Did you notice anything? Your academic achievement is affected by time management. Here are the experts that share their time management tips for self-study.
Why is time management needed for self-study?
A student who crams lectures repeatedly may lose motivation to learn. It frequently leads to poor memory recall or, worse, academic failure. Lack of time management while studying increases stress and anxiety.
Managing multiple objectives while studying will, of course, leave you short on time. Language learners frequently use a schedule planner and a timezone converter when taking an online course.
Learners can use this technique to focus on their daily goals rather than their timetable.
What are some time management tips for self-study?
When it comes to studying, we all have our preferences. Our surroundings, multiple intelligences, and other factors influence our study. However, it is a universal truth that effective time management necessitates focus; thus, work on what is practical and effective for you daily.
Time management is considered a skill because you develop your system of organizing and planning. Find out what other experts say about time management when self-educate yourself.
Daniel Wong: Rely less on motivation and more on systems and pre-decisions
Regarding self-study, it is best to rely on processes and pre-decisions rather than motivation. After all, telling yourself that you will simply “concentrate” and “manage your time effectively” rarely works.
To avoid making numerous decisions on the fly, I recommend that you pre-decide on as many things as possible.
I recommend that you plan ahead of time your study schedule, including where you will study when you will learn, how frequently you will review, how long each session will last, what subjects or themes you will study, and so on.
I also recommend you plan your three to five daily priorities at the start of each day. In my life, I decided that in my workday, I would begin at 8:30 in the morning and ends at 6 p.m.
I usually work in 30-minute increments with 5- to 10-minute breaks in between. I also take a one-hour lunch and exercise break between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. Because I made these decisions in advance, I am much more productive and have much better time management.
Daniel Wong is an expert at instilling the mentality and abilities essential for success and happiness in children and teenagers. He also informs parents about how they can support them.
Michael Fray: Make sure you understand than simply memorizing
While completing your study tasks as quickly as possible may appear efficient, spending more time on them ahead of time can often result in time savings. You must understand that you must know the material you are learning.
If you don’t understand something, you may pause to think about it, test yourself, or look for more information. By doing so, you’re laying a better foundation for future learning that builds on this material, making it less likely that you’ll hit a wall later and need to go back and review the fundamentals.
Making sure you understand rather than simply memorize the information will also put you in a better position to apply it in novel and uncharted situations.
Michael Fray is a tutor with over two years of experience and blogs about study tips and student life at Yearist.com.
Adam Schlomi: Study alone to avoid distractions
We believe that the most effective self-study strategies are removing cell phones from the study space and studying alone in a peaceful location. A single short text message on the phone can easily entice a student into an endless scroll on Instagram.
Almost any phone message can be left unread for an hour while students complete their homework. I also believe that students should study alone.
While friends and cafes may make studying more appealing, the truth is that most students spend more time talking with friends than paying attention. Being alone in a quiet library or office is the best place to enter a flow state. Friends and social cafes are a distraction from studying.
Adam Shlomi started SoFlo SAT Tutoring. SoFlo earned a seven-figure salary after graduating from Georgetown University with an SAT score of 1570/1600.
SoFlo has 100 tutors on staff and offers online SAT/ACT prep to students all around the world. Still, he was in bed recovering from ankle surgery when he launched the company more than two years ago, and Doctors said he’d never be able to walk again.
Emma Jackman: Use every opportunity to practice and study
My favorite time-management strategy for independent study is incorporating language study into daily life. Most people own smartphones, and there are so many language-learning apps available that you will never be deprived of the opportunity to practice your target language.
MosaLingua, my preferred language-learning tool, employs flashcards to aid in retaining new vocabulary and expressions. Whenever you have downtime, such as while waiting for a bus or an appointment, take advantage of this opportunity to learn some new words.
In other words, whenever you feel the urge to check your social media! Another effective strategy for utilizing downtime is to practice your listening skills in your target language.
If you commute by vehicle or train, audiobooks, and podcast is the best platform to help you practice the language. If German is your target language, you might be interested in this post about 5 Useful German Audiobooks.
Emma Jackman is the creator of Emma Loves German, a comprehensive website for people learning German. Articles on German speaking, reading, writing, and listening are available, as are reviews of German language schools and grammar pointers.
Elzette Wilkinson: Strategize your time management
One of the reasons so many people put off learning a new language is the notion that they simply do not have enough time. The excellent news is that with a little effort, you can develop efficient time management techniques to make you a more productive learner.
