Using Time Management to Improve Study Habit

Most students like you, start out each new school year with high expectations. You envision yourselves being
successful in your studies and school work but you fail to put together a realistic plan, or establish a routine, that will
enable to achieve academic success. To achieve academic success, you must carefully manage your study time on a
daily, weekly, and semester basis. The following is a time management strategy for doing exactly that.

Step 1. Prepare a Term Calendar

At the start of school year, before you get heavily involved in your studies or other activities, prepare a calendar that
covers the entire term. Your term calendar can look like a regular monthly calendar, or it can employ a different format.
Whichever format you choose, your term calendar should outline the following:

 Assignments with their due dates

 Tests with their dates
 All school activities
 All out-of-school and extra-curricular activities

Step 2. Prepare a Weekly Schedule

Unlike your term calendar, which is planned out in its entirety at the beginning of each term, your weekly schedule is
prepared at the beginning of each new week. Each Sunday sit down and prepare your weekly schedule. Although you'll
prepare your weekly schedule each Sunday, you should update your schedule as the week progresses and new items
arise. To prepare your weekly schedule do the following:

 Write down on your calendar each class you have for each day of the week
 Take a look at your term calendar and write down on your weekly calendar items that need to be completed, or are
occurring that week (i.e. assignments, tests, events, etc.)
 Go back and review all your class notes and your schedule from the prior week to see if there is anything you need
to add to this week's schedule that is carrying over.
 Add to your weekly schedule any out-of-school and extra-curricular activities you'll be participating in during the
upcoming week.
 Note down the day and time for each assignment, study session, work group or project you'll be completing during
the week. These may be occurring in the evening, after school, or during school.

Step 3. Prepare a Daily Schedule

You'd think a term calendar and weekly schedule would be sufficient to effectively manage your time, but they aren't.
You also need to prepare a daily schedule. Each evening, prepare a daily schedule for the next school day. Place a check
mark next to each item to be completed as it is completed. To prepare your daily schedule do the following:

 Jot down everything from your weekly schedule that you need to do for the coming day.
 Write down everything from your previous daily schedule that wasn't completed and needs to be completed the
next day.
 Check your daily schedule for the current day to see if there are any other school activities that you need to include
for the following day.
 Include any other activities from your weekly schedule that need to be included in your next day's schedule
You'll notice that one of the keys to effectively managing your study time is to start with the big picture and then work
down to the detail. Your term calendar provides direction and instruction for accomplishing the big picture. Your weekly
and daily schedules provide the detail required to accomplish everything in your term calendar, enabling you to
accomplish your term goals one day and week at a time.
 Reduce Distractions to Improve Your Study Sessions

Do you ever have a challenging time studying? Do you often find yourself getting distracted and
losing focus? Guess what... we have all been there. Studying can be a tedious task, especially when you are
not prepared. Simple changes to your routine could tremendously help with your ability to get work done in
the most efficient way. Ranging from finding the perfect spot to having the perfect materials, I am here to
provide you with study tips and tricks that have motivated me to complete assignments and to properly
conquer my studying requirements.

Step One: Find A Spot That Is Secluded from Noise and Distractions

I am one to get distracted very easily, but one of the best ways for me to stay focused is to stay on my
room and no one is around. Another key component to feeling prepared to work is having a spacious
workspace. When my area is cluttered with extra papers and junk, I feel overwhelmed. Attempting
to eliminate any unnecessary clutter from your space and allowing yourself to dissociate from others during
your studying time will help conquer that common overwhelmed feeling. If surrounded by friends, I will
usually not complete as much as I originally hoped to because of distractive conversations. 

Step Two: Put Your Phone Away (Or At Least Silenced)

Technology is a huge cause of distraction nowadays. Although it can commonly be used as a tool in
work and studying assignments, staying away from social media and other extracurricular is such an important
key to staying on task. Most are probably guilty of procrastinating an assignment and when finally getting to
that assignment, only wanting to scroll through their latest feed. I know I have been there! Having your
electronic device next to you with messages popping up is quite a tempting interruption. To maximize the
potential of your studying and staying on task, I suggest silence your phone and put it out of sight at least for
a set amount of time. Start with 20 minutes and continue to increase the time interval– no phone and no
distractions. After those 20 minutes, allow yourself to have a 3-minute break. This should lower the chances of
wanting to grab that phone constantly and will make getting work done more efficient.

Step Three: Be Prepared with The Necessary Materials.

Before sitting down to get to work, I suggest looking over each task to see what materials you will need. Are
highlighters going to be a useful tool for studying purposes? When studying, I like to have notes printed and
separated by class. I always utilize highlighters to help me stay organized with material. Aside from studying
materials, I suggest having water and a light snack next to you to prevent you from having to get up and
become distracted. Being prepared will already have you feeling accomplished before even starting your
assignments.

With these tips and tricks in mind, you will be set to manage your assignment and studying goals.
Simple adjustments to your work habits and methods of achieving your academic tasks will have you prepared
to get to work in the most efficient environment.
 Self-studying
Self-studying, independently learning something at your own time and pace, involves setting goals and
tracking your progress. Most importantly, the benchmarks for progress and success are self-imposed. This
means that no one is telling you what to do or what constitutes successfully learning a skill or piece of
knowledge.
In actuality, everyone has self-studied at some point in their lives. From studying for an exam in school to
learning how to cook a new recipe or figuring out how to play a song on the piano, we’ve all engaged in self-
studying. Essentially, there is an art to learning by yourself.
Tips for Successfully Self-Studying 

1. Practice Setting Realistic Goals

Setting attainable goals will help you achieve a state of flow while working and increase output. The first step
to setting realistic goals is to know your limits. If you’re honest and humble with what you can get done with
your current schedule, you’ll avoid burnout and find yourself working more consistently. The ability to set
realistic targets in your self-studying can also increase your test-taking skills through more useful study
sessions.
Next, you’ll want to grasp the most important lessons to learn to achieve your desired outcome. Identifying
the most important aspects to focus on through your self-studying is a skill you can apply to all topics you
study. It entails figuring out what you want to learn, how hard it might be, and then planning accordingly to
meet your goals. 

2. Look For Connections To Enhance Your Learning

To fully grasp new concepts on your own, it’s helpful to relate what you’re learning to something you’ve
encountered in the past. For example, if you’re learning a new programming language, referring to experience
with another programming language or math-based knowledge can help you acquire the new knowledge
faster.
Another way to make connections is to ground your learning in the overall lesson you’re teaching yourself. In
other words, when you refer back to the bigger picture, why you’re learning this material, the true relevance
of the current lesson emerges. 
An example of this could be learning creative writing. If you’re learning a specific writing style, re-emphasizing
the greater goal of why you’re teaching yourself can show you the importance of that specific style. 

3. Maintain Study Habits And Environment

Finding how to motivate yourself to keep self-studying and persevere on days when you’re unmotivated will
help you accomplish your goals. A good way to do this is by building a routine, which can ensure continuous
work input. Finding motivation tactics can lead to better study habits, which result in stronger test-taking
abilities. 
 Remember to constantly ask yourself how you can make your self-studying efforts better, be that more
enjoyable or informative. A key part of self-studying is maintaining the desire to want to learn better.