How to make a study guide

Posted by tutordoctorva ⋅ July 19, 2012

It’s still the “dog days” but many High School and College students have summer reading assignments to do before classes start up again.   Well folks….it’s time to get up and get cracking on them.  Something that may help get you on track is to make a study guide.  Making a study guide means that you are organized and ready for the coming school year. This is a great way to practice for the rigours of college and work life when large workloads will overwhelm the unwary. Making a schedule means you never miss an assignment or forget a test and scheduled downtime can be enjoyed without that guilty feeling that you should be studying instead.
Choose your subjects wisely
Ensure that you take subjects that keep your career options open, but don’t put too much of a burden on you. It’s better to do a few things really well than a whole heap of stuff badly. Write down your subjects in order of difficulty. Always do the tough subjects and assignments first; that way you will have the easier tasks to look forward to.
Choose your medium
Find a way to make a schedule that works for you; use a smartphone app, make a poster in your room, use a whiteboard or make a spreadsheet on your laptop. Whatever you decide to do, it must be easily accessible, visible and adaptable. You will be updating your study schedule all the time, so make sure that you can do so easily.
Time yourself
Take a textbook from each subject and read a page. If you have subjects that require you to calculate answers or solve problems, time yourself on those too. Knowing how long it takes you to complete a page in the textbook will help you to accurately assign time to each task. You can now estimate how long it will take you to work your way through your textbook and assign time accordingly. A tutor can help you better manage your time.
Fill in assignments
This is a crucial step. No matter how hard you work, doing your assignments at the last minute is bound to end in disaster. Filling in the assignments will remind you when they are and how much time you have for each one. Fill in tests and exams as well.
Update regularly
After the first couple of weeks, re-evaluate your study schedule:

• Is the medium you chose working for you?
• Is it easy to make changes?
• Do you forget to check your schedule? How can you make it more visible?
• Do I need someone to help get me organized?
• Do you need to allocate more or less time for tasks?

Tweaking your schedule will help you to improve it until you have a model that works best for you. Learning to expertly manage your workload is a valuable life skill that will reduce the stress and tension of not only your academic career, but your professional one too. Remember to take time out to socialize, relax and exercise. These activities are essential in combating stress and helping you to have a great year. Good luck!