Planning Ahead
1A. Organising Time
First Timetable
When you're beginning something the only place to start from is where you are. It's not
until you write it down that you can see if there is any spare time in your week—and
which times may be most suitable for you to use for study. It's important to realise the
type of person you are and the lifestyle you have, so you can be realistic about how study
can fit into your life. If you're working it's very hard to study late at night and
studying too late ruins your efficiency. On the other hand, you may think that you can
gain many study hours by getting up at 5.00 am and then find yourself so exhausted by
lunchtime that you have to have an afternoon nap.
We suggest you draw up a timetable of Your Life as it is Now (see example below
or the example in How to Study Effectively page 7) showing your activities for
every hour of a full week. For this exercise it's better to choose a typical week rather
than one when you're particularly busy or on holiday. It's also important to be as
accurate as you can, for the information you've gathered about a typical week in your life
will help you plan a study programme.
Second Timetable AND Discussion
To give you some idea of what it is like to fit in time for study draw up a second
timetable. Fill in your usual activities and regular commitments, then set aside four to
six hours during the week as study hours for working on your extramural papers. To give
you some idea of how suitable your second timetable will be, it is a good idea to carry
out a test by following it for one to two weeks, reading some non-fiction of your choice
in the hours set aside for study.
Once you've completed this exercise discuss Your Life Replanned for Study with
your spouse, your flatmate, an experienced student or someone else who knows you well.
Explain to them why you have chosen your study times, and make any changes which are
needed as a result of discussing it with them.
Other students' discussions revealed:
- Family co-operation essential, as marriage partners and/or children can help with daily
chores.
- The need to establish the right priorities. Study time is not for the family to
interrupt for a chat.
- The time for family togetherness is also important. Make time for family activities so
you can work with a clear conscience later.
- The need to adjust social life and entertainment. Phone calls and visitors can be very
disrupting, so you must learn to be firm, even at the risk of being labelled unsociable'!
- An amazing amount of time spent 'doing nothing'. By organising time efficiently study
can take the place of an uninteresting TV programme, the lazy hour over coffee or drinks
or time spent on chores if you can train yourself to accept a lower standard of housework!
Your revised timetable will show you the times when you can fit study into your life as
it is now. But of course, you may find that other things crop up and it needs to be
revised again. You might not carry on writing down timetables in full throughout the year,
but you're bound to need a timetable in your head. You'll probably become skilled at
juggling your time. If something is happening later in the week, you'll need to get your
study done beforehand. Planning ahead saves panic. And if you feel the urge to panic at
any stage sit down and work out a timetable—what you'll do to catch up in the weeks
ahead. Once you see that it can be fitted in, you'll feel better. |
