INTRO
This section will help you to focus on specifics, organize your time, set priorities, make a plan, and get results!

Overview

1. Making academics a priority.
2. Academic review: latest results; best ever; forecast under best conditions; target marks.
3. The hours you control in a weekly cycle.
4. The hours you need - when to do what.
5. Control of environment - music; distractions; vision; health.

• music
• sports
• job
• boyfriend/girlfriend
• talking on telephone
• academic achievement
• TV /computer games
• other major hobbies or activities

Academic achievement must be in the top two or three of your commitments if you want to improve your grades!

It's your Choice
If academic achievement is not in the top two or three of your priorities (see Priorities to help you make a plan) you may wish to discuss this with a partner
If academic achievement is in the top two or three of your priorities, move to the Academic Review

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PRIORITIES

Sorting out Priorities

• major priorities take time
• normally, people can deal with 2 or 3 major priorities at a time for successful outcomes
• this is the really hard part - choices have to be made - what can be given up or how can your time be reorganized to allow sufficient academic time?

What are your priorities?
In your notes, list them in order of personal importance.

Tips: Part I
Think about the consequences of not doing well enough to continue in school:

• college and university are no longer options
• friends move on without you
• you don’t make it to the big league (sports and music)
• your student job becomes your life job
• lack of independence

Tips: Part II
What income will you need to support the lifestyle that you would like?

example:
married with two children, a small newer car, a 3 bedroom townhouse with a small backyard in the suburbs, an annual vacation (see chart below)

Tips, Part III

• so, it costs about ,000 for a modest, but comfortable lifestyle - this comes to /hr, or 40/week, or 67/month -- most people would need 3 or 4 years at college or university to earn this income
• a typical full-time minimum wage job will provide about 560/year
• for the vast majority, the higher the level of education and practical training, the higher the wage earned

Sorting out the Priorities - The Point

• you need a decent job to have a decent income to support your lifestyle
• virtually all decent jobs require education beyond high school
• you need grades that will gain you entrance to courses after high school
• you need to make a plan to get them

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ACADEMIC REVIEW

Academic Review and Target Chart
(click here to view chart)

Instructions for Academic Review

1. List your subjects down the left column of the table and fill in the appropriate marks along each row. (If you have never taken the subject before, use one you have taken that is similar.)
2. Enter your marks from your last report in the “Latest Mark” column.
3. Enter your best ever mark in each subject, grade 8 to now in the “Best Ever” column.
4. Forecast Under Best Conditions: good class and teacher, interested in subject, etc.
5. Realistic Target: under present conditions
6. Take an average of each column.

Examples follow.

Academic Review: Example
(click here to view chart)

Considering the Targets

• in this example, the student feels confident in History and Economics, so (s)he’ll focus on those first
• the gaps in Math and French are manageable, so steady work should do it… with a bit of help in French
• (s)he plans to hold the rest of the marks where they are for now

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HOURS

Hours you Control (1/3)
(click here to view chart)

• adjust this chart to your typical weekly cycle
• mark down the unscheduled hours that you control
• include spares in timetable, if any
• include all weekend time that you control

print this slide if necessary

Example
(click here to view chart)

• so far, there are 9 hours open

Hours you Control (2/3)
(click here to view chart)

• include any spares in your timetable
• include weekend time that you control
• focus particularly on the time period between last class and dinner - this time is most often wasted

Example
(click here to view chart)

• cumulative hours open so far: morning (9) + afternoon (9) =18

Hours you Control (3/3)
(click here to view chart)

print this chart if necessary

Example
(click here to view chart)

• Open Time: Mornings (9) + Afternoons (9) + Evenings (20) = Grand Total (38 open hours)

Instructions for Planning With Available Hours

1. Print the next chart (Planning With Available Hours)
2. Fill in the first two columns from your Academic Review and Target Chart
3. Decide where to invest your time, starting with the easy gains:
• *1= easy gains through regular work
• *2= needs determined regular work
• *3= longer term goal requiring consistent work
4. Estimate the number of hours outside class time needed to meet your target mark by the next report.

Planning with Available Hours
(click here to view chart)

• for each subject, estimate the amount of time per week needed to meet your target
• see example on the following slide

Example
(click here to view chart)

See next step for comments about this example.

Comments about Example

• this student only needs about half of his/her open hours to accomplish his/her targets
• the 21 hours needed to meet his/her plan must be hours of good to excellent concentration ( See Relax and Focus )

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QUICK TIPS

Quick Tips: Making Gains
Subjects with easier gain potential:

• plan time to complete all assignments

• ask teachers for practical tips
• form study groups with friends
• get tutoring (peer or private)
• shop for helpful books or computer programs
• allow enough time to get the work done

Quick Tips: When to do What

• allow 2-3 hours to begin reading a novel or writing/researching an essay or project - never start a novel just before falling asleep!
• do the hardest subjects when you are most awake
• do tasks you find easier during times of lower concentration: e.g.. map colouring, title pages, typing, graphs, etc.
• if you’re so tired, you can hardly think, but still have work to do, go to bed and get up early in the morning to finish the work

Quick Tips: Time Savers

• use short study breaks for routine work
• master the basics, e.g.. spelling, arithmetic
• build keyboarding skills - save time
• use a planner
• add your own quick tip

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LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Music for Concentrated Work:

• Instrumental/Classical
• Medium paced (80bpm) e.g.. Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart
• Not hum-along music
• No lyrics

Distractions and Interruptions

• control the TV, phone, dog, siblings, and distracting music - get someone to take messages when you’re studying
• find a private place to study - use the library if necessary
• have good lighting and sufficient space

Health and Diet
Your brain needs:

• OXYGEN: regular sleep cycle and exercise
• ENERGY: balanced diet - lots of fruits and veggies
• Smoking, drinking alcohol, and drug abuse, are all major distractions and stand directly in the way of good health and concentration.

Keep at it
Now you have the structure for goal setting and better time management.

So:

• set 3 goals to achieve in the next week and record them
• each week, review progress for each goal, make adjustments and new plans
• celebrate the goals as they are reached
  don ’t get discouraged - keep planning

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