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How to Divide
Your Study Time Among Subjects and Work Effectively
Let's say you have a
long weekend (Presidents’ Day) to study biology, chemistry and physics and
that on the following Tuesday you will be given comprehensive examinations
in the three areas.
Most students would
simply set aside a separate day to study the subjects. In this case, I
will assume that you are one of those students - planning to study each
subject for 12 hours. After you have checked your schedule (as prepared
using the table in Step One) you have decided to study chemistry on
Saturday from 8:00Am to 12:00PM, break for an hour- then from 1:00PM to
5:00PM followed with a one hour break and finally complete the 12 hours of
studying from 6:00PM to 10:00PM.
A similar scenario
is used for Biology on Sunday and for Physics on Monday.
I think that
studying the same area for 12 hours would produce a type of saturation and
fatigue that you may not be aware of. A better suggestion would be to
study each area for four hours on each of the three days. This approach
should reduce some fatigue and make the learning process very friendly.
See the examples below:
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EXAMPLE A -
The Wrong Way
Subjects (chemistry, biology and physics) for the examinations are
studied for 12 hours on the three consecutive days. Spending
This amount of time in one area may result in a lost of effective
learning. Please see example B |
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Monday
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Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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6:00AM TO
10:00AM
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(7:00AM-8:00PM)
Breakfast/relaxation until 8:00AM
Physics [8:00AM to 10:00AM] |
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|
|
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(7:00AM-8:00PM)
Breakfast/relaxation until 8:00AM
Chemistry [8:00AM to 10:00AM] |
(7:00AM-8:00PM)
Breakfast/relaxation until 8:00AM
Biology [8:00AM to 10:00AM] |
|
10:00AM TO
2:00PM
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Physics [10:00AM
to
12:00PM]
Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM |
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|
|
|
Chemistry [10:00AM
to
12:00PM]
Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM |
Biology [10:00AM
to
12:00PM]
Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM |
|
2:00PM TO
6:00PM
|
Physics
1:00PM to 5:00PM
Supper 5:00-6:00PM |
|
|
|
|
Chemistry
1:00PM to 5:00PM
Supper 5:00-6:00PM |
Biology
1:00PM to 5:00PM
Supper 5:00-6:00PM |
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6:00PM TO
10:00PM
|
Physics [6:00PM to
10:00PM] |
|
|
|
|
Chemistry 6:00PM to
10:00PM |
Biology 6:00PM to
10:00PM |
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10:00PM TO
2:00AM
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Relax for an hour, shower and go
to bed before 12:00AM |
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|
|
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Relax for an hour, shower and go
to bed before 12:00AM |
Relax for an hour, shower and go
to bed before 12:00AM |
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2:00AM TO
6:00AM
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Sleep from
before
12:00AM to
6:45AM
|
|
|
|
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Sleep from
before
12:00AM to
6:45AM
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Sleep from
before
12:00AM to
6:45AM
|
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EXAMPLE B -
The Right Way
In this case each subject (chemistry, biology and physics) is
studied for four hours on all three days. Resulting in 12 hours of
study per subject area. |
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Monday
|
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
6:00AM TO
10:00AM
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Breakfast/relaxation until 8:00AM
Biology [ 8:00AM to 10:00AM] |
|
|
|
|
Breakfast/relaxation until 8:00AM
Chemistry [8:00AM to 10:00AM] |
Breakfast/relaxation until 8:00AM
Physics [8:00AM to 10:00AM] |
|
10:00AM TO
2:00PM
|
Biology [10:00AM
to
12:00PM]
Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM |
|
|
|
|
Chemistry [10:00AM
to
12:00PM]
Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM |
Physics [10:00AM
to
12:00PM]
Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM |
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2:00PM TO
6:00PM
|
Physics [1:00PM
to 5:00PM]
Supper
5:00-6:00PM |
|
|
|
|
Biology [1:00PM
to
5:00PM]
Supper
5:00-6:00PM |
Chemistry [1:00PM
to
5:00PM]
Supper
5:00-6:00PM
|
|
6:00PM TO
10:00PM
|
Chemistry [6:00PM to 10:00PM] |
|
|
|
|
Physics [6:00PM to 10:00PM] |
Biology [6:00PM to10:00PM] |
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10:00PM TO
2:00AM
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Relax for an hour, shower and go
to bed before 12:00AM |
|
|
|
|
Relax for an hour, shower and go
to bed before 12:00AM |
Relax for an hour, shower and go
to bed before 12:00AM |
|
2:00AM TO
6:00AM
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Sleep from
before
12:00AM to
6:45AM
|
|
|
|
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Sleep from
before
12:00AM to
6:45AM
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Sleep from
before
12:00AM to
6:45AM
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Unfortunately, a lot of students
completely underestimate the amount of time needed to study to reinforce
the information that was presented in class.
Obviously, I have presented a
significant time commitment to given subject areas for preparing for major
examinations. The time allotment for homework each evening per class
between examinations should be rigorous enough to aid in establishing a
good work ethic. As the student’s confidence and study habits improve, the
time assigned per subject area can be modified.
On the other hand, most students
feel that if they cannot understand a concept or problem in a reasonable
amount of time - which generally means 15 minutes - that it is time to
move on. Perhaps the lack of understanding of the subject matter may be
due to the presence of an inordinate amount of distractions. Evaluate your
study conditions and remove those distractions to ensure your academic
success. |
