STUDY GUIDE
CREATE A PLAN!
See the example templates in the Appendices which you can follow or create your own. (See Developing Champions
program Coordinator for Excel versions).

Visible study plan: put your study plan over your desk or somewhere you can see it clearly, to ensure you keep on
track

Plan each study session and set realistic goals: make sure your goals are task oriented, i.e. read chapter 10,
summarise Human Biology lectures, or complete chapter 12 exercises. Task oriented goals help you achieve more
(again, see Appendices for examples)


Track progress: tick off each item on your timetable plan as you complete them

Be accurate and compliant: be honest about the times you set yourself and try very hard to stick to them. For
example, if you start study at 4pm, then sit down a few minutes early to get everything sorted so you start at 4pm –
this avoids procrastination

Be efficient: if you set yourself a certain amount of time for a subject always try and use all that time. If you do finish
early, this time is “extra study time” not extra “free time”
Share your plan: it can be a great help if you parents/partners or important others know about your plan. Let them
know as it will help explain your commitments, and allow them to support you (and also understand what you are
trying to achieve)
GENERAL TIPS

Peak period of concentration: keep in mind the time of day you are most alert – are you a morning or evening
person? Does training and your fatigue levels affect this – you may have to change the times of day that you study
accordingly.
Some coaches are also willing to allow some time off during exam period, if you communicate with them. However,
with a well-planned study schedule there is no reason you can’t continue to train and study.

Plan ahead: work out when assignments are due – write this down on a calendar or yearly planner, and work out the
demands of each assignment. Remember, some assignments take a few days to research and write, whereas
others may need months of preparation.
Similarly don’t just start preparing for exams the day before or couple of days before the exam. This should be a
tailored approach throughout the year to avoid “cramming”!


Be flexible: you will not be able to stick exactly to your timetable 100% of the time
Tailor your study style to your learning style: there is not just one way to study. Make it more interesting for
yourself. Are you theory oriented, enjoy reading, need to put things in practice etc. Then plan your study accordingly
to suit your preferences. Also see the section on TIPS FOR SPICING THINGS UP.
TIPS FOR SPICING THINGS UP
 Visualise information in bizarre ways: When it comes to learning boring dry information
you want to visualize it in a way that is completely absurd. If you sketch out the crazy
image, it will help to further embed the information into your brain.
 Change your study environment: Want to retain more information? Then don’t just study in the same place (i.e.
your room). Research has found that it’s best to study in multiple environments. In a nutshell, changing your




environment appears to slow down forgetting. So change it up a bit. Get outside, study hall, library, room, as long as
you are comfortably able to do what you need (so if you do need to write a lot of notes, having a desk would be
common sense, but for reading, you could do that anywhere).
Hop on YouTube or TED.com: Push your text books to the side
and for 20 – 30 minutes see if you can find some interesting videos
online by credible experts on the topic you are studying.
Perhaps the author of the book you are reading has created some
interesting YouTube videos or an expert has delivered an engaging TED talk or lecture.
Give your eyes a rest from reading. See how much you can learn in a short space of time from devouring a few short
videos.
Re-create: through teaching someone else or by writing your own book on the topic.
These tips are from Jane Genovese at Learning Fundamentals. See the full article HERE
REDUCING PROCRASTINATION!
Have you ever said any of these things to yourself?







