Managing your studying time

How much should you study?
Guideline: 1 hour in class -> 2 hours studying outside of class. Example: 5 courses → 15 hours of class → 30 hours studying time per week. Full-time school is like a full-time job!

How many hours for an actual job?
No more than 10 - 15 hours a week if you are taking a full time course load. 

How to plan study time

• Set specific study goals with time limits
  
• Break down large projects into smaller, more manageable units
• Choose your best time to work on your hardest courses
• Be prepared—always carry study materials with you; use travelling/ waiting time
• Build in time in your schedule to find help for problems –from prof/tutors/ online
• Match your learning approach to the task
• Reading-active, focused study reading sessions (45 min-60 min)
• Memory work—short, repeated learning sessions (20-30 min)
• Projects—writing or problem solving: longer sessions with breaks
  
  

What to do when you study

• Snowball your learning—prepare before class, review and do some studying after class
• Begin with an easy task to make getting started easier
• Take regular breaks. Take 10 minutes; get up, stretch, drink and move around.
• Be selective--focus on the most important things
• Distribute learning—spread course study over several days 

Ten ways to fight procrastination

See which ones work best for you!

1. Start simple—break the ice by doing a task that requires little effort
2. Plan to work on it “just ten minutes”. You may get momentum!
3. Divide tasks into smaller chunks to reduce difficulty
4. Set up a ritual to help you get started on tasks you must do regularly
5. Set up a reward or incentive for finishing something
6. Cut off temptations: switch off phone, shut door, stay away from TV, disable social media notifications. Check if your devices have a “focus mode” and enable it during work periods.
7. Lower your expectations and just do the best you can within the time limit
8. Work with a friend
9. Substitute the mental message “I should” with “I’d like to.” 
10. Believe in yourself—you can do it! 

How to catch up if you fall behind in your studying:

• Read chapter summaries for main ideas
• Jump in where the teacher is at; you can gradually catch up with the rest later
• Get a friend to teach you
• Talk to the teacher
• Find a tutor – look on department notice board or student association groups for names (students advertise -- $)