With finals coming up and all (at least for those of us in the US), I thought I’d make a post about creating a study schedule. It’s so, so important to plan out your studying ahead of time, instead of just cramming it all at the last minute. Taking the time to plan out your studying beforehand does not take that long, and the benefits are huge. At the end of this post, I have a couple of suggestions on ways to keep track of your study schedule if you don’t already have a planner.
Step 1: Decide What Material You Need to Study
First, you need to figure out what content you need to study. Professors will normally explain what will be on the test in class. Many will offer practice tests or study guides, which you should definitely take advantage of. Also, take notes during their lectures and keep an eye out for things that they tend to repeat constantly because those are the kinds of things that end up on tests. Use your textbook to supplement the information in your lecture notes, or if you have an online class, take notes directly from the textbook as you would in a lecture.
Step 2: Make a List
Make a list of what specifically you need to review in order to study for the test. Then, take that list a step further and decide exactly how you’re going to do it. Let’s say I’m studying for my French test, my list might look something like this:
Rewrite my class notes onto my laptop 1h
Work on memorizing my class notes 1h
Review vocab 20min
Practice the short-answer portion by writing a paragraph in French 40min
The more specific this list is, the better. Notice that next to each item, I wrote approximately how long I thought it would take to complete it. This comes in handy later when you’re writing these things down in your planner.
Step 3: Write It Down
Now it’s time to actually write it down in your planner. Don’t just write “Study French for 2h,” that’s what we made the list for. Instead, write down the tasks on your list, so in my case “Review vocab, 20min” and “Study my notes, 1h” etc. Being specific is important for two reasons: 1) breaking large tasks (like studying) into smaller chunks makes them less daunting to complete and 2) you’ll be able to check off the individual tasks as you complete them, which will help motivate you to keep going. If you need to make flashcards, a study guide, etc, make sure to write that down as well, and budget in time to do so.
As you’re figuring out what days to study, keep in mind not only what other assignments you might have to complete that day, but also any other events you may have that would take away time from your studies (things like going out with friends or attending a party). Be realistic about how much you can accomplish on any one day.
In general, it is better to spread out your studies over several days, than to cram for six hours the day before the test. How far in advance you start studying depends on how easily you memorize information and how long/comprehensive the test is going to be. This is different for everyone, so it may take some trial and error to figure out how far in advance you need to start studying. Personally, I like to study for at least a week leading up to the test.
Bonus: I Don’t Have a Planner
If you don’t already have a way to keep track of your assignments (you must like to live dangerously) here are some suggestions for writing out your study schedule.
Make a simple to-do list with headings for each day and then underneath the different things you want to study for that day.
Use a calendar with enough space on it to write in what you need to study on each day. Think like a desktop size.
Take this opportunity to invest in a planner (or get an app). There are tons of good ones out there.
Happy studying, I hope you found this post at least somewhat helpful, and feel free to leave a comment, or send an ask if you have any questions. Good luck on all your finals, and thank you for reading.
SugarFreePeach 