Study Tip: Find a Study Routine That Suits You
Ok, so study routines are pretty personal things. Everyone has their own specific way of going about their study and therefore I am in no position to tell you what the right way is and what the wrong way is. I can, however, tell you what worked for me.
Study Environment
Before Christmas, I took part in after-school-study which ran for two hours after school ended in a hall in my school. In theory it was a nice idea, and it did force me to start studying early on in the year, but I hated the study environment. It didn’t suit me at all. The room was dark and cold with very little table space per person and the strictly-enforced silence was practically deafening.
After Christmas break, I wanted a change and so I stopped going to after-school-study. I set up a desk in my bright and airy sun room with all of my books, exam papers and stationery within reach. I think it made a big difference because I could study in my own time and in my own way. I often put the radio on because I prefer background noise than silence as it helps me concentrate. For some people, noise has the opposite effect.
Study Subjects
I made a study plan pretty much as soon as I started after-school-study, mainly because I had no other way to spend the time. I gave myself a specific amount of chapters to study from each subject each week and divided the subjects between the days.
I found it was always best to only study three or four subjects a day. Any more and there would be too much going into my brain and none of it would stick. I recommend making sure to study a variety of different subjects, for example a science-y subject, a theory-heavy subject and a language (e.g. geography, religion, French), because it’s easier on the brain to switch form type to type, than to keep doing the same thing for a long period of time.
Study Timing
I, unfortunately, am terribly bad at sticking to plans and timetables so I had to find another way to make sure I was getting through what needed to be done. My method of “timing” was to give myself a set amount of practice questions to answer and correct, notes to write, or chapters to read. For example, I would keep studying geography until I had completed two long questions about the topic I was studying and corrected them.
Despite saying all of this, I still think it’s important not to stay on any one subject for too long because your mind will get bored, distracted and worn out. 30-45 minutes was enough to do before moving on and if I really felt I needed to finish something, I would come back to it at the end.
I hope this helps you all to figure out what works and what doesn't when it comes to study routines. We'll have more helpful study tips, tricks and methods coming out every Monday. Be sure to send us an email if you have a topic that you particularly want us to discuss!
