Your time is limited and should be distributed between your subjects and leisure. A Weekly Planner is a good way of making good use of your time.
Firstly fill in your course times. Next, it is a good idea to put in your leisure time and finally your study time. Distribute your study time fairly to each subject. Be careful not to spend too much time on the area you like at the expense of those that you find difficult or dislike. When planning your time, you should also be aware of important dates, e.g. start and finish of a semester, dates of assessments and exams. See your Student Calendar. For regular use, you could photocopy the Weekly Planner.
Note: Research has shown that you cannot expect to study efficiently for more than three hours. You can make valuable use of short spaces of time e.g. cooking meals, washing dishes, travelling to and from Perth College.
Get Motivated
Begin with something interesting or easy as this will give you a feeling of satisfaction. You may wish to start by reviewing the day’s classes or recalling the main points of your last study session. If you are not really in the mood for studying and feel you would not achieve much, don’t try to study. Do something enjoyable and try again later. However, it is very important that you recognise the difference between this mood and just putting off study.
Set Goals
It is very helpful to keep in mind your long-term goals (career, College course) and your short-term goals (each day, week, semester). Both long-term and short-term goals matter and it may be helpful to write them down. You may not be used to studying and therefore you must set goals which are realistic and attainable. If your goals are either too easy or unattainable, you could become apathetic and lose interest in the topic.