Having a good study plan when starting out will make your life much easier. To counter-act the mice and men effect you should follow this simple steps when creating your timetable.

1) Start off in-depth

When creating your timetable there is no problem in making the first few weeks as in-depth as you can. However, you shouldn't put the effort into going as in-depth for later months. Map out the first 4 weeks in good detail but anything after that just have a general outline. As these dates come closer you will have a better understanding of your priorities and your study habits. These insights will help shape your timetable then.

2) Set target dates

Mark in exam dates, due dates -- essentially any key dates that you have. These will help put your study in context and help you decide how to prioritise your study. You should also set some target dates for yourself. These could be anything like to have a full polished drafted of your essay due on a certain date or a day where you take stock of how much of your curriculum you've covered and which areas still need work. These dates will be personable to you and they can be anything!

3) Be Realistic

If your study timetable only allows you 3 hours to sleep and 4 minutes to travel to school then it is way too full. You need to cool your jets and take stock for a moment. Having a timetable that you can't actually stick to and study with is pointless-- it's just wasting your time. So when creating your timetable you need to make sure that what you put down you will actually do!

4) Be Flexible

However, as I say above, the best laid plans of mice and men and all that!

That is why you need to have a certain level of flexibility built-in to your timetable. If your timetable falls a part if you miss one study block then it is not a good timetable. You should be able to occasionally skip or miss a study block for whatever reason. You can make up the difference at a later date. Bear this in mind when planning your study.

5) Don't forget your family and friends!

Most people seem to think that they should only outline their study in their timetable but it is also very beneficial to allocate certain time for family and friends and also any hobbies or after-school activities you do. All these aspects shouldn't be abandoned as they are essential for a healthy and happy life. They also act as an added incentive to still to your timetable as these can be used as rewards for sticking with it.

	Created by PatrickNoonan over 11 years ago

Leaving Certificate Group Project Note on Back to School: A Guide to Starting with a Bang!, created by PatrickNoonan on 09/08/2013.