So now you know what you have to do, you now need to make a plan and stick to it. But that’s not easy. Before making a plan of your time you need to consider what it is that you are aiming to achieve and by when. Breaking your big tasks down to small manageable goals will make the task less daunting, more achievable and you are less likely to procrastinate. Once you know what goals you have each week, you’ll be able to set yourself a plan. So what might this look like?
So, as an example, if I knew I had to re-sit an exam in 4 weeks’ time, I could break this down into a series of goals, such as:
Plans can be easy to make but hard to stick to. There are a few things that you can do to ensure your plan for resubmission is successful. Plans need to be realistic, work for your way of studying and be flexible. So, before you begin making a plan, think about when in the day you study best and how long you can study for before being distracted. Plans set hour by hour tend to be ineffective as we don’t often know how long a task will take. This can make us feel that we are falling behind; so, instead try making a plan, with more open times, like the one below – with morning, afternoon and evening slots.
Add in all the fixed appointments you have in any given week, and then work out when you can study. If you know you concentrate best in the mornings for example, make sure you protect this time for study. Most of us have dips in concentration in the afternoon, so you could use this time to do other chores. Make sure you do not fill out all of the time with tasks. You will need to leave some blanks for ‘contingencies’. This allows you to use this extra time to complete tasks that took you longer than expected but these gaps can also act as motivators. If you achieved what you planned to that week, you can take this time off. It’s important to have a healthy balance and allow yourself some guilt-free time to relax. You may need to make a new plan each week, and use these alongside the weekly goals you have set yourself. This will help you to ensure you are staying on track between now and the resubmission deadline.
|
Mon |
Tues |
Wed |
Thur |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Morning |
Read lecture notes on leaders (Lect 1) |
Find practice questions |
Read lecture notes on mgt (Lect 2) |
Find practice question |
Work |
Park run |
Food shopping |
Afternoon |
Gym |
|
Gym |
|
Work |
Work |
Revision cards on leadership
|
Evening |
Theories on leaders |
Practice questions |
Make notes on Mgt theory |
Practice questions |
Friends |
Friends |
|
More details on making plans can be found here: making plans
It is one thing knowing you need to study, and another motivating yourself to do so. Motivation is individual: what works for one person may not work for another. So, it’s important for you to consider what motivates you. It might be time off to see friends, watch movies or having that bar of chocolate. These rewards can help you stay on track and entice you to stick to your plan.
We all procrastinate at times but it is important to consider the cause. It might be that the task is too daunting or overwhelming or we may not be interested in the subject, both of these will make the task unappealing. You might find yourself making excuses like ‘I work best with last minute pressure’, ‘I must tidy my room before I get started’ or ‘I haven’t done enough research to start writing yet’. If you’re not happy with the progress you have made, it’s important not to dwell on what happened in the past but instead have a strategy that will help you to move forwards.
Some tips to avoid procrastination:
For more information on procrastination and motivation see this blog post from our Life Tools team and watch this webinar on Motivation and Productivity
Resubmissions and resit exams are likely to be at a time when there are few students around. It can therefore feel isolating and you might feel alone. Remember you can stay in touch with your academic tutor during these times. You can also make use of the University facilities, like the Library, which remain open during the summer period.
In addition to your Academic Tutor and teaching team, the support services at the University are also available to you. So make sure you make full use of the advice and support that we offer. Below are some of the services that can help during this period.