Every semester, we receive emails from students inquiring about the benefits of creating a study plan. Many of them believe they are the only ones wondering how to ...
fit study and work together
stay on top of the content
be prepared for tutorials
get assessments done on time
know how much study to do (and how much reading) and
not feel overwhelmed .
As one student recently wrote:
Hi Kath
I am currently a JD student. While I've passed all my subjects to date, I feel like my marks aren't matching my potential, or my understanding of the subject matter.
Is this something you can help with? I'd love to discuss creating a study plan for this coming semester, and also to get ideas on who early to prepare for exams (they make me really miserable).
Many thanks
The conversations I have with students are always productive. They follow a process that is accessible to everyone. Initially, we gather all the important details about the student's courses - class schedules, assessment deadlines, and course content. This enables us to gain a comprehensive understanding of the course layout, the timing of assessments, their nature, and the study hours required for each course.
We then use a calendar and plan backwards. We add in the class and tutorial times, assessment dates and teaching breaks, plus any other major commitments the student has such a regular work, caring responsibilities or holidays.
Next we plan! We match the assessment tasks with the topic content to determine key study weeks. We assess how much reading and preparation each assessment will require and how this fits with the overall course load.
We also identify two dates for each assessment - the ideal date to start preparing the assessment and (if other all else fails) the last date to start working on assessment. Finally, if there is an exam in the course we carefully timetable when and how to structure revision, plus what needs to be completed by the week before the exam.
Even students who have been studying for years find these sessions really helpful. They often feel relieved that they know what to do and when, and that their semester doesn't look as bad as they feared. Many also realise that they have been making common mistakes such as
studying more than they need to - particularly at the start of the course and then not enough in the middle or at the end of the course
starting their revision for an exam too early or too late
taking too many notes/not enough notes or the wrong kind of notes
not allowing enough time to review their assessments (and why this is so important in law).
If you would like to make a study plan - book a free chat or a session.