10 Tips for Creating Your Study Schedule

Studying is quite important to your academic success. We all intuitively know that we need to study in order to do well in our studies. Perhaps that’s why they’re called “studies”: to hammer home that fact that you need to study them in order to do well.

However, even though we know this basic truth, it is often difficult to find the time and energy to study for everything we need to study for. This can be solved by creating a study schedule. However, creating a study schedule is also harder than it looks.

You have to know what you need to prioritize at what time and you also need to find a way to balance your studies with other things that demand your time and energy in life, such as friends, family, and your own leisure time. Here we’re going to look at 10 easy tips to help you create your study schedule more effectively.

1. Audit your current schedule

The first step is to assess your existing schedule and find out how you currently spend your time. That way, you can find the blocks of time that are currently underutilized and what time of day you are generally most productive. Start by finding out how many hours you spend on studying a week and how many you spend on entertainment. See where you can make cuts if you need to devote more to studying.

2. Think hard about your work ethic

Even the most awesome schedule in the world is useless if you’re not going to be committed to it. You therefore need to take some time to think really hard about your work ethic. Plan your schedule based on your work ethic.

Your attention span should tell you how large study blocks are before you need breaks. Nothing is worse than working when you’re off with your energy. I’ve had times when I did assignments while exhausted and couldn’t stop wondering if I should just go to websites such as EssayOnTime and ask them for help. Perhaps they could take some of the workload off my schedule. You want to build your schedule around your work ethic so that you’re always on top of your game.

If you lose focus a lot, then you need to study for longer to account for all the extra breaks you take. Building a study break that works well with your work ethic is a lot better than building an awesome schedule that you’re not likely to follow.

3. Commit

Again, even the most awesome schedule in the world is useless if you’re not going to be committed to it. Once you have created a schedule that goes well with your work ethic, it is important that you commit to it. Get into the habit of regularly looking at your planner or calendar in order to have your schedule constantly on your mind. Establish a routine and try to associate certain rituals with states of mind.

For example, sitting at your desk and opening a book is a signal that you should now be in serious study mode. You can also use a timer to time your study sessions in order to stick to them. Don’t stand up from the desk until the session is over.

4. Know what you need to study

Even though this is the 4^th tip on this list, it’s one of the first things you should do. Create a list of all the topics and subjects you need to study for. When you put it down on paper, you will have a clearer idea of what you need to do.

5. Know what you need to accomplish

Just knowing what you need to study isn’t enough. You should also know exactly what you need to do for each topic or subject in order for it to be considered a successful study session.

If there is a guide with review sections, then you can use that to narrow down what you need to do. What makes for a successful study session? Reading a chapter? Reviewing your notes? Doing a certain number of practice sessions? Figure it out so your studying is actually easier.

6. Get your priorities right

Once you have a concise list of the things you need to study, you should prioritize what you need to do and when. Rank everything in terms of importance, taking into account the amount of reading or reviewing required as well as the difficulty and importance of the topic or subject.

7. Create study blocks

Divide your allocated study time into study blocks. You can then assign blocks to subjects and topics as needed. To make things easier, study for the same amount of time, and have the same overall start and end times for your study times every day so you don’t have to memorize too much. Help yourself create a routine that can turn into a habit.

8. Have time for non-study related things

While it’s good to study, you should also have time for other things in your life. Birthdays, medical appointments, exercise, sleep, entertainment, and social time should also be allocated in your schedule.

9. Fill in your Schedule

Once you have all your study blocks ready, you can now go about the task of allocating subjects to them.

10. Commit to your breaks too

The breaks you’ve scheduled in are just as important as the study sessions. They are vital to replenish your energy, so don’t take them for granted. Take short breaks and stick to them. While you’re at it, don’t overstay your breaks either. That’s just as bad.

Conclusion

Studying may be hard sometimes, but with a little planning, it’s easy to turn it into an easy and fun routine that helps you get the best grades in your academics. Try the tips above and see the incredible changes that happen after. You can thank me later!