There are 168 hours in week, but about 100 are usually taken up with "non-optional" activities such as sleeping, eating personal care, travel religious activities, home chores and modest amount of leisure and recreation. If items A,B,C, and D total more than 65, somthing needs to be modified.
Plan to spend a maximum of 65 hours a week on a combination of the following activities.
A. Classes and laboratories
B. Study
C. Part-time employment
D. Student activity commitments
(dramatics, forensics, music, intercollegiate
athletics, student government, etc.) If you have a "regular" activity off
campus
which is highly time-consuming (e.g. a "Little Theater" group) also include
this
activity.
Plan to spend some time in studying the day before each class meets.
Review your
class notes as soon as possible after each class meeting.
Plan your study time so that each hour is assigned to a specific subject
(e.g. study English
102 at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and at 8:00 p.m.
on Tuesday,
Thursday and Sunday).
Schedule some review time each week for each subject.
Leave some time unscheduled each day for a "shock absorber."
Give consideration to the following:
A. Try to scheduled study time for a subject just
before or just before or just after
the class meets.
B. Schedule study time for your most difficult subjects
when you are most alert.
C. Do not schedule study time for one subject for
too long a period of time. After
an hour or so, most
people find efficiency is reduced. Try to change to a
dissimilar subject
( e.g. from sociology to mathematics)
D. Try to stop at an interesting place.
Be realistic about your schedule. Do not:
A. Schedule exceedingly long study sessions. Few
people can study with any
effectiveness for more than
three hours without a substantial break.
B. If you know you expect to take a half- hour "coffee
break" some time between
9 and 10 every morning do
not schedule that time as an "hour " of study.
C. Do not expect to get up early in the morning,
expend your energies in exhausting
activities all day, and
then still expect to study at night. Do your studying when
you are alert and energetic.
D. Decide if you are a "night person" or a "day
person" and arrange your schedule
accordingly. But be honest
in your evaluation. (Of course, You’ll be tired if you
stay out late every night!
E. Do not rationalize that you can study well in
the presence of many distractions.
T.V., conversation, reminders
of previous exciting activities ( e.g. souvenirs
and momentos), etc. should
not be within your "sensory sphere."
When you have developed a realistic, balanced schedule, stick to it.
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