When I first began my Advanced Diploma of Business course in November I struggled with the time management of my studies. It had been a number of years since I had studied and I needed to work it into my routine.
I have now developed a study schedule which stops me from cramming it all in during consolidation week!
Here are my study tips that I’ve found really helpful over the past few months:
1. Make a study schedule
Study has now become part of my routine and it helps having set days and times. I try to stick to this as much as possible, but of course some days I’m feeling more motivated than others, so sometimes I do more and sometimes I do less!
When it’s consolidation week I study at the same time as I’d have class, as it’s now become part of my routine to keep those evenings free for my course.
2. Study at the library
I go to the library twice a week to study. I find being in that environment and having set days/times I go really helps me to stay focused.
When I was trying to study at home I found it very easy to distract myself (getting up to make something to eat, talking to my housemates, sometimes even tidying, anything to procrastinate!).
Whereas when I’ve made the effort to go to the library solely to study it’s easier to do just that!
3. Study with a friend
My friend/housemate is studying for a Cert IIII, so every Friday we study together for a few hours.
We encourage each other and it helps keep us both motivated.
We occasionally bounce things off each other, but mostly we just focus on our own studies and do our best not to distract each other.
4. Give yourself incentives
I find it motivates me when I give myself an incentive for studying.
When I study with my housemate we always treat ourselves to a really nice lunch on our break and that’s our motivation to be really focused and get as much done before we treat ourselves!
5. Find a time that works best for you
I love being outdoors when the sun is shining so sometimes I struggle studying in the day as I’m just thinking ‘I’d rather be at the beach’, so I study in the morning or in the evening (during consolidation weeks) so I can enjoy the rest of the day in the sunshine!
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help
Our lecturer always answers our questions during/after the virtual classes and is also online for us to jump on with questions during consolidation week.
He also makes himself available via email. It’s good to remember, the lecturer wants you to finish the course so they’ll always be happy to help you.
7. Leave your phone in another room
If I have my phone near me it’s very easy for me to get distracted and check messages, reply, scroll online, without even realising I’ve just wasted half an hour of study time.
8. Never leave it all until the last day/week
This is stressful and rushed work is rarely good work, meaning you may need to re-do it.
I try to ensure I do the same hours of study/assessments each week so I never feel overwhelmed by my workload.
I hope these are helpful for you too – Happy studying!
Lexis Training’s Advanced Diploma of Business is the ideal qualification to support your move up the corporate ladder. Ideally suited for those ready to move into a management level role, the Advanced Diploma provides real-world, multi-disciplinary skills across all areas of business – you’ll be taught how to drive change across your organisation, develop a high-achieving team and how to take your business vision to the marketplace. You will be trained by inspiring industry professionals who are there to mentor you throughout your year of study.
