Making a Solid Study Plan for College

This article is posted under college life

One of the most difficult things about college is balancing your social life, career, and studies. Away from home and having so much freedom, many college students actually have a hard time managing their time and setting priorities. According to Study-Skills:

…students can’t float through their classes and do well. You must be organized and disciplined. In short, you must have a plan. The “study plan” has different meanings to different people. At the college level, a study plan is a formal, highly-structured way to not only do well in your individual classes, but to get from your first freshman course to graduation.

If you want to survive college and lay a good path for a promising career in your chosen industry, then a strong study plan is what you need. This will keep you from straying away from your priorities and even put your goals in check.

The properties of a good study plan

Study-Skills outlines some of the characteristics of a good study plan:

* Simple – never complicated
* Specific – never dwelling on generalities. It should state exactly what you’re going to do, when, where, and how you’ll do it.
* Positive – never negative. That is, don’t state what you’ll stop doing, but what you’ll start doing.
* Possible – never impossible. A good study plan details things that you’re capable of doing frequently.
* Immediate – not eventual. That means that after you have your study plan in writing, you should be able to start using it the next day.
* Written – not dependent on memory or willpower. That’s because you’re more likely to do something that you’ve put down on paper.

A good study plan should be realistic and achievable. Your schedule, goals, and priorities should be taken into consideration.

The importance of rescheduling

Another blog called Surviving College Life stresses how things can easily change in your college life, so you have to learn how to revise and reschedule along the way:

You might choose to do this every day or every week, but make a regular habit of sitting down and revising your calendar. Maybe you finish a project early-use the leftover time to get a jump on something else. Took longer than you thought to write that French paper? Better allot some extra study time to your Chem class in next week’s schedule.

You should stick to your study plan and schedule but also allow yourself some flexibility, in case something turns up and you think the study plan is no longer achievable. Don’t forget to consider things that can affect your schedule such as hanging out with friends, spending time with your family, and enjoying some private time.

The Surviving College Life blog also gives some more wise study scheduling advice:

Cross off Your Finished Work

You don’t have to do this, but I always find it cathartic to scribble out something I’ve finished and give it that final Hasta La Vista!!!

After all, there’s nothing more gratifying and fulfilling than giving yourself a pat on the back by finally crossing out that dreadful English term paper from your list of assignments.

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