn, test each other and work through things you find difficult. This can work really well if everyone is equally committed to learning in the group. Another option is to study side-by-side - perhaps you and a friend are studying different subjects but you do so alongside each other for motivation and focus. You then have someone to chat to in your breaks - just make sure you stick to the schedule and don’t distract each other!
mind mapping - a mind map is essentially a diagram in which information on a specific topic is represented more visually than in written notes. This way of processing and learning can help with memory recall during exams. This video provides a good introduction Introduction to Mind Mapping There are many mind map apps available too, if that’s something you are interested in trying out, for example SimpleMind
‘There is no substitute for hard work.’ - Thomas Edison
Asking for help
If you find managing your study time difficult, you are definitely not alone! This is a skill that has to be learned, and some people find it easier than others to learn it. Whether you need help learning how to study, how to manage your study time, or you want to improve the effectiveness of your study time, why not talk it over with a trusted adult? Perhaps you have an older friend or cousin who has been through what you’re doing and could give you some tips for what worked for them?
Some things you might like to discuss could include:
what subjects you are studying and whether some are easier than others to study for
when the exams and assessments are happening
how you are managing your study plan at the moment
how you are feeling about it - for example, you may be feeling distracted, overwhelmed or calm and confident
discuss possible ways to improve the situation - for example, whether you need some extra help with a particular subject or topic within a subject, help with removing distractions for focused periods of study, or whether you should take more breaks.
As we mentioned in our last blog, you can ask the people you live with to help you with accountability. For example, when you are studying for exams you might ask the people you live with to check in with you at agreed times about how you are getting on. You could put a copy of your study plan in the shared living space, or ask those around you to provide specific reminders. Again, there’s no right or wrong way to do this. Experiment and find what works for you. And remember that it’s ok to ask for help!
‘Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.’ - Henry Ford
Our challenge to you
Try creating your own personalised study plan! Use the tips we’ve provided in this blog and see what works for you. I prefer mine to be on paper with lots of different colours; yours might be an online black and white calendar. It’s really down to personal preference. Let us know how you get on!
‘We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.’ - John F. Kennedy
Further resources
Young Minds: A guide for young people: exam stress
BBC Bitesize: Revision - Timetables and Planning
6 Amazing Organization Apps for Teenagers
The Only Study Guide You’ll Ever Need by Jade Bowler
Learning How to Learn: A Guide for Kids and Teens by Barbara Oakley, Terrence Sejnowski & Alistair McConnville
Buzan's Study Skills: Mind Maps, Memory Techniques, Speed Reading and More! by Tony Buzan