Optimizing Your School Routine
Your routine is one of the most important aspects of your day because it literally determines how you will use your time, thus determining your productivity. As school draws closer and closer (sad face), it's important to get into a routine and become more productive, especially with how you layout your schoolwork. It's also important to figure out what you’re going to study and when, as to maximize your learning.
The learning curve dictates that you have to study a subject once or twice a week as to best retain and process new information. So, how does this translate into a weekly schedule for your school work? You want to study a subject 1-2 times a week, ideally 2-4 days apart, for 1 to 2 hours each “session” (concept review + practice). Keep in mind that this could change depending on which classes you have on which day, as you want to study a subject for 30 minutes to an hour after you have a class (this review is separate from your 1-2 sessions per class). You also want to spend more time on difficult concepts (i.e.: if math is difficult for you, you might want to spent an extra hour or two on it per week).
For example, if you have class 1 on Monday, class 2 on Tuesday, … class 5 on Friday, you can layout your weekdays like this:
Monday: Class 1 review + review Class 4 and 5 material from last week.
Tuesday: Class 2 review + review Class 3 and 2 material from last week
Wednesday: Class 3 review + review Class 1 from last week + review Class 1 from Monday
Thursday: Class 4 review + review class 2 from this week + work time for projects / tests
Friday: Class 5 review + review Class 3 from this week + work time for projects / tests
Saturday: Class 4 + 5 review + study for any upcoming tests / projects
Sunday: Free day! Work on your own projects, study anything you need more, etc.
This schedule changes with 6 classes (a little more review everyday), but you get the gist of it. Now, this is only for schoolwork. A routine is important for your daily tasks as well. You want to sleep, get up, workout, and eat at the same time everyday (this helps your body’s internal rhythms). This is a topic for later, further discussion, though.
To hold yourself to your schedule, setup a calendar, a whiteboard in your room, or even stick up post-it-notes in easily-visible locations, and write your events, commitments, and daily / weekly tasks in bright, recognizable colors. It takes a month or so to form a good habit, but you will see many benefits and reap the rewards!
