Getting the Best Value for Time Are you satisfied with what you achieve in the hours spent studying, or do you wonder where all the time has gone, without much to show for it ? How hard are you really working ? Here are some hints to help you make the most of your study time. I . EFFECTIVE LEARNING 1. Review lecture notes as soon after a lecture as possible. Half an hour spent while the lecture is still fresh in your mind will do more to help you to develop an understanding of what you have heard and remember it than twice the time later on. It can be helpful to go over new work with other students to check that you have grasped all the points. 2. If you have been given an essay or assignment to do, note accurately what is required and start it when your memory of it is clear. 3. Revise and review regularly. Set regular weekly times to review the work in each course. This revision should be cumulative -- adding a bit to the total at a time, covering briefly all the work done so far in the term. This way you will consolidate the groundwork and avoid panic before exams. 4. When you revise, space out the time devoted to any one topic. You will learn more in six one-hour periods spread over one week than in one six-hour period. 5. Limit your blocks of study to two hours on any one topic or type of work. After one hour and half to two hours of intensive study, you begin to tire and concentration weakens. Take a break at some "achievement point" (end of a chapter, solving a problem, etc. ) and then changing to another part of the course or another type of work (e. g., from reading to writing) will provide the change necessary to keep up your efficiency. 6. Find out the best times for working for yourself. Some times may be better than others for different types of work and also for your own biological clock: If you tend to feel sleepy in the afternoon, this may not be the best time to try to read history or work out math problems. You may think that working into the early hours suits you, but does it fit in with an early class next morning ? You are likely to feel tired next day and so gain nothing! II . PRACTICAL STEPS 1. Plan a program of balanced activities. University life has many aspects which are important for getting full benefit from your time here. Some activities have fixed time requirements (e.g., classes, meetings, sport), others are more flexible (e.g., recreation, relaxation, study time, personal matters, eating, sleeping). 2. Plan how you will use your study time. Knowing what you are going to do and when saves a lot of time spent on making decisions, false starts, retracing your steps to get the books you need, etc. Commit yourself to studying a particular assignment at a particular time. 3. Study at a regular time and in a regular place. You will learn to associate that time and place with working. This is after all what the world's workers have to do. 4. Trade time and don't steal it. When something unexpected happens and takes up time you had planned for study, decide immediately how you can make up the study missed. 5. Give yourself rewards for work completed on time (e.g., 2 hours solid work =1 cup of tea or coffee; essay completed = 1 hour's TV ). After a strenuous evening finishing an essay or a set of problems, allow yourself "unwinding time" before bed. III . PLANNING TIME Working out a time-table will not turn you into a perfectly efficient person, but having a plan and sticking to it for a few weeks can help you to form better study habits and actually to save time, so that in the end you have more free time than before. Here is a way to plan your time which is flexible and practical. 1. Make out a master tiemtable for the term, marking your fixed commitments only: classes, society meetings, sports, etc. Make it clear and attractive, as you will have to look at it for a long time. 2. Draw up a weekly work program based on your present work assignments and study commitments: take a blank postcard or file card and divide it up, and then list: a. your work assignments and study commitment for the week; b. estimated amount of time needed for each of these; c. dates when the work is due or when it is to be done. Include routine reading and revising as well as set work. Put it in a prominent, or noticeable, place in your room, or carry it with you. A good time to prepare this might be Sunday evening as you plan the week ahead. 3. Make a daily “shopping list” of things you have to do next day and when you will do them. Use a small card can be put into a pocket where it is found. The best time to prepare this is before going to bed. Include everything you have to do next day, not just work but posting a friend's birthday card, going to the launderette, ete. Having prepared your cards and planned out your work, stick to you rprogram. Cross out each item as you deal with it. If you give study hours top priority, the remaining hours will be really free. A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step (Chinese proverb).