e-Learning - Managing Your Study Time

Managing Your Study Time
Stress Free e-Learning
Successful e-Learning
Effective Reading

It is important to have a study plan for any course you undertake.

The wonderful advantage of studying with BYTSYZ is that the time and length of study fits in with your needs and NOT with the needs of a school or college.

Develop blocks of study time - how long should I study?

• Identify the time which suits you best to study. Levels of concentration can vary throughout the day. Are you a morning or a night person?
• How long does it take for you to become restless? Plan your study around your usual period of good concentration.

Getting the most out of your study time

• Study subject areas that are newest to you or which you find most difficult at the start of your study. This is the time when your brain will be the most receptive.
• Some students need frequent breaks for a variety of reasons, plan your breaks to suit you.
• Difficult material may require more frequent breaks.

Get your environment right

• Make sure your surroundings are comfortable and suitable for studying - this will allow you to reduce distractions which can waste time. If there are times when you know there will be less noise or disturbance then plan your study around these.

Schedule weekly reviews

Each week set yourself a small amount of time to review where you are up to with your study. At this time you can:

• Set yourself goals and targets for the coming week
• Decide when to do a Trial Assessment
• Decide if you are progressing satisfactorily through your qualification.

Do any background reading just before you start to study

• If you want to read something related to your study, or check out a couple of web-links, then the ideal time to do this is just before you commence your study.

Review your learning immediately after you finish your study

• The likelyhood of forgetting what you have just studied is greatest within the first 24 hours.

Schedule time for next study period

• Decide when your next study period is going to be and make a note of it in your diary.
• Once you have done this ALWAYS try to stick to the time you have allocated yourself.

Remember to have a life!

• It is important to have a balance bewteen study and life, so make room for entertainment and relaxation.
• Make sure you have enough time for sleep. Tiredness is a barrier to learning. While you may read the words on a page, you will not digest them or remember them. At this point study time is wasted.

"To Do" list

Write down the things you have to do, then decide:

• Which have to be done at that moment
• Which should be scheduled for a later study period

Weekly study planner

Write a weekly planner at the start of each week, the plan should include:

• Study times
• Work times
• Leisure times
• Other things you have to do.

At the start of each day, check what you have planned for the day. Always go to sleep knowing you're prepared for the next day!

Long term life planner

This will be less detailed than your weekly planner but is useful for planning ahead. It will alow you to:

• Calculate how many hours you wish to study in a week
• Plan other activities you have to do into your week

Remember to plan some time for yourself!