Let’s Get Ready For Exams – Week 1

How many times have you planned to study but found yourself distracted by a phone call, a text message, a TV show or something else?

It happens to the best of us.

Sometimes even our best plans can get shoved to the side as we are forced to take on another equally important task. This can make studying a difficult task.

If you are plagued by procrastination, disorder and interruptions within an already hectic schedule this can negatively affect your grades and be a source of unnecessary anxiety.

The good news is that you can actively change this.

How?

By tackling this problem as a team. It’s simple. For the next 12 weeks leading up to exam time, you’ll receive actionable and effective tasks to equip you for exams.

So in total, you’ll get 12 tips spread throughout a series of 12 different articles.

Each week you can rely on a new tip which will bring you closer to acing your exams. If you get off track in the hustle of life, just come back to this series of articles and catch up.

Now there’s lots of fancy things we can do like projects etc. to make this really busy and time consuming.

That’s not what we want.

We want you to use your time effectively and get the greatest result out of each moment you spend studying. So give yourself at least 12 weeks to accomplish each task and let’s see what happens.

And by the way, I would like to know how you did and whether or not this has worked for you.

 What you can expect to gain from this program?

Time – For students, time is the most valuable resource available. Time: we only have so much of it, and it always seems like it just flies by all too quickly, right?
While there are only so many hours each day, this holds true for everyone. This is why, often, good time management can make all the difference in achieving great academic results.

Organization – You want to ace your exams right? Well, getting organized is an essential starting component. At the end of this program, this incredible skill will continue to help you throughout many facets of life.

A study plan – Although it may feel like a waste of time in the beginning (ironically enough), building out a solid study plan can ultimately lead to huge time savings in the long run.

We get it.

Studying itself requires a ton of patience, focus and hard work. But taking the time to prepare and plan can have untold benefits.

Our case in point? Avoid cramming for tests. This useless ‘technique’ never works and you don’t want to find yourself in the habit of procrastinating. Instead set yourself up (literally) for success.

Support – on top of all this, you’ll know that you’re not alone in this program and there are many other students like yourself taking part in this. This should give you a degree of accountability and support. Knowing that you’re a part of a community with other students doing the same can be encouraging.

But to really achieve academically, you’ll also need a little bit of endurance and determination as well. Push yourself through the tough times, and soon you will just be a better student than you were before.

So are you ready? Let’s get started with Week 1!

Week 1 – Let’s get Organized

Organizational skills do not come naturally, unfortunately. However, they are an easily learned ability and are skills in which can help you in both your academic and personal life.

During this week, we’re going to organize first. Don’t just dive straight into it.

I mean, let’s be real, you can’t properly study if you don’t have the necessary materials, space or time to do so.

Firstly, check to make sure that you have all of the necessary handouts for each of your classes, put your notes in order, read over any course outline or syllabus, etc. Set aside your materials in a designated location so that you know where to find them when you need it. For example, you can place everything in a bin or bag and when it’s time to study, you simply grab it and go.

Getting all of your gear together and organized will make it easier to find what you need while you’re studying, ultimately saving time and worry.

Do you need some highlighters, pencils, pens, an extra notebook? Get them.

Secondly, you need a proper study space. For study time, find or create a quiet, well-lit and comfortable area.

If your home cannot accommodate this space, consider the library.

Make sure there’s nothing nearby that may tempt you to close the books. For example, if you love texting back and forth with friends, turn off your cellphone until your dedicated study time is over.

Organized studying such as this will help to reduce the amount of time spent behind a desk and also reduce the possibility of overload and/or stress.

How?

A student who knows they’ve put in the adequate amount of time needed is a student who is confident when it comes time to put their knowledge to the test.

Thirdly, take a minute to think about what takes most importance in your life.

One of the biggest obstacles to being organized is learning how to prioritize. Avoid overload. If you find yourself falling behind or becoming too stressed, evaluate your after-school activities to see if you’re simply trying to do too much.

If social or extra-curricular pursuits are getting in the way of study time, it may be wise to reconsider how much you can realistically do.

Don’t allow the combination of homework, school, extracurricular activities, and other non-school related activities to back you into a corner and leave no room to actually study.

By the end of this week, you should have accomplished;

1. Gathering all your study materials and tools in one place.
2. Setting up a designated distraction-free study area.
3. Committing a set amount of time in your schedule to study.

Next week, we’ll dive further into your schedule and give you the tools needed to help you stay on track.

So what do you think? Is there anything else you do to get organized? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.