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4 Good habits for the new school year

At the beginning of the academic year it is really important to get into good habits that set you up nicely for the work ahead. Being well-organised will remove unnecessary obstacles that get between you and passing your exams.

1. Keep notes in good order. If you use books in your lessons to take notes, make sure that what you write is clear and well-laid out. You don’t want to have to spend time deciphering what you wrote in 6 months time; minimise the effort between you and the course content. Furthermore, for extra notes or if you take notes on paper, use binders! Keep a binder for each subject with your loose paper held inside and properly organised. Again, make that information easy to find!

2. Keep up with the course material. It is important to stay on top of the course for as long as possible. In my experience once you start falling behind the new material is much harder to retain because it builds on older concepts that were not well understood. The first step to doing this is looking at yourself and seriously asking whether you have grasped what is going on. Can you complete questions on this topic independently of teachers or peers? If the answer is no, don’t worry. Ask questions, from your peers and your teachers. Work on some questions independently. Putting in that bit of extra work to stay on top of everything will save you lots of time later.

 

3. Use google calendar to keep track of your commitments. School work is probably on a fixed timetable that you know by heart, but what about other activities that are just one-offs like revision classes or workshops. This tip is just as useful for tracking events in your personal life as well. Google calendar is free and easy to set up. As soon as something new comes up in the future, put in the calendar. It syncs to your phone to give you reminders of when things are coming up and prevents you from missing out on important events.

4. Work efficiently. This is probably the most important piece of advice I can give. There is no need to spend hours on homework or revision if you just make your working time efficient and effective. Revise without distractions, in a quiet place without music. Work without your phone or tablet nearby, and don’t check your Whatsapp or Facebook while you are working. Scientific research () shows it can take a long time to regain focus on a task after being interrupted, so remove those interruptions and enjoy all your free time later. For an excellent approach to this check out the Pomodoro Technique ().


By following these simple guidelines your path to academic success will be smoother and a lot less painful!

Filed Under: Organisation Planning Efficiency


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Jake

 

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User Type: Tutor  Verified
Name: Jake
Uploaded Date: Sep 08,2016

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