Use class syllabi as study tool.
There are helpful little documents your professors, teachers or instructors have created for you to help you out during the school semester – your class syllabi! Take a good chunk of time to thoroughly review the syllabus for each of your classes so you know what to expect over the next several weeks, from course topics, project and exam due dates, to other useful information.
Enter both work and school deadlines into your calendar.
When is that big project review due at work? How about that mid-term exam for school? It’s far easier to gauge your time and availability when you have your full schedule in front of you. Plot both work and school deadlines into a single calendar to keep track of due dates and important deadlines so you aren’t caught off guard.
Begin working on a school assignment as soon as it’s assigned.
Do you wait until the last minute to begin a school project and end up pulling all-nighters that leave you tired and drained at work? Instead of setting yourself up for a stressful situation, simply start working on a school assignment as soon as possible. Get the momentum going by taking small steps such as thoroughly reading and understanding the assignment, jotting down a few ideas for a paper topic, or conducting some basic research online.
Find new ways to study.
Make the most of the study time you have available to you by finding new ways to absorb, memorize and understand information. Try writing down concepts and facts, read your notes aloud, use flashcards, rewrite or retype your notes, or study with a classmate. You won’t know which study methods work best for you until you try them out, so feel free to experiment!
Define studying tasks.
When you’re at work you most likely tackle unique tasks such as answering the phone, doing a close-concentration task, writing emails, or having a meeting with colleagues. Your studies should be approached in a similar fashion with clearly defined tasks. Create a list of different study tasks to help you with your study time, such as reviewing a chapter summary, reading passages in-depth, working on a problem set or editing a report.
Plan study sessions for the week.
Do you study with a plan in mind? Or do you just crack open a textbook and hope for the best? Block out time in your calendar in advance to tackle different study tasks (see above) to make the most out of your schedule, be it a half-hour, a two-hour chunk of time, or whatever you have available to you that week.
Add small study sessions to your commute.
Do you have solid, uninterrupted portions of time during your daily commute, such as a long train, bus or ferry ride? Try incorporating small study sessions during these times. You could memorize facts and figures, work on a few problems from a problem set, watch a required video for class, or review your notes. Where do you do your best studying? At home? Your local coffee shop? The library? Leave a comment below.
