The Timetabling Method Which Helped Me Gain a 4.0 GPA in Aerospace Engineering
Template download in the article.
Do you remember the first time you learnt how to make a revision timetable? This could be at school, or maybe a parent taught you. It usually involves mapping out your future schedule by writing dates and the topics you want to accomplish.
But is this the most effective way of structuring your time? I don’t think so, and my grades agree. Adapting to the retrospective timetable was the single most significant thing I have incorporated into my academic journey.
(My university transcript, as well as the template of the retrospective timetable, can be found below.)
The Traditional “Prospective” Timetable
The prospective timetable involves planning the future with a list of topics you want to cover before the due date. This can be as detailed as planning each hour of the day or as broad as planning each week of the month. I understand that traditional timetables may work for some people. In fact, this was the method I used for my A-Level exams (university entrance exams in the UK.)
However, as I entered university, I realised three terrible flaws in this model.
1. You Can’t Predict The Future.
As obvious as that sounds. This traditional method requires us to look into the future and guess what topics we think we will struggle with.
This idea is unrealistic.
Planning topics beforehand can lead to either needlessly repeating subjects or simply not covering our worst topics. Furthermore, sometimes life just gets in the way, for example, an unforeseen emergency. We can’t help with that. These kinds of unexpected events can interrupt our entire schedule and, as a result, render our established timetable hopeless.
2. The Focus Becomes Time Rather Than Topics.
If you view revision as a function of time, you miss the point of revision. What truly matters is understanding the content. Therefore rather than thinking, “what should I do next Wednesday at 2:30pm?” Instead, I find it more effective to think “which topics are the most urgent right now.”
3. It Can Become Procrastination.
For me creating a prospective timetable itself was a celebratory task. I would waste hours trying to predict the best study plan rather than actually studying! This vicious cycle of procrastination did me no good whilst exams were fast approaching.
If this prospective timetable is not the most effective, then what is?
This is where the retrospective timetable comes into the picture.
The Retrospective Timetable
The retrospective timetable reverses the functions.
Instead of starting with a timeline of dates, you start with a list of topics you want to cover.
This simple task of breaking down your exam into its constituent parts is super beneficial in itself. Sometimes a large subject can seem scary until you can visualise the topics.
I have provided a photo of my past retrospective timetable below. You are most welcome to download my template using this link.
Creation
The process of creating such a table is super simple. You can create this timetable in an Excel file, Notion page or good old pen and paper.
On the first column of your table, list all the topics you want to cover before the due date.
Then, cover a topic and test yourself. It is vital to actively test your knowledge rather than passively writing notes.
Write the current date in the row corresponding to the topic which you just tested. Then colour code depending on how confident you felt with that topic on that specific day.
Essentially, you end up building a database of your understanding of each topic and the dates you studied them.
This information is absolutely crucial for an infrangible preparation.
How To Start
You might be wondering how to tackle the starting period of this timetable. The two points you must remember are:
- Avoid starting with the topics you feel comfortable with.
- Judge your understanding fairly
Whilst it may feel satisfying to start with less taxing topics, you will most definitely feel the consequences in the exam hall. Starting with your worsts topics will give you the maximum time to cover the problematic areas. Not every topic requires the same amount of revision.
There is no point in lying to yourself as this would not be beneficial and distort your view of reality. If red, yellow and green aren’t as detailed as you like, you can use a number system such as 1 to 10.
When testing your knowledge, you can use past papers or flashcards. Flashcards are wildly powerful when combined with spaced repetition. I recommend Anki — a free and open-source flashcard program that uses spaced repetition.
How To Use
Each morning, all you have to do is wake up, skim through the table, pick the topics you marked as red and/or haven’t covered in the last few days, and then work on those topics for that day.
This streamlined process reduces the activation energy required to start studying.
Working on your weakest areas each day is definitely more cognitively demanding; however, it is the most effective way of building the neural networks to understand a topic proficiently.
Your goal is to get every topic to green before the exam day.
Spaced Repetition
The retrospective timetable employs the power of spaced repetition, which is scientifically proven to improve memory.
The two scientific articles are as follows:
Spaced retrieval: absolute spacing enhances learning regardless of relative spacing
The YouTube video which I embedded below is absolutely amazing at explaining spaced repetition and its benefits. The creator of the video is Thomas Frank.
“Some ‘breakdown’ must occur for us to strengthen learning when we revisit the material. Without a little forgetting, you get no benefit from further study. It is what allows learning to build, like an exercised muscle.” — Benedict Carey
Other Uses
This timetabling method can be an effective tool for many more skills besides academia. Examples such as:
- Learning an instrument
- Building a new habit
- Studying a different language
- Exercising
My Experience
This wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t share my results.
Below this paragraph, you can see my results for my second year at university. I received an average grade of 81.5% across all my engineering modules. This is a UK first class-grade which is equivalent to a 4.0 GPA (USA).
Furthermore, my mental health significantly improved as I felt I had more time to enjoy extracurricular activities.
Summary
I understand that everyone is different, and for some, the traditional timetable works. But if the prospective method fails you, then why not give the retrospective spreadsheet system a try.
Please feel free to reach out to me if this timetabling method helps you!
Thank you for reading.
Author: Burak M. Gunduz