I’m not in the mood/ I’ll wait until I’m in the mood
There’s plenty of time to get it done later
I don’t know where to start
I work better under pressure so I don’t need to do it right now
I’ve got too many things to do first
I’ll just check Facebook first, I’ll just have quick game of…
I’m hungry I’ll just grab a snack…
Look, we’re all human, and we ALL do it from time to time. But we need
to try and avoid, or (realistically) reduce the amount of time spent
procrastinating!
WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE? HERE ARE SOME REASONS:
*confusion
*forgetfulness
*lack of priorities
*escape unpleasant tasks
*anxiety or depression
*boredom
*outside distractions
*dependence on others
*lack of responsibility
*fear of taking a risk
*fatigue
*lack of confidence
*limited thinking
SO HOW DO WE OVERCOME THIS?
 Reframe thoughts more positively: Positive self statements
 There’s no time like the present
 The sooner I get it done the sooner I can do what I like
 There is no such thing as perfectionism. It’s an illusion that keeps me from doing what I have to do right now
 It’s less painful to do it right now rather than wait until it gets worse
 Break big tasks down into small, achievable chunks: rather than look at study for a whole exam or completing a
whole assignment, break up the parts and start with one part at a time.
 The 5 minute rule; promise yourself to start with at least 5 minutes worth of work. 5 minutes isn’t much right? Set a
timer. When you are done, you make the choice – you’ve either achieved your goal and at least done something, or
you’ve got some momentum going and keep pushing forward
 Ensure a positive study space: see separate section CREATING A POSITIVE STUDY ENVIRONMENT
 Make an attempt: don’t try and get something right or perfect, just try and attempt doing
something to get started
CREATING A POSITIVE STUDY ENVIRONMENT
 As comfortable as possible: comfortable seat and desk big enough to spread out
 Put your phone on silent or turn it off: don’t worry! - not forever – just for a set period to allow you to concentrate.
Set an alarm if you like, which will mean your ‘concentration period’ is over, you are due for a break and can check
your all precious phone.
 Reduce distractions: (radio, TV) anything that has any conversational tone associated with it will naturally draw the
mind’s attention, as people are inherently relational and therefore naturally drawn in to listen to conversations. So
while you might think it’s a good idea to do your homework in front of the TV, I’m sorry, it’s not!
 (other people) as much as practically possible – just because we want to study doesn’t mean we can control what
the rest of the world is doing, as much as we might like to! But sharing your plans with family for example may mean
that for the time you are studying your little brother doesn’t have to enact his drum solo 20 times over in the room
next door.
 (internet) having internet sites open, even in the background while studying is very tempting to just jump over and
check ‘this’ or ‘that’. If you have to use the internet for study, then try to limit use to study purposes only. If you can’t
trust yourself, there are some internet blocker sites that you can set up for yourself which blocks you out of selfnominated sites for set period of times. It is temporary and you can jump right back on when you are finished your
study block. >> getconcentrating.com; www.stay-focused.info; “LeechBlock”; macfreedom.com; focalfilter.com
 Good lighting: so as to reduce eye strain and headaches
 Well ventilated: to ensure we receive enough oxygen, as this will help to keep our energy levels up and fight fatigue
 Allow yourself stretch breaks: especially important for athletes, but they will stimulate blood flow generally, to all
parts of the body – including the all important brain
 Background music (if that suits you): if you don’t like complete quiet, some background music can be helpful, but
a few tips for listening to music while studying – try to aim for something middle ground (the goldilocks of music), not
too relaxing and not too invigorating. Also music which has steady background beats are useful to avoid disruptions
to thought processes. As mentioned with radio and TV, avoiding anything too conversational (perhaps rap etc.) as
this may draw the mind’s attention.
 Have drinks and snacks on hand: to avoid the temptation to pop into the kitchen, etc. Save getting up from your
study area for an allocated break. Then, while you are studying, you can have a nice snack and drink so you are
comfortable with no rumbling stomach to distract you!
These are general suggestions, it is individual for everyone.
Find the environment that works best for you.
You should feel *comfortable *able to concentrate *motivated to learn.
EXAM PREPARATION
These tips are from Jane Genovese at Learning Fundamentals. See the full article HERE
 STRESS LESS
The worst thing you can do is panic and get stressed in an exam. Why? When you panic, your mind usually goes blank
