24
Jun

2013

5 Ways to Study More Productively

Jun 24, 2013 | 6:00 am
Back to School Blog
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When you’re going back to school as an adult, finding time to continue your education can be challenging. In addition to being a full-time student, you may also need to juggle family and work demands. This makes finding ways to be more productive a top priority. To help in this area, give the following tips a try:

Use time-blocking

Time blocking is the method of focusing on a particular area of work for a specific period of time. For example, taking an hour a day to do math work and another hour to run errands. Mapping out your day in “blocks” of time can help you stay focused on getting everything handled. It can also help you make sure you don’t miss out on anything important.

Use tools to help you make the most of every moment

Sometimes you have to do whatever you can, whenever you can. Luckily, if you have a smartphone or tablet, you can study just about anywhere. Using free apps, you can create online flash cards or study aids. Then whenever you’re in line or have a few free moments, you can use those to study your material.

Know your responsibilities

The most effective way to manage your time and tasks is to have a firm grasp on what you actually need to get done. Taking some time each week to plan out your weekly tasks and assignments will help you stay in control of your time. It will also show you where you might have some extra time to get ahead in a subject, or when your personal life may interfere with your schoolwork.

Have a set schedule

Setting a schedule can help keep you focused and create a daily routine. This can be helpful if you tend to take too long to do tasks or find that you are often distracted. If you know you only have an hour to finish something up, it will be easier to focus on the task at hand.

Avoid temptations and distractions

If you have kids or family around while you are studying, it can be easy to allow yourself to be distracted. That time may not seem like it’s wasted, but when you are distracted it can take you longer to get your work completed. Create an environment where you can have at least a couple of hours a day for private study. Even if you have to lock yourself in your room to get work done, you’ll end up saving yourself quite a bit of time in the long run.