Monday, 15 January 2018

By ASP School Projects

What should you do during the first week of school? Set up your schedules of course, and plan ahead while you still have time on your side!

Have you ever heard the famous saying by Benjamin Franklin “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”? Benjamin Franklin certainly understood the importance of planning and every well laid out plan contains a schedule. A schedule is one of the most important tools we can use to achieve our goals.


In this article we discuss the following tips to help you set up a schedule:
1. Set up 3 essential schedules.
2. Map out how much time you need for each activity.
3. Manage your daily schedule.
4. Incorporate free time and fun activities in your schedule.


1. Set up 3 essential schedules.

There are 3 important schedules you need to help organise your activities for a balanced lifestyle:

1. A Monthly Calendar that shows all the months of the year and important dates. You should also add all specific events that you already know of to this schedule.
2. A Weekly Schedule that shows which sport, culture and extra mural activities you have for each day of the week as well as important tests and assignments that are coming up.
3. A Daily Planner that includes a ‘To-Do list’, homework and specific tasks that need to be completed on that day.

2. Map out how much time you need for each activity.

A healthy, balanced lifestyle should contain your school work, sport- and culture activities, time for family and friends, as well as leisure time. Your schedule should map out how much time you need to spend on each activity during the week. However, there are cycles that occur when you will have to adapt your schedule. When there is a big test coming up, you need to prioritise homework and studying for the test. During school holidays you can spend a lot more time on hobbies and with your family and friends. The key is to juggle between all the important activities and adapt your schedule to create a balanced lifestyle.


3. Manage your daily schedule.

1. Plan your day the night before by writing down the tasks you know you will need to do that day.
2. Leave enough time to do homework you receive on that same day which needs to be completed for the next day.
3. Write down very specific objectives. For example, don’t just write down “Do homework”, rather be specific by writing “Do math homework sums 1 – 10 page 7.”
4. Do the most difficult task first. When you complete the hardest task first you will feel instant relief and feel motivated to do the next task.
5. Don’t multi-task. There is an Irish proverb that says “If you chase two rabbits, you will catch none.” This means if you try to do two or more tasks at once, you won’t do any of them well. Rather focus on one thing at a time and each task will be completed quicker and more accurately.

4. Incorporate free time and fun activities in your schedule.

No one can constantly work hard and not become fatigued. When you start to feel tired, you become sluggish and work inefficiently. You can easily fall behind on your schedule and miss deadlines. The best way to study and do homework is in intervals of 40 minutes of work with 10 minute breaks in-between. Also remember to reward yourself with a longer break after you are finished with a subject or topic. Reward yourself when you have ticked off everything from your ‘To-Do list’, because all of these little accomplishments will bring you closer to reaching your goals. Also celebrate your big achievements, for instance when you got good marks on your test, because it will keep you motivated.


Sticking to a schedule can sometimes be hard and requires a lot of self-discipline, but in the long run it helps achieve greatness. Do you use any of these essential schedules and are there other scheduling methods you utilise to help you stick to your plan?

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