YOUNG MINDS 03

What is the matter with the clock?!

     It has only a ridiculous 24-hour cycle on it. Such an impractical predicament it makes for the average school going individual who can barely be bothered with a sniff and a shrug during this time let alone get work done for tomorrow’s first period math class and the mid-terms approaching around the corner. It is not an alien sensation to feel like it was only half an hour ago that you hugged your pillow and clung to it wishing morning never dawned and yet here you are already sitting in class with more assignments to add to the “To Do” list. Who said life is fair? At this juncture, we can only remind ourselves of the saying that goes like “It is the busiest man who has time to spare.” It can be a highly enjoyable and meaningful experience to put the time available to us in a given day to good use and create and learn in an efficient manner. Let’s look at a few tips:

• The first step to managing your workload in a stipulated time frame is planning out a simple arrangement that reduces distractions and instead, offers inspiration to focus and complete the job at hand. You could find a study spot that is away from the TV, your video games, the internet and other forms of distractions. You could even put out a “Genius at work” board that lets others know that you are studying and can’t be disturbed.

• Make a priority list of all your assignments in the order that they are due for submission. Allot time period for completion of each task on a time chart. For example, you could allot 1 hour for completing the English essay; 2 hours for Math homework and so on. Provide enough space for ticking each task off as you complete them. Every tick is worthy of a reward and you may treat yourself to a 15 minute session of video games or comics.

• Do not work continuously without a break! This makes learning cumbersome and forgetting frequent. Study with intense focus for 25 minutes at a time and take a 5 minute break at the end of this period to allow yourself some relaxation. Some students quite enjoy listening to one great song after a study session and find that getting back to work is not such a burden.

• Visualise the studying process in your mind and experience the excitement of completing one homework assignment successfully; imagine the kick of having understood and mastered a concept; decide on the small but enjoyable rewards you will give to yourself after every 25 minute period of working.

• Routine is a wonderful thing! You may consider studying at a fixed time everyday so that you do not find yourself compromising upon leisure for work and vice versa.

• You may have a month-long time table to assist you in preparing for exams with sufficient time allotted for leisure, extra-curricular activities and most importantly, sleep! Sleep is an extremely important factor for memory consolidation. So make sure you avoid last minute cramming and get sufficient sleep every night.

The pleasure that can be found in learning in a way that is personally meaningful and in a way that allows you to appreciate the intrinsic brilliance of any subject is immeasurable and we wish that you find it in abundance! 

SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN, 

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS- SCHOOL EDITION