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For students, exams can be a source of stress and anxiety, but with the right plan and strategy, studying for exams can be manageable and even enjoyable. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to create a study plan for exams so that students can manage their time and study effectively.
Read also: 4 Controversial Study Tips
Read also: 8 Study Tips From Fictional High Achievers
1. Establish a Goal
To create a study plan, you first must know your exact goals. However, getting a good grade on the upcoming test is not specific enough.
First, determine the subject the test is about: e. g. Mathematics
Then, look at all the subcategories you’ve learned in class and note the ones relevant to the test.
The teachers or professors often exclude certain topics, so make sure you don’t waste time learning those.
Furthermore, it can be useful to determine the crucial 20% of the information.
Once you know what you have to study, make sure to also note the date of the exam and how long until then you have.
2. Create a Schedule
Once you have your goal mapped out, it’s time to put it all in a schedule.
The problem with creating a study plan is that you can rarely accurately anticipate how long it will take you to learn something.
After all, you don’t know what you don’t know, so chances are you’ll grasp the full extent of the material only while you study.
Instead of planning to study a specific subject on a particular day, you should only schedule the study session without a label.
To do that, take a study plan template (you’ll find them everywhere online) and cross out the time slots already occupied by other engagements (e.g., class/lectures/doctor’s appointments/sports practice).
It can be helpful to note which activities are non-negotiable and which you could skip should you desperately need more study time as the exam comes closer.
Next, schedule your free time. You’re human and not a machine, so you need time to eat, sleep (7-9 hours! Don’t pull all-nighters!), relax, and be social.
Lastly, fill in all that is left as your study time.
3. Take Time for Breaks
You’ve planned your free time slots for a reason. You need those breaks to study effectively during study time, so don’t dare skip the breaks!
You also need to stop thinking about the upcoming test during that time.
Your breaks are supposed to allow you to mentally relax. There is no reason for you to feel guilty about that.
So take a break and stop the guilt.
4. Identify the Best Styles for Studying
As with most things, studying is not about quantity but quality. While a 12-hour study day seems impressive, cutting that time down by half with the same results is much smarter.
Stop wasting your study sessions on ineffective study methods like reading and highlighting textbooks or making aesthetic summaries.
Instead, spend that time doing active recall, spaced repetition, and mock tests.
You need to identify what study method works best for you, keep in mind that this can vary depending on the subject.
5. Use Reminders and Regularly Check-in
If you are prone to forgetting your study time, schedule some reminders on your digital devices.
Also, make sure to check in regularly with how you are progressing. For example, how many topics have you already mastered? Which subjects took longer than expected? Is one of your study methods not working?
Always keep your eyes open and analyze the situation. The sooner you catch problems, the easier to solve them.
6. Adjust Your Plan if Necessary
The last tip on how to create a study plan for your finals: Adjust your schedule if necessary.
Don’t be afraid to course-correct your study schedule. Few successful people in life ever succeeded with their original, unaltered plan.
As you study, you will gain more information and better understand the upcoming test. Use that improved understanding and bring your study schedule to the next level, if necessary.
However, beware of changing your plan every other day. Consistency is important for good results.
Sooner or later, you’ll also reach the point of no return. You simply have to keep studying as before and gamble on it working well for the test.
To summarize: Adjust if necessary but don’t be a paranoid perfectionist.
7. Bonus Tip
This is more of a warning than a tip: Don’t use planning as an excuse to avoid studying!
Making elaborate plans is a pseudo-productive task that makes you feel accomplished even though you are not getting closer to your end goal.
Yes, having a rough plan is necessary for achieving your goals. But plans often change as time passes, anyway.
All that time you spend tweaking your plan should be spent studying instead.
So make sure to create your study plan swiftly and then move on to the actual studying.
Conclusion: Planning is key when preparing for exams, and following the tips outlined in this blog post can help students feel more confident and organized while studying. Utilizing a study plan, breaking up tasks into manageable chunks, and taking regular breaks can help create a stress-free environment while studying.
If you have an upcoming exam, take the time now to plan and make sure you are prepared. Share this blog post with a friend who may also find it helpful.
