Use a daily planner

Use a daily planner to plan for everything, not just study. This includes scheduling in exercise, chores, sport, after school activities and any social plans.

You don’t have to be too exact, your plan can be flexible. At first, it’s a bit of trial and error. You may find you’re not planning enough time for some subjects and too much for others. Tweak your plan as needed. The most important thing is using your plan to stay on track.

Set up your study space

Set up your space and make sure it’s designated for study only. Keep anything that might distract you (devices, phones, books) well away.

Make sure your study space is warm and inviting and is set up to suit you. Try and keep your workspace clear so when you come in, you’re instantly ready for study. Have a clock with you so you’re always timing what you’re doing and working to your schedule.

Use a reward system

Rewards are just as important as the hard work you’ll be doing all year. It’s been shown that incentives can motivate you to learn. Rewards can be anything you enjoy, whether it’s gaming time, social media or a snack. Think of rewards as a pat on the back for your great time management. You’re not a study robot, and breaks are important.

Rank everything in terms of importance

Learning to prioritise is a big part of selfmanagement. Prioritising your goals and tasks is an essential part of planning out your schedule. Only you will know which of your subject areas need more attention than others and which assignments are most urgent.

Some people like to use a ranking system to help categorise their priorities. For example, categorising tasks into A, B or C etc. Others prefer to use numbers (1, 2, 3) or colours (red for most important, green for least). Use whatever works best for you.

Once you have prioritised your tasks, add the top priority tasks in your daily schedule. Aim to achieve the lesser priority tasks in a few days or weeks time. The ability to prioritise is a great skill to have as you start your adult journey.