04 myStudies@Unisa Scheduling and study methods

Sticking to a schedule , takes a lot of discipline , but it's a true basis for success .

Spend a lot of time doing your schedule .

Think hard about planning your time and remember , modules require a number of study hours each week , about eight hours for semester modules and six hours for your modules .

It's not a hard and fast rule .

Everyone's different , but it's a good guideline to manage your time effectively .

It's important to set specific short and long term objectives .

This can be as simple as planning on a daily or weekly basis or even per semester or year short term planning will help you choose what study material to focus on .

And when to do what it will also give you an overview of all your non-negotiable weekly commitments , personal family or job related longer term planning will help you to keep track of important dates such as assignment , due dates .

When you plan your time , you won't have to worry about meeting all your commitments .

It will give you greater peace of mind , which will also keep you motivated in general .

The following rule applies , the better you plan , the more you study and the better you should do .

Of course , a lot of our students have jobs , families and friends over and above their Unisa studies .

Sticking to a schedule generally means coming home from work , logging on to my Unisa or sitting down to study .

But who can manage that every day ?

Your schedule should be flexible , be realistic .

Give yourself some time off and also prepare your family and friends with regard to how much time you'll spend on your studies .

You'll find a study planner at the back of your my studies at UN ISA brochure .

Better still use the calendar on your cell phone , tablet or laptop .

Work smart that always saves time .

One way to work smart is to use a proven study method .

A step by step process that you follow each and every time you study , each time you repeat a process that process gets easier .

Your brain learns a good study method , trains the brain to absorb store and access information more effectively .

Again , we are all different .

We don't all learn the same way and that's why we have different study methods .

You need to try a few and find the one that works for you .

You'll find a list of websites you can visit in the my studies at U ISA brochure .

While all the study methods are different , they use similar techniques .

You'll need to divide your time between reading your books and study material , making notes , revising your work , memorizing your work and testing yourself , do these with consistency with focus and you will undoubtedly succeed .