Time Management

[STG]

...In bite sized chunks!

Break down your goals and make them small enough so that you can't fail! Can you commit to 15 minutes of solid study time every evening? No? Ok.. what about 15 minutes 5 days a week?

Give yourself bite-sized rewards too. One of the reasons I have become such a prolific poster this year is because I think I have ADHD. I seriously can't study for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. So, I will set a mini-goal along with my reward for accomplishing the mini-goal. It goes something like this:
If Burbuja gets through one set of IC cards, she can spend 15 minutes on IC forum and/or Facebook.

If it takes me more than 15 minutes on a set of cards (as it will if you're looking at a totally brand new concept), then just set a timer for 10-15 minutes to allow yourself a mini-reward.
However, some tests are just painful or boring... or painfully boring lol. A timer and mini breaks/rewards are what has gotten me through my tests so quickly.

How long does it take you to study for one exam if you only study with 15 minute intervals?

[burbuja0512]

How long does it take you to study for one exam if you only study with 15 minute intervals?

Well, I do 15 minute intervals but I'll stick to it for one to three hours. However, I think the point is to pick something manageable and do it consistently. Make it a daily ritual and build from there. If you can only do 15 minutes a day and nothing more, it's better than not doing any study. You'll keep the test subject fresh in your mind. I would rather do 15 minutes a day than 2 hours once a week.

I also agree with the other poster that suggested scheduling a test. That's a great motivator and will help especially on the weekend when there are so many other things to do!

So, to answer your original question, I usually did one test a week. I don't like to take much longer because if you do, it's easier to postpone studying. However for some of the harder tests, you'll need more than one week. If that's the case, I would say just make sure you're doing something every day, even if it's just for a few minutes.

HTH!
Burbuja

P.S. I think I did too good of a job making study a part of my routine. I'm now done with testing and the only thing I'm working on is my Capstone. It's not enough work to fill the study time I have as part of my day. Lol.. I am dying to take another test!! hilarious yes that is too weird..

[STG]

Well, I do 15 minute intervals but I'll stick to it for one to three hours. However, I think the point is to pick something manageable and do it consistently. Make it a daily ritual and build from there. If you can only do 15 minutes a day and nothing more, it's better than not doing any study. You'll keep the test subject fresh in your mind. I would rather do 15 minutes a day than 2 hours once a week.

I also agree with the other poster that suggested scheduling a test. That's a great motivator and will help especially on the weekend when there are so many other things to do!

So, to answer your original question, I usually did one test a week. I don't like to take much longer because if you do, it's easier to postpone studying. However for some of the harder tests, you'll need more than one week. If that's the case, I would say just make sure you're doing something every day, even if it's just for a few minutes.

HTH!
Burbuja

P.S. I think I did too good of a job making study a part of my routine. I'm now done with testing and the only thing I'm working on is my Capstone. It's not enough work to fill the study time I have as part of my day. Lol.. I am dying to take another test!! hilarious yes that is too weird..

I always do studying every day but today I did 3 Bio chapters and I feel like my brain is fried! I need to take it before I go on vacation so I'm taking it a day before my flight (next Monday)...but I have 3 chapters left and I didn't do any practice tests so I'm really scared

[methibosheth]

I always do studying every day but today I did 3 Bio chapters and I feel like my brain is fried! I need to take it before I go on vacation so I'm taking it a day before my flight (next Monday)...but I have 3 chapters left and I didn't do any practice tests so I'm really scared

Whatever you do, find a way to take at least one Peterson's practice test. I've come to believe that this the very best study you can do. It gives you an idea of where you are, as well as instant explanations of your answers. I've also found that these tests cover some topics that were on the test, and weren't on any other study material I had used. Good Luck!

[STG]

Whatever you do, find a way to take at least one Peterson's practice test. I've come to believe that this the very best study you can do. It gives you an idea of where you are, as well as instant explanations of your answers. I've also found that these tests cover some topics that were on the test, and weren't on any other study material I had used. Good Luck!

I took one of them a long time ago and did very bad but I couldn't find where I can get the answers explained...

[methibosheth]

I took one of them a long time ago and did very bad but I couldn't find where I can get the answers explained...

After you complete the test, click on the overview and tests tab. After that, click on review completed section. This will give you a breakdown on which questions you got right or wrong. Clicking within the Correct/Incorrect column will give you a detailed explanation of each answer. Hope this helps!

[ryoder]

Definitely read the rest of the chapters ASAP to get an overall feel for the material.

Then take the practice tests in the book and study what you get wrong.

Do the Petersons tests last and know that you will get a good number of the questions wrong.
Once you figure out what you got wrong, copy and paste those questions and answers into a document that you study from.
If you can get those difficult questions into a study guide and focus on those you should waste less time.

15 min intervals won't work for this test. I would bump that up to 50 minute intervals with a 10 minute break.

[burbuja0512]

15 min intervals won't work for this test. I would bump that up to 50 minute intervals with a 10 minute break.

Lol.... I rarely studied anything without a break after 15 minutes hilarious

I just can't focus for that long, however when there is a lot of material to learn, I will really limit my breaks to less than 5 minutes. I agree that 50/10 is a LOT better... I just can't do it.

[STG]

I was just studying from 10 and it's now 11:35 and I'm on my first 10 minute break :hurray:

[dartell]

Hey Jo, were taking Biology the same day. I've seen a bunch of your posts so I know you been putting a lot of work into it.

My time management skills are pretty bad, I study best during the workday. I have some personal vendetta against studying on the weekends.