Effective personal planning while studying
With deadlines, exercises, and group projects to keep track of while studying, it can be a challenge to structure your time when balancing studies, leisure, and perhaps a part-time job. But like everything else in student life, it is a learned skill that improves as you practice it.
It’s about finding your style and adapting the planning to meet your personal preferences. Then it suddenly becomes much easier to balance student life.
Here are three techniques in typical study situations that you can use to structure your time and be more effective in your personal planning while studying.
Content
How to handle group projects and assignments
The CAREFUL model can be particularly useful when faced with larger projects or complex tasks. With good planning, you create an overview of the resources you have to complete the task.
Go through these seven points, and you have a plan for what it will take to reach the goal. Remember to revisit the points regularly to see if anything needs adjusting – the exercise should be flexible enough that you are not making a plan for the sake of making a plan.
CAREFUL-model
Components
When working on a project, such as a software development project or an engineering report, you can start by breaking down the task into smaller, more managable parts. This might include research, coding, testing, and documentation.
Aim
Set clear goals for each project and distinguish whether they are overall goals or sub-goals. For example, an overall goal might be to complete a prototype, while specific sub-goals could be to finish particular features or chapters.
Realistic deadlines
Establish realistic deadlines for each part of the project. There may be fixed deadlines, such as guidance times when you need to have something ready for others to give feedback on. Being aware of this helps avoid last-minute stress.
Execution
What needs to happen, and who does what? Distribute tasks among group members if it is a group project. Make sure everyone knows their responsibilities and the criteria for completion. If it’s a writing task, is it the first draft, final version, source check – what is the purpose?
Follow-up
Use tools like Trello or Notion to visualize tasks and deadlines. This creates an overview and helps keep track of progress.
For some, it helps to have something physically visible, like a whiteboard or post-it notes stuck to the wall to make the task more concrete and keep you more aware of progress.
Updates
Ensure regular meetings and updates to keep everyone on the same page and quickly resolve any issues.
If you work with agile techniques, you can have a quick morning meeting where you list what you did yesterday, what you are starting today, and any challenges you need to find a solution for. This works even if you are working alone.
Learnings
After the project is completed, reflect on what went well and what could be improved next time.
Balancing studies and work
Many students have part-time jobs for financial reasons or to gain relevant work experience. In these situations it is quite important that you create a good balance and use your time efficiently so that you don’t end up burning the candle at both ends.
Get a good overview to solve your tasks in the study job by using the ABC model for study tasks. Then you always know when the studies require more of your time and you must adjust the work tasks accordingly.
ABC model
In the ABC model, you categorize tasks based on deadlines and importance. This way, you manage the most pressing study-related tasks before going to work.
For example, if you have an A task (a task that is urgent) like an assignment due the next day, this should be prioritized first.
Prioritisation is as follows:
A: Urgent task
B: Important task, but not urgent
C: Not important task, routine
U: An unnecessary task, a time-waster.
One last tip for the ABC model: Time blocking
Divide your day into time blocks. Use the ABC model to prioritize which tasks you perform in the different blocks.
Insert the most demanding tasks in the time blocks when you know you have the most energy to perform them.
You can, for example, allocate the morning to studies, the afternoon to work, and the evening to relax or go through less important tasks.
This way, you can structure your time and ensure that you get both work and studies done effectively. Here it is good to know your strengths and understand how you best work during the day.
CAREFUL model
Especially useful in situations where a student is working on large projects or exam preparations, as it provides a systematic approach to breaking down tasks into manageable parts and keeping track of all aspects of the work.
ABC model
Useful in busy periods like exam weeks or deadlines for major projects, where it is crucial to optimize time management and ensure that the most critical tasks are completed on time.
Time blocking
Good for dividing days and weeks into focus time with intensive work and breaks, allowing you to unwind from studies and recharge for new learning.
Exam preparation
Exam time can easily become chaotic if you don’t have a good plan. With the right tools that suit your personality and learning style, you can reduce stress and significantly improve your learning and performance.
Combine techniqes during exam periods:
CAREFUL
Use the model specifically for exam preparation and break down reading the curriculum into smaller, manageable parts. Set goals for what you want to read each day and create a schedule for when to review each topic.
ABC model
Use the ABC model to prioritize which topics are most crucial for the exam (A tasks) and which can wait (B or C tasks).
Time blocking
Use time blocking to plan intensive study blocks where you work concentrated for a period and then take breaks. Here you can use a technique like Pomodoro, where you work in intervals and take a break between each interval for four rounds, followed by a longer break.
Finding time for leisure activities
It is important for your mental well-being and balance to find time for leisure activities and relaxation. Research supports that you improve your learning and have more energy throughout the day when you break intense focus time with lighter activities and breaks.
When you learn to plan effectively according to your personality and learning style, you can more easily enjoy your interests and time with friends and family.
Eliminate time waisters
By identifying and eliminating time-wasters, you can free up time to spend on something you enjoy.
Plan your leasure time
It may seem like over-planning to schedule leisure time, but there is logic behind it. When you set specific times in your calendar for leisure activities, you are more commited to both study and free time than if you let spontaneity reign.
It can be a trip to the gym, a movie night with friends, or just time to relax on your own. By scheduling specific times for studies and leisure, you prepare mentally and can better unwind and be 100% present when you need to focus.
Take the next step towards effective planning today
Effective planning focused on your personality and learning style is the key to finding balance in a busy student life.
By implementing these techniques in daily life, you can improve your productivity and reduce stress.
IDA offers student members a range of services that can help you in various study-related situations and tasks.
Among other things, you can take an online course at IDA Campus on how to master the exam. Here you will also find a range of professional courses that you can take at your own pace, whenever and wherever you want. We also host many social and professional events across the country and online, tailored to your time as a student. These can range from windsurfing with your study group to webinars on how to save money as a student with IDA+Lån&Spar.
Find more information below or contact us if you have specific challenges and want to know how we can support you during your studies.
