Studying remotely comes with some responsibilities. Despite the advantages, such as the flexibility to dedicate yourself whenever you can and using any device available, you need to take care of your motivation so that the subjects do not pile up. With a routine that is often busy and full of activities, this is not a distant reality, do you agree?

It is in this scenario that a study schedule emerges as the ideal solution for organizing yourself. With it, you can further enhance the advantages of distance learning, separating timetables for your degree, work and other tasks that are part of your routine.

Time optimization and positive results in grades are just some of the achievements of this practice. Do you want to know how to set up a study schedule and, thus, invest in your professional training ? Read this post and find out!

Understand studies as a habit

Before you start the practical part of your study schedule, keep in mind that some of your thoughts and concepts about what you understand by dedication may need to change. Although it is not the favorite activity of many students, it is essential for learning the basics of your chosen career and, therefore, securing good job opportunities .

The best answer, then, is to make studying a habit. When you dedicate yourself to an activity at the same time every day, you will soon do it automatically. This helps to eliminate that feeling of obligation, embracing this practice without resistance.

Find out what your schedule is

Do you know what time each activity takes place during your day? If the answer is no, it is possible that the feeling of lack of time is a part of your routine. This happens because, without setting a specific time for them, the distractions of studying on the computer can easily take up your schedule. This is the case of those 5 minutes on social media that can stretch into hours.

So, the first practical step in putting together a good study schedule is to know exactly what happens in your day-to-day life. When do you work? How many hours do you dedicate to sleep and personal hygiene routines? How much time do you dedicate to everything related to your degree? Keep this list handy if you want to continue this exercise!

Separate the subjects that you have the most difficulty with

Now, it’s time to understand the subjects that need to be studied throughout the semester. List mainly those that are more difficult or that you don’t have much affinity with — they require more intense dedication, with time to understand the theory and test your knowledge.

Compare the times you have available to study these subjects, considering the times when you feel most motivated or productive. A good tip is to start with the more complicated subjects so that you can stay motivated for the rest of the day.

Expect unexpected events

Your schedule may be tight, but you always need to work towards achievable goals. For this reason, it is essential to be prepared for unexpected events. What you can do is leave extra time for revisions. If an urgent commitment comes up, you will be able to make up for lost time during these times.

Train different ways of studying

Think about your current study routine: do you usually watch video lessons and then read the supplementary material? Do you rely solely on these strategies to ensure that you acquire knowledge? It might be productive to think about other ways of studying, such as summaries and solving exercises.

It is also possible to invest in study methodologies that best suit your learning style. Here are some examples:

• mind maps: this involves defining key words in the content and making connections to their explanations using arrows, colored balloons and other graphic resources;
• self-explanation: here, you become your own teacher
• Flashcards: As you notice an important point in a piece of content, write down a question related to it on one side of a piece of paper and the answer on the other. With these cards, you can test your knowledge during review periods, for example.

Expect study breaks

If you were planning to set aside time until the early hours of the morning to maximize your studies, you should know that this is not how productivity works. Remember that quality is worth much more than quantity and that your brain has a limit — just like your body.

Staying glued to your books for hours on end is not always the strategy that guarantees the best learning. Therefore, take breaks during your studies. If you don’t know how to start, use productivity apps or even the Pomodoro methodology. It works like this:

• dedicate yourself to an activity for 25 minutes straight;
• after this period, rest for 5 minutes;
• repeat this cycle 5 times;

Invest in your emotional health

Even though preparing for your studies is a priority, your health shouldn’t be left out of your radar. Taking breaks is already a great way to rest your brain, as we saw in the previous topic. But there’s no point in including these periods in your schedule if you don’t actually get your mind off your worries. During exam times, especially, it’s common to even dream about difficult subjects.

If your emotional health is important when you’re studying hard, imagine what it’s like during exams or when you’re facing challenges in the job market? When you take care of this aspect, you avoid stress, anxiety and many other disorders that can harm your mind.

To help, how about taking advantage of the benefits of physical exercise and meditation? A walk in the late afternoon or early morning may be just what you need to improve circulation and oxygenation of the brain. Put on some music you like and don’t think about your problems or worries, okay?

As we have seen, the study schedule is a resource that is highly personalized to your routine — this means that yours will not always be the same as that of your college colleagues. So, make the most of your effort: set priorities, adopt an organizational mindset and don’t put off until later what you can do now. You will see that the results appear quickly!