Make each study session count

Do you sit down to study with a clear idea of what you want to achieve in that session?

Mostly

Sometimes

Hardly ever

You selected 'Mostly':

Great! Managing independent study time is a challenge, but it is a good skill to acquire – not just for study but also for working life.

Experiment with some of the strategies in this article to see if you can improve your approach.

You selected 'Sometimes':

You’re on the right track, but would benefit from giving your study sessions a sharper focus on a more regular basis.

Review the strategies in this article and implement one of them in your next study session.

You selected 'Hardly ever':

If you have vague study goals, such as ‘working on my assignment’, give your study sessions a sharper focus. Be specific about what you will complete each day and for each time you sit down to study.

Start by reviewing the strategies in this article, and considering which one would be most helpful to you.

Do you …?

Sit down to study with a clear idea of what you want to achieve in that session?
Make a list of tasks that you need to complete to achieve a goal?

Illustration of a person adding entries into their planner

Make an action plan

Success often depends on work undertaken well ahead of deadlines. In effect, you have to create your own deadlines for the short term.

A good way of doing this is to be clear about what you want to accomplish during each day and study session. This helps you to focus so each step is accomplished in the best order – on time.

Review the approaches to planning study sessions below. If you feel a particular approach might work for you, check the box next to it to add it to a list of 'Favourites' which you can then save to your journal or download.

Approach

Calm your thoughts first …

More information

… with a walk, short mindfulness meditation or relaxation exercise.

Set study goals for the day

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In your diary, jot down what you intend to achieve. What will you complete by the end of the day?

Create hourly study sessions

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Break your day into study sessions of around an hour, with short breaks between each.

If you find it tricky to get started on a task, experiment with speed-tasking.

Use a one-minute plan

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Don’t get distracted into spending the whole session planning it. Jot down a quick to-do list for the next hour or two, allocating time to each item. Number them in the best order for completing them. Take a look at this example of using a one-minute plan before having a go yourself.

If your plan is disrupted, don’t despair. Do a rapid update and get focused on the next item on your list.

Mix it up

More information

Have a go at:

Varying tasks to avoid boredom
Studying in different locations. You could book a seat at the library or recap a key topic by listening to a lecture recording on a walk

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