Here are some ideas:
- Take a moment to consider how you spend your time in particular.
Before you can begin to optimize your calendar, you must first understand where your time goes. During the first week or so, keep a log of your activities.
What do you like to do during your spare time? Can you reduce some of your activities to devote more time to studying?
- Determine the sources of your procrastination.
Everyone has their own set of reasons for procrastinating. If you notice yourself putting off (or being sidetracked from) your studies, ask yourself, “What is preventing me from finishing this task?”
After a few days, you will begin to notice a pattern. You can use this to identify and address the sources of your procrastination.
- Maintain a study routine.
Make a detailed daily schedule so you know what and when you will study. Here are some ideas for developing a productive study routine. Don’t forget to reward yourself for a well-done job to keep yourself pursuing.
Elzette Wilkinson is a South African blogger based in Cape Town. She is the author of the language learning blog Fluency Pending, which provides advice on how to learn a language effectively.
Elzette can be found on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, where she shares helpful tools for learning a foreign language (and the occasional picture of Frank, her pug).
Olivia Fuller: Make learning a habit
Learning a new language can be difficult, especially if you do not currently live in a country where it is spoken. Setting a goal for yourself is necessary if you want to stay motivated. “By the time I go to Rome, I’ll be able to order a lunch in Spanish,” for example.
Because of that, you’ll be able to stay on track and have the goal you were striving for.
Another helpful suggestion is to make learning a habit. Make a plan for yourself and stick to it, whether 5-10 minutes per day on a language-learning app or an hour twice a week.
Finally, try to incorporate the language into your daily life as much as possible.
Find a speaking partner, read literature in the target language, and watch movies in the target language. You can use Facebook to discover a language partner or language meetup in your region and alter the audio or subtitles on your favorite Netflix show.
Learning a second language is worthwhile, even if it is difficult and time-consuming. You’ll learn a lot about another culture as well as feel successful.
Olivia Fuller, an American, has spent the last six years working and traveling throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. She lives in Budapest and works as the marketing manager for Ultimate Budapest, a ticketing company and city information source.
She enjoys learning languages and has a working knowledge of Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Hungarian gained through formal instruction or self-study.
Sam Campbell: Find what works best for YOU
I’ve included three suggestions below that I’ve found to be highly beneficial in my language-learning endeavors, and you may also find them valuable.
- Recognize why you’re there.
Knowing your initial motivation for learning this language will make determining each step of your self-study method much more effortless. Do you need it for work? Or is it a requirement for an interview? Whatever your motivation, make sure it is clear so everything else flows smoothly.
- Choose how YOU want to study.
Where do YOU feel most at ease learning (for example, at home or outside with headphones)? To maximize your focus and potential, determine how YOU prefer to learn.
Some people enjoy listening to audio courses while driving, while others prefer to read grammar books from cover to cover. There is no “right” or “wrong” to do something as long as you find what works best for YOU and stick with it.
- Create a framework and goals.
One of the most important things you can do if you want to start studying on your own is to create an action plan for yourself. How much time do you plan to devote to studying? What lesson or section do you want to start with? Your goal will be much easier to achieve if it is well-defined.
Consider setting small goals along the way as a way to motivate yourself. “I’ll review this grammar point five times this week,” for example, or “I’ll watch one dialogue lesson per day.”
This helps you to keep track and keep away from experiencing any overwhelming feelings.
Reddiquette, Sam Campbell’s digital marketing blog, is dedicated to assisting advertisers in increasing their success on Reddit. He helps businesses in developing their digital marketing expertise.
Michail Korovin: Keep practicing no matter how long it takes
My first suggestion would be to learn a few language-recovery words before going to bed, during your train commute, or while exercising on the treadmill. This will keep your brain usually working and prevent you from forgetting what you’ve learned.
The second thing I suggest is experimenting with different learning approaches. Consider using Duolingo, which focuses on teaching grammar while emphasizing reading comprehension, followed by real-world conversation practice.
Include some listening materials, such as podcasts or videos where you can hear different accents spoken out loud, to make it easier for your brain to comprehend pauses and pauses between English words that are not separated by vowels.
If you’re doing more formal studying, a spaced repetition system like Anki, which you can play for a few minutes each day without taking up your entire evening, will be highly beneficial.
In addition, I recommend you plan out how many hours or minutes you’ll devote to language learning and then try your hardest to stick to that schedule. This is critical because, while you may be motivated occasionally, getting out of bed and moving around can be difficult.
