WHEN SHOULD YOU STUDY

  1.  When should you study

                   I recommend you create a routine time of day to study. Some experts contend that doing the same thing at the same time every day is the most effective way to organize any ongoing task. Some students find it easier to set aside specific blocks of time each day to study.

                   Whatever your own preference, the time of day you’ll study most effectively is determined by these factors:


    *             Study when you are at your best. What is your peak performance period – the time of day you do your best work? This will vary from until noon but able to study well into the night, or up and alert at the crack of dawn but distracted and tired if you try to burn the midnight oil. Just remember: Focus = efficiency.

    *             Consider your sleep habits. Habit is very powerful influence. If you always set your alarm for 7 a.m., you may soon start walking up moments before it rings. If you have grown accustomed to going to sleep around 11 p.m., you will struggle if you try to study until 2 a.m., and probably accomplish very little during those three hours.

    *             Study when you can. Although you should study when you are mentally most alert, external factors will play a role in deciding when you study. Being at your best is a great goal, but not always possible. Study whenever circumstances allow.

    *             Consider the complexity of the assignment when you allocate time. The tasks themselves may have a great effect on your schedule. If you are a relatively slow reader, don’t schedule half an hour to read a hundred pages of Tolstoy.

     *            Use “nonprime” hours for the easiest tasks. When you are least creative, least energetic, and least motivated, don’t even think about tackling your most challenging assignments. Don’t be like many businesspeople. I know who schedule their time backwards. In the morning, when they’re full or energy, they read the paper, check their email, and skim trade journals. At the end of the day, when they can barely see straight, they start on the presentation for the Board of Directors’ meeting.

    *             Schedule study time immediately after class or, if that’s not possible, immediately before. This is most pertinent for college and graduate students, who may have significant free time between classes. Your memory of a class is, not surprisingly, strongest immediately afterward, so allocating an open hour after class to go over notes, revisit PowerPoint slides, and complete that day’s assignment is the best way to spend that hour. Taking the time to study immediately before class is an excellent second option, especially if you usually need that time to complete that day’s assignment.