Manage Your Time Efficiently

by Chloe West

College can be the most difficult stage of school for many of us, and it doesn’t help that most grades recorded are from tests. With the stress and anxiety that we all go through trying to prepare for a test, sometimes cramming the night before becomes the norm in studying. However, a little known fact is that when a student crams all of the information in right before a test, not very much of the material is actually retained.    The best way to study is to take it in pieces and study a little bit each day before a test.

Five-Day Study Plan
Day 1
1st piece	2 hours
Day 2
2nd piece 1st piece	2 hours 30 minutes
Day 3
3rd piece 2nd piece 1st piece	90 minutes 30 minutes 15 minutes
Day 4
4th piece 3rd piece 2nd piece 1st piece	90 minutes 30 minutes 15 minutes 10 minutes
Day 5
4th piece 3rd piece 2nd piece 1st piece all material (self-test)	30 minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 1 hour

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How to Make a Five-Day Study Plan

Look through all of the materials you need to study for the test, whether it’s chapters you need to re-read in the book, handouts, or review questions. Separate them into four separate chunks or pieces.

            It is best to set the largest amount or the most difficult material at the beginning (first or second chunks), that way that material will be reviewed the most.

            Day five should be the day before the exam; be sure to set aside at least two hours per day (or at least as much as necessary to go over all material) to study in order to be completely prepared for a test.

            Test anxiety can be linked to unpreparedness; making a study plan and working with all material in two ways (preparing and reviewing) can get rid of anxiety. Heading towards a test knowing all of the material and not scrambling to study at the last minute can make test-taking much more relaxed and not quite as scary.

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What Can You Do in a Few Minutes?

            Do you only have fifteen minutes before your next class, or forty-five minutes before you need to go to sleep? You’d be surprised at how much you get actually get done in just a few minutes that will make you feel so much more organized and prepared.

Five Minutes:

·         Plan what you will study during free hours later

·         Do a deep breathing exercise to relax or stretch

·         Organize class notes in preparation for studying

·         Do a quick review of notes from your last class

·         Organize your desk and/or straighten your room

·         Make a to-do list

Fifteen Minutes:

·         Plan your schedule for the next day

·         Schedule any pending appointments or write any necessary e-mails

·         Study for a quiz

·         Map out or outline a project

·         Balance your checkbook

·         Make a quick phone call

Thirty Minutes:

·         Take a power nap

·         Run an errand

·         Read a short assignment

·         Meet with a professor or advisor

·         Exercise

·         Study with a classmate

Forty-five Minutes:

·         Complete a short written assignment in the library

·         Complete a moderate reading assignment

·         Outline a textbook chapter

·         Research information for a project or paper

            Getting things done before the last minute, keeping a to-do list, and getting what you can get done in short amounts of time will lift a large amount of weight off your shoulders. Break large projects down into smaller pieces that you can get done easily. Keeping organized and knowing what you need to get done and when it’s due will help with getting assignments turned in on time and will greatly reduce procrastination.