Furthermore, avoid comparing yourself to those who are learning the language faster than you are; everyone learns at a different rate, so it’s important to remain optimistic and keep practicing no matter how long it takes!
Michail Korovin works as a chef in his day job. He and his family are both from Moscow, Russia. He lives at home with his wife, Angie, and their two sons. On the other hand, Michail is known as “The Caviar Guy” on the internet, a self-proclaimed caviar expert whose mission is to change your perception of this unique cuisine.
Thomas Jepsen: Do a 10-minute commitment
- Strong espresso
To effectively manage your time, you must begin each Italian lesson with a strong espresso! Leaving aside the jokes, I believe that embracing the culture of the language I’m studying will help me clear my mind.
- Ten minutes per day
Every day, I force myself to spend at least 10 minutes studying a foreign language. Though I work for 90 minutes occasionally, committing to 10 minutes daily keeps me disciplined and focused. To avoid exhaustion, I never work more than 120 minutes per day.
- A daily goal of one
Before I even started the lecture that day, I had a single goal in mind. Something I’d like to improve: Most of the time, I end the day when I feel I have sufficiently accomplished my goal.
Passion Blueprints’ CEO is Thomas Jepsen, and the company provides everything from house plans to building guides to help people build their dream homes. Thomas, born in Denmark but raised in Belgium before moving to the United States, is studying a fifth language.
Benjamin Houy: Associate your language learning time with a specific trigger
My best advice for learning a language is to make studying the first thing you do when you wake up. This keeps you on track and prevents you from becoming distracted.
This is how I not only feel more accomplished when the day begins but also how I am much more productive throughout the day. You can also associate the time you spend learning a language with a specific event.
The trigger could be a ceremonial cup of tea before studying, a specific study space, or something you do right before. The trigger must be consistent for your brain to associate language learning with you.
Benjamin Houy founded the company French Together, intending to assist English speakers in learning the 20% of French required to understand 80% of regular discussions.
Ingrid Truemper: Accountability can boost productivity
Begin your active language learning early in the morning while you are still awake and before your daily worries take over. Before you begin, use an app like Headspace to perform a brief guided meditation. To stay focused, set a timer for 25 minutes and try the Pomodoro technique.
Put your phone somewhere else or, even better, turn off notifications. Close any email or social media tabs that are open. Begin with the most difficult study subjects, such as grammar.
Include a passive study session later in the day using entertaining immersion resources like podcasts, YouTube videos, and TV episodes. Listen to podcasts or YouTube videos in your target language while working out or doing household chores.
Accountability has the potential to boost productivity significantly. I meet with two other female language students once a week.
We discuss our progress and potential obstacles before writing out our weekly objectives. It takes time to learn a language, and studying alone can be isolating and discouraging. Every week, schedule a teacher-led class.
Join forces with other self-directed language learners to hold regular Zoom quiet study sessions. You can also find virtual accountability partners on websites like Focusmate.
Ingrid Truemper, 43, left her work as a software engineer to focus on writing, language study, and travel. Ingrid is currently studying Russian and speaks English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
More information is available on her blog, Second-Half Travels.
Janice Moskoff: Utilize available tools when busy
As a working mom with a teen and tween, I spend far too much time driving the kids from one activity to the next. This implies that I don’t have a lot of spare time.
I can only use audio classes and podcasts to learn or brush up on a language before traveling. I can then do double duty by driving, carpooling, and practicing. Other drivers may think I’m crazy, but it’s a small price to pay for linguistic ability!
Janice Moskoff, a travel writer, runs the Gather And Go Travel blog. She has traveled extensively locally and internationally, visiting over 40 countries.
She is fascinated by different cultures, faiths, and languages and is a true trip-planning nerd and lifelong book lover passionate about tying reading and travel together. Janice believes that every journey is a fantastic chance to master.
Use time management to clear your study goals faster
It recommends you use one of the abovementioned strategies to organize your study time efficiently. Keep your timetable in mind as well. Each individual has a distinct learning style and set of circumstances that may make it difficult to manage their study time.
Learning a language requires complete dedication and immersion. Even a brief 15-minute audio session will improve your vocabulary and memory recall. If you want to maximize your time when learning a new language, listen to our advice on learning languages quickly.
Continue translating in your head. Do you want to learn real French? If you’re going to speak and think fluently in French quickly, check out Stefano’s courses!
