The end of February marks the time to start thinking about those AP exams, and other major exams like the SATs in general. In this month’s blog post, let’s check out strategies to effectively calendar and create a study schedule that works for you! Here are 4 considerations.
Don’t just study
It’s important to create a schedule that accounts for your humanity. Make sure to include times you’ve designated for fun and for rest. Block these times regularly in your calendar.
Study challenging concepts at the right time
You don’t have to get up at 6AM in the morning every morning to do well on your exams. While you’re organizing your study schedule, make sure you are accounting for YOUR best work hours. If you’re an early bird, or a night owl, be sure to acknowledge your unique best hours.
Not all study time needs to be long
Got a 30 minute ride to hang out with friends? Waiting for dinner to cook? Use these spare moments to review your flashcards and give your brain a quick rehash of concepts that are easy to forget.
Take a practice exam
Whether it be for a final, an AP exam, the SATs, GRE, or other standardized test, make sure to go through a practice test at least ONCE to get all the first time exam jitters out. You may not be able to replicate the entire experience, but you WILL be able to have a better understanding of and familiarity with the exam’s logistics and format.
Now that these broad considerations are in, it’s time to organize your calendar. There are 3 important steps.
- Calendar your exam date
Add in a treat for the day after, and some last minute flashcards for the day before. The week of, make sure you’re getting a combination of rest and review.
- Plan out your monthly goals
After taking a diagnostic test, add in monthly goals to get a sense of how far you are from your goal score. Take at least one diagnostic test during each month so you can measure your progress.
- Figure out the hours per week you want to study.
Once you have a sense of how many hours you can put in, you can see how much time you will need per day and when you can study more complex material you’re struggling with, given timeslots that are longer.
As you can read, there is a lot of strategy and planning that comes with organizing your study schedule. The biggest advice? Make sure you can stick to it!
