How to make the most productive exam timetable

Making an exam timetable can be kind of scary. It is inherently the first step in the exam revision process and once you make one you have “officially” started. By procrastinating this step, you can procrastinate and pretend you don’t have an imminent exam. So, what is the solution? Let’s try to make it fun. Put on your go-to playlist, open up a blank document, and let’s get to work

The first thing you have to put into your exam timetable is your exam dates. This is an obvious first step and it allows you to clearly see the amount of time between now and your exam date(s). The next step is placing in your non-negotiables. These are the items that cannot be changed or you prioritize. For me, these include exercise, family dinners, meetings, assignments, and other similar events.

Now you want to take a step back from the timetable and make a separate document with your to-do list prior to the exam date. These can be separated by priority and should include things like assignments, practice exams, making notes, etc. This will allow you to see exactly what you need to fit into your schedule to feel prepared and capable to sit the exam.

Now, go back to the calendar and fill all these in where you can. It is important to not over-schedule your days and be realistic with what you can manage. You should also schedule time each day or week as a buffer. It is great to plan and be organized but life can be messy and things come up, and knowing you have a dedicated catch-up buffer time in your schedule it will reduce and ease stress.

Finally, you should go back and colour-code your items by subject or importance (or both). I like to also have a colour that represents general life items. This allows you to quickly view your calendar and see how much of each subject you have to complete that day/week.

Written By Eden Gelfand for The Study Academy