and things can down hill very quickly.
You need to be able to think clearly so you can retrieve the information you need. So if you come across a question you
don’t know how to answer, take a deep breathe in, tell yourself “There will be other questions I will be able to answer” and
move onto another question.
 Don’t study on the morning of an exam
It’s too late to absorb new information on the morning of an exam, so put away your textbooks. At this point you want to
just look over the main ideas of the subject (e.g. an overview mind map).
If you don’t feel like you know everything, that’s OK. What you need to do is focus on all the things you do know. Tell
yourself thoughts such as “I will be able to answer a lot of the questions” and “I know a lot more than I did before”.
If you’ve been going to your classes and have done some revision, chances are you will be able to answer many of the
questions. By telling yourself these positive thoughts you can remain calm, clear headed and focused.
 Set concrete tasks for yourself
Telling yourself that you have to study for exams is just too overwhelming and unclear for your brain.
“Study what?” your brain says.
You see, your brain hates fuzzy and unclear things and tends to procrastinate unless it knows exactly what it needs to do.
Instead of saying you’re going to study, set a task that has a clear end point. You could read a chapter, create one mind
map or solve 10 equations.
 Work like a sprinter
You’ll get more done in less time if you complete your concrete tasks in focused intense, short bursts. Grab a timer, set it
for 20 to 30 minutes and complete a concrete task during this time. But here’s the thing: You can’t get distracted by
facebook, your computer, your mobile or TV during this time. You need to give 100% of your attention to the task at hand.
Then once the time is up, go have a break. Rest and recover for 10 minutes. Then set the timer for another 20 minutes
and go!
Doing a few short sprints each day a few weeks before exams is much better than doing long study sessions a few days
just before exams. It’s a lot less stressful too.
The alternative is to multitask but the problem with multitasking is it slows you down (you become up to 40% slower) and
you don’t learn information as effectively. You also experience a drop in IQ and a low IQ is not conducive to good exam
revision.
 After the exam, don’t talk about it
Have you ever walked out of an exam and asked your friends what they put as answers for certain questions?
Doing this can seriously backfire and throw you off your game.
Is there really any point dwelling on what you put for certain answers when you’ve got several other exams to study for?
No. That exam is done and dusted and you can’t change the result. Save your precious time and energy for improving
how you go in your other exams.
So my advice is simple – don’t talk about the exam until the teacher hands it back to you and properly spends some time
going over the answers.
In summary
Here’s the thing: the exams you’re about to take probably aren’t your first and last set of exams so learn from this
experience.
For instance, if you typically only start studying a few days before exams, perhaps consider giving yourself a few extra
weeks to study for the next lot of exams. If your study notes are boring, then test out taking some visual notes.
The ‘Get ready for exams’ mind map (available from the Learning Fundamentals website) sets out some simple yet
effective strategies for preparing exams. Check it out and acknowledge yourself for the things you’re already doing well. If
there are some things you don’t do, that’s OK. Take note of them and make sure you incorporate these strategies into
your study plan for your next set of exams.
APPENDIX 1 –STUDY SCHEDULE TEMPLATE
MY STUDY SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
TASKS
STUDY GOAL
NOTES
DONE
REWARD!
TASKS
STUDY GOAL
NOTES
DONE
REWARD!
MONDAY
Add date here
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
WEEK 2
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
APPENDIX 2 – DETAILED STUDY PLAN EXAMPLE
Study Plan
Date
1/07/2015
Subject
Communications
2/07/2015
1/07/2015
3/07/2015
Date: 1/07/2015
Pending Questions (if any)
Need more research on Identify
Stakeholders
Communications
Maths
Maths
Chapter #/Name/Task
10, Project Communications
Management
Review & re-write lecture notes
5.2 - Statistical analysis
Class notes, review
2/07/2015
English
Finish "Great Expectations" text
Explain your interpretation of the
meaning represented by Mrs
Haversham's home
4/07/2015
English
Write out useable quotes from text
Explain the concept of spurious data
Do practice questions
Reference (if any)
Rita's book has more details on
stakeholders.
Lecture Notebook
Speak to Mr Pass if have any
problems
Refer to subject outline
Hours
2
1
2
1.5
2
1.5
APPENDIX 3 – DETAILED STUDY PLAN TEMPLATE
Study Plan
Date
Subject
Date:
Chapter #/Name/Task
Pending Questions (if any)
Reference (if any)
Hours