Most students will agree that the hardest part of any course is the out-of-class studying. Usually there’s so much to study that people start to procrastinate, putting of their studying until the last possible moment. Then, after cramming all night for a test, students arrive at class feeling tired and dazed by how much information they tried to remember. The easiest way to avoid this problem: Make a study plan.

A study plan should be put down on paper, so you can refer to it, and you that you feel committed to it. On the study plan, you’ll list the following:

• Days and times when you’ll be doing your studying. This should be considered your number one priority for the week, and therefore, you should not alter it without good reason.
• For each day and time, list whether you’ll be studying by yourself or with a group. This is an important factor, because if you’re in a group, it will change where you study, what times are available, and other parts of the plan. Remember: The needs of the others in the group are as important as your own needs.  More on Studying with Groups
• How much time you plan to study for each course. This is different from the “dates and times” section above, although one will determine the other. If you decide that on Thursday, you will be studying by yourself from 6 to 9 p.m., you still need to decide which courses you’ll study for, and how much time to allot to each course. If you’re limited on how much time you can study, then give priority first to the subject where you have a test soon. Give second priority to courses where you’re struggling the most. Other courses go third and fourth.
• What you’ll be studying. This doesn’t mean what subject; that’s already been determined. But rather, if you’ve decided that you’ll be studying biology on Thursday, then you should include in your plan what materials you’ll be studying. Is there material in the textbook that you feel you need to review? Maybe you feel like studying your class notes will be good enough. Or maybe this course is one where you need to get a book from the library and study from it. Include this in your plan, so you’ll be ready to go at the right time. If you are studying for a test like the Nelson Denny, you will need to practice reading comprehension.  There are also two primary ways that you can study; it’s up to you to decide which will be better in your circumstances. The first way is to study in chronological order (The order in which it was presented in class). The second way is to study the most important information, working your way down to the less important information.

Your study plan will not look like anyone else’s; they’re as unique as the students who make them. There’s one thing that all study plans will have in common, though: They always take into consideration the student’s schedule, the amount of material that he must study, and the circumstances and times that allow him to study best.

More on Making a Study Plan from Cornell (PDF)

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For most students, the most difficult part of any exam is the actual studying. Typically, there is so much material to study that students begin to procrastinate, putting off studying until the night before. After a late-night cram session, students arrive at the exam tired and feeling dazed by the sheer amount of information they’ve tried to absorb. The easiest way to study for an exam, and avoid the cram sessions, is to make a study plan.

• Group or solo? – The first step to making a study plan is to decide whether you want to study alone or in a group. When planning study times and organizing study sessions for a group, the needs and schedules of the group are a factor. As a result, you must decide whether you will be studying with a group before continuing with making a study plan.
• Time – There are two time elements that are crucial to an effective study plan. The first time element to consider is the amount of time you have until the exam, while the second is the amount of time during the day that you can set aside for studying. Try to study for at least two hours per day for major exams, like entrance exams, and at least thirty minutes per day for lecture exams. If you are limited on the amount of time until the exam, such as one week or less, then you will need to increase your daily study time. Set up a schedule with clearly marked study times for each day.
• Content – The content to be studied depends on the type of exam. For placement exams, College Entrance Exams, and licensure exams, there are no specific textbooks or prior lecture notes. There are, however, commercially available study guides, and textbooks and lecture notes from past classes often contain a great deal of material that will help with the exam. By looking at the content areas of the test, you can determine what readily available material to study. For course-based exams, textbooks and lecture notes are both ideal study content. Break the content into chunks, and then assign specific chunks to the study times that you have listed on your schedule.
  • Chronological – Assign chunks of material to study times in chronological order. In other words, study the material in the order that it was presented. Remember to allot more time for studying the most important information.
  • Critical first – Assign study times so the most critical method is covered first, and then work down to the least important information. Allow more time for covering the most critical information. If you are having trouble with the most important information, re-assign time from the least important information.

The Studying Process

Once you have set up study times and assigned material to them, it is time to study. When reading textbooks, take notes on the information. With lecture notes, write notes in the margin. Use a highlighter. The idea is to make key information readily available for review. In addition, making notes and looking up ideas to supplement notes reinforces the material in your mind. Quiz yourself as you finish each area you are studying to determine what you still need to review.

Study plans are as unique as the person making them. The most effective study plan will take into account your schedule, the times each day when you are able to study without interruption, and the amount of material that needs reviewed. By spreading out the study times and breaking up the information, you make it easier for to absorb and retain the necessary material before the exam.

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