It’s October already and you are into your 5th week of school, whether it be primary or secondary. You by now should have transitioned from the summer vacation back into the routine of secondary school, learning, books, homework and study. Of these the most challenging is homework and study as no one is making you do it, while the former you are obligated to by your parents / guardians and teachers. So, how do you make homework and study somewhat more enjoyable, structured and worthwhile?
By developing a Study Plan!
A study plan is a one page document in a Word or Excel format (in colour) summarising the seven days of the week and up to 15 hours in each day. Each day is divided into the number of hours you need to spend on each part of the most important areas of your life primarily focused on your education. With respect to homework and study, you divide the plan into 45 minute and 15 minute segments, where 45 minutes is the time period for completing homework and doing study and 15 minutes is the time period for taking a break and letting what you have done in the previous 45 minutes ‘sink-in’ and to feel a sense of accomplishment and reward. We do this for every day i.e. Monday to Sunday.
Daunting I realise and appreciate, but this is only for 8-9 months of the year and it will yield and you will reap great benefits by having this type of plan and discipline during your academic years, especially towards the latter part of your secondary education.
Complete the study plan with a specialist or expert or a parent / guardian so as to make it fair and realistic, yet challenging.
And remember, stick to the plan…!
