A well-structured study plan is your roadmap to Leaving Cert success. It helps you manage your time effectively, reduces stress by breaking down your study material into manageable chunks, and ensures comprehensive coverage of all your subjects. This blog guides you through creating a personalised study plan tailored to your goals, schedule, and learning preferences.
Assess Your Study Material and Goals
Know What You Need to Cover:
● List Your Subjects: Write down all the subjects you need to study and prioritise them based on their difficulty level, your proficiency, and the exam schedule. E.g. I knew I had my L.C.P.E exam on the last day, with 10 whole days to study it so I chose to leave all of my theory study until those 10 days.
● Understand the Exam Format: For each subject, familiarise yourself with the exam format, including the types of questions and the marking scheme.
Set Clear, Achievable Goals:
● Short-Term Goals: These could be weekly or daily objectives, like completing a chapter or mastering a particular concept.
Short Term Goal Printable Template:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LGuDfzhw7fiTDWKc5aPTs1rfIBHi5OVs/view ?usp=drive_link
● Long-Term Goals: These are your ultimate targets for the Leaving Cert, such as achieving a specific points total or grade in each subject.
Long Term Goal Printable Template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qp3iafkEfcogLSNntIIJ6r0lZSSW-tNh/view?us p=drive_link
Allocate Your Time Wisely
Create a Time Budget:
● Track Your Time: Before you can allocate time to study, you need to know how you're currently spending your time. Track all your activities for a week to identify where there are pockets of available study time.
● Balance Your Study Sessions: Distribute your study time across subjects, with more time allocated to subjects you find challenging or are crucial for your desired college course.
Fig.7. Example Weekly Study Schedule:
Design Your Study Schedule:
● Weekly Planner: Outline a weekly schedule, allocating specific times for each subject. Remember to include breaks and time for leisure activities to avoid burnout.
● Daily To-Do Lists: Break down your weekly goals into daily tasks. Be specific (e.g., "Read Chapter 4 of Biology and summarise key points").
Use Study Blocks Effectively
Focus Sessions:
● Implement the Pomodoro Technique or similar methods to keep your study sessions productive. Focus intensely for a set period, then take a short break before continuing.
Diverse Learning Activities:
● Vary Your Study Techniques: To keep your study sessions engaging, mix different study methods and techniques, such as reading, creating mind maps, practising past papers, or teaching concepts to someone else.
Monitor and Adjust Your Plan
Regular Reviews:
● At the end of each week, review your progress. Did you meet your goals? What worked well, and what didn't?
Stay Flexible:
● Be prepared to adjust your study plan based on your weekly review. If you find certain techniques aren't working or you're spending too much or too little time on a subject, tweak your plan accordingly. Not exactly specific to study plans, but I noticed that I was spending too much time studying Higher Level Irish just to “get by” and the grades of my preferred subjects were taking a hit, so I decided to drop to ordinary Irish and not count it in order to allocate more time to my top six.
By following these steps to create and adapt your study plan, you’ll ensure that your study time is used efficiently, keeping you on track toward achieving your Leaving Cert goals. A personalised study plan not only helps manage the academic load but also reduces stress, making your preparation process smoother and more enjoyable.