1. Start early
Yes, we all know starting exam prep early is the best way to go, and yet, we manage to start at the latest possible moment every. single. time. Partly, this is probably due to procrastination, and partly, it comes from a lack of proper planning. The goal of making a planning is to benefit from it, and hastily drafting up a planning 1,5 week before exams is not nearly as helpful as making one at the beginning of your module or course, and evenly spreading out your workload over 10 weeks.
Still, even if your exams are in one week: make a planning. Getting your priorities straight is always helpful, and gives you a good overview of everything that you need to get done, even if you have to do it in an absurdly short period of time. However, if you prefer to remain mentally sane and intend on actually doing the work you include in your planning, I’d advise you to make use of this motivation and make a planning early on.
2. Use your syllabus
The syllabus – the baseline for your planning. This slightly daunting but helpful document holds all the information you need to make a planning that helps you crush your exams at the end of the module. So, use it!
Of course, the syllabus lists all exam dates and other important deadlines. Those are going to be the basis of your planning, and probably the first thing you will write down in your calendar. However, there’s more: it often also includes exactly what topics you are going to cover in which weeks, and by when you need to have read certain material. Use this information too, by already planning some revision moments for material you assume will be challenging, for example.
3. Be specific
When making your planning, it’s easy to just write down your deadlines and “see how and when you are going to study along the way”. However, if you really want your planning to become the backbone of your exam prep strategy, don’t just focus on when you need to have done what; also specify how you are going to do it, and how much time you will need for it. So, instead of writing down ‘study research methodology’, write down something like ‘revise APA standards and read chapter 5 on qualitative research (45 min)’. This will help you save a lot of time and energy along the way, trying to figure out what your next steps should be. Time better spent studying or relaxing!
4. Be realistic
Deciding you are making a proper planning might have you feel like you’re finally getting your life together. You might get overenthusiastic, resulting in you planning to do at least five hours of revision every single day. I can already tell you, though: this will never happen. The key is to be realistic in dividing your workload, and not overdo it out of a sudden 3 AM burst of motivation.
However, the same goes the other way around: consider that some things may take a bit longer than initially thought, and plan some extra time for that. There have been plenty of times when I planned to read three chapters in one afternoon, only to find out they were each 50 pages long. Realistic planning comes with a) proper preparation (that is, checking the workload of a certain task beforehand) and b) experience. After a while, you will automatically become more aware of the time you usually spend on certain tasks – valuable information for your game plan next module.
5. Make smart use of your time
Studying can be quite taxing. So, help yourself out a little and make it as easy as possible! For instance, don’t revise lecture material a week after the lecture, but plan some time to do it the same afternoon, or the day after. This way, it will still be fresh in your mind, preventing you from having to spend precious time on figuring out “what the lecture was about again”. Plus, you’ll most likely remember the material way better.
6. Make a to-do list
Physical or digital – whatever floats your boat. Writing down your action points in a separate list has one major benefit: being able to see the immense progress that you’re making. I mean, what’s more satisfying and motivating than gradually being able to cross off the items on your to-do list?
7. Block your agenda
Planning on doing something and actually doing it are two totally different things. In order to prevent other things from popping up in your calendar (like random Tuesday afternoon drinks at Beneden Peil), make sure to block your agenda and reserve some time for you to actually carry out your planning. Don’t overdo it, though – you will most likely only be a student once, and life usually does not get more spontaneous after finishing your degree.
8. Adjust when needed
It might be tempting to just quit following your planning at all when you’ve made a little slip and you’re behind on your intended schedule. No need to do that, though: you can always make a new one! Plans are there to guide and help you, not to desperately keep you following a certain schedule. If you feel like a change in your planning or a completely new planning will help you out, don’t hesitate to adjust when needed. It can help you get your thoughts and priorities in order again, which is why you made a planning in the first place.
Planning is a skill; one that you will get better at every time you give it a go. So, don’t beat yourself up when you weren’t able to fully stick to your schedule – university offers plenty of exams, deadlines and other opportunities to try again. 😉 Good luck studying!
