Penstripe Student Planner Catalogue 24-25 - Flipbook - Page 114
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STUDY SKILLS IN PRACTICE –
PLANNING STRATEGIES
Study Skills in Practice – Planning Strategies
If you enjoy studying in your bedroom (and you are being productive) then
by all means continue to do so. However, think also about other options
for a study space - another room in the house, the local library or school
(many schools offer after-school study). Your bedroom can then become your
sanctuary - somewhere for headspace and downtime. That said, not everyone
is lucky enough to have their own bedroom. If you share with a sibling, then
agree some ground rules including times when you have the space to yourself.
The Tools
Prior to commencing study make sure you have all the resources and
equipment you need: relevant notes and textbooks, files, pens, maths
equipment etc. Take time to organise your notes (if you haven’t already
done so) and carry out topic list checks to establish whether or not you
have the relevant materials as identified by the teacher. That way, you can
pinpoint gaps in notes and then ask the teacher for the information you
may have missed.
A few more tips …
Here are a few more things you could do prior to studying that might just help
you prepare psychologically and physically (and after a while they might even
become habits!):
Prior to beginning the session, go for a short walk to clear your head;
Put a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign on the door;
Have a snack to make sure you don’t get distracted by your
tummy rumbling;
Have your timer ready and know the first topic you are studying in advance;
Clear the desk when you finish and prepare the set of books/notes for the
next study session.
Complete this Study Zone Checklist for yourself. Do your best to create the
environment and conditions to maximise your study time.
Now that you have organised your study zone you’re ready to begin the
process of weekly planning.
This process will help you stay on track with schoolwork, but it will also
ensure you set aside much needed downtime. It is crucial that you establish
and maintain a healthy balance every week. That means scheduling time for
hobbies, friends, family time, exercise etc.
We suggest you complete a weekly planner for every week you are in school.
Sunday, the day before the week is due to commence, is an ideal planning
day. At that stage you will know if any major changes are likely to happen to
the normal week. Sometimes when we try to plan in detail at too early a stage,
things arise (including disruptions) that interfere with our best intentions.
It will be easier for you to commit to the plan when planning is done weekby-week to a more exact schedule. This will also help those of you who think
‘I’ll just wait and see what happens’. Most importantly, your plan has to
be realistic or you won’t stick to it. Remember what we said about forming
positive habits – if you make it difficult or unrealistic for yourself, you are
much less likely to carry out the behaviour and develop that new habit.
The Planner
We suggest your planner should be set out in a Power Hour: 60-minute blocks,
broken down further into a maximum of 45 minutes of work, a 10-minute
break and a 5-minute review. If you find that 45 minutes is too long in the first
instance, then challenge yourself to carry out 20 minutes of uninterrupted
work and build up to 45. These time blocks encourage you to study in short
manageable chunks of time which, according to the research, is much more
beneficial than studying for long unbroken periods.
Phone removed from room
Comfortable Chair
Subject textbooks and class notes
Equipment (pens, rulers etc)
Desk
Appropriate lighting/temperature
Timer (not phone)
Do not disturb sign
Files, books/flashcards for
study notes
Page Ref.
S-13
60 mins
blocks
45 mins
10 mins
5 mins
work
break
review
Description
Study Skills in Practice –
Planning Strategies
Copyright © 2021 Inspire Education
Copyright © 2021 Inspire Education
Quiet and Calm
Description
Study Skills in Practice –
Planning Strategies
Study Skills in Practice - Planning Strategies
Strategy Two: Weekly Planning
Power Hour
Study Zone Checklist
TV/Tech switched off
(unless study related)
STUDY SKILLS IN PRACTICE –
PLANNING STRATEGIES
Page Ref.
S-14
STUDY SKILLS GUIDE ONLY AVAILABLE AS A COMPLETE 32 PAGE SECTION
114
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