Managing your time studying for A levels in the Sixth Form

Just how much time do you have available for studying each week outside of lessons and more broadly up until the exams? Take a look at a calendar and your weekly timetable to get a rough idea.

Then review what kind of tasks will you need to complete in the available time. This may include regular homework, longer assignments, coursework, revision for mocks and final exams, or maybe rehearsals, preparing for university applications, work experience, going on field trips, etc.

At first this may all seem rather daunting. Fortunately, you do not have to get all these tasks done in one go. Looking at the bigger picture, even over the period of a week, will help you take stock of what needs to get done and how you might spread out the work so it does not pile up.

Use a calendar and a ‘to do ’list to keep track and meet your deadlines. Make sure they are easy to use and accessible so you can update and review them regularly.

Write down any new tasks and deadlines on your ‘to do’ list as soon as you get them. It doesn’t really matter where you create your ‘to do ’list, e.g. a notepad, scheduling app or scrap of paper stashed in your school bag, just get it down in writing and out of your head. From your ‘to do ’list you will be able to add important deadlines and dates to your calendar and plan how and when to complete the tasks at a more convenient time.

There are many scheduling apps out there to help you keep everything in one place, send you reminders and track your progress. Be aware, however, that you still need to work out what your priorities are and what content you need to cover; they will not do the job for you!

Whatever your task or goal, from finishing your chemistry homework by next Monday to getting an A* in your final English Literature exam, breaking them down into smaller concrete steps will give you a much better chance of achieving them.

For example, if you have a history essay due in two weeks, think about what is actually involved in the process and how long it will realistically take to get it done before the deadline.

What do you already know? How much research do you need to do? Which books, sources, videos should you use and how will you get access to them? How will you plan your structure, balance your argument, gather evidence? How many drafts will you need to write?

Planning out what steps are needed and how much time each will require is a work in progress. The more you do this, the better you will be able to judge. It can also help you gauge how much time individual questions may take, which is all good practice for the actual exams. And breaking down your longer-term goals into realistic and achievable steps will also allow you to start earlier, measure your progress and get what is required done in good time.

How you prioritise your tasks depends on what your overall goals are, so choosing these well and reviewing them regularly can help you stay on the right track.

For example, a long-term goal to get an A* in French is not the same as a long-term goal to become fluent in French. Spending a year in France is probably the most effectively way to become fluent. Understanding what is covered in the A level French syllabus, filling your knowledge gaps, focusing on key areas you find more challenging, practising past paper questions under timed conditions and creating effective revision materials and techniques are more likely to help you excel in the actual exams and attain your A*.

Work out what your goal is then prioritise the tasks accordingly. This means doing the tasks that are the most important to achieving your goal and focusing on what’s most urgent first. To be clear, urgent does not necessarily mean important. And urgent depends on how close you are to a deadline. So, list or tag your tasks in order of priority and, ideally, set yourself deadlines before the official ones.

Creating a fixed study plan can help you get through your tasks more efficiently. Use your school timetable as a framework to schedule in specific time slots you can dedicate to study. This might include time before, during and after school and at weekends. Keep these slots consistent so they become part of your regular timetable; this helps make working in those time slots become a habit. It is the time slot that is fixed not what you do in them. You can create separate but equally structured timetables for holiday periods too.

When scheduling blocks of study time consider when you are most productive and plot in a few well-placed slots at those times. For example, if you are raring to go in the morning then having a few 30-40 minute slots before school is a better option than a couple of hours at 10pm when you are exhausted and just want to relax.

How long your time slots should be is up to you. 40-50 minutes per slot usually works well, but you can also get some tasks done in much less time, even 5 minutes! Remember to take 10-minute breaks if you have more than one longer slot, e.g. 45 minutes, next to each other.

You can also set a few hard and fast rules for yourself whilst blocking out time slots, such as deciding never to work after 9pm or always leaving Friday evening and Saturday free.

Make sure you schedule in time to relax, eat, exercise, see friends and family and do the things you most enjoy. This is very important for your physical and mental health, which in turn contribute to effective study and learning.

Get in the habit of weekly planning to stay on top of your work by setting a specific day, usually at end of the week, to review what you have done so far and what tasks you need to put in your timetable for the upcoming week.

Remember to break down the work into very specific tasks and estimate how much time is required for each. Prioritise important and urgent work first and allocate which time slots are most suitable for the task.

You will be surprised how much better you feel once you pin tasks down to specific times, even if they spill over. Do not worry if it does not all go to plan. It takes practice to gauge how much time you need for tasks and unexpected things always pop up to take you off track. Just reschedule any tasks you did not manage to complete and keep working through your ‘to do’ list.

Most of us are prone to a bit of procrastination. And let’s be honest, some tasks are just hard or straight-up boring but still need to be done. So, find ways to get around the excuses we make for putting them off, for example:

• break down your tasks into smaller steps (as mentioned above)
• have the materials ready for you to start your task straight away; preparing and doing the task are two different steps
• try to find a quiet place to work without distractions
• create routines around your study time, e.g. work on a clear desk or table, use a decent light, take 2 minutes to settle in, set a timer
• start with easier or more enjoyable topics to build momentum and confidence before tackling more challenging material
• listen to brown noise (quietly) to focus your attention while you work
• do your work earlier in the day
• set yourself rewards and early deadlines
• keep rescheduling until you finish the task
• get help from your teacher, asap, if you find the task just too difficult or really do not know how to start.

Learning what works best for you to manage your time and to get the important jobs done can take a bit of trial and error. If things are not going to plan, or you have no plan, don’t berate yourself … just start again.