IB workload?? Tips on time management I wish I knew about!

Workload in high school can get pretty insane. I am not gonna liebut sometimes I think the workload in uni is nowhere compared to that in highschool, esp in year 12.

When I was in year 12 IB, I felt like I was drowning and suffocating in work. Sometimes teachers give you heaps of homework at a time as if you only study his/her subject in the whole course. I often heard from my students and friends and I agree- IB just give you so many deadlines and it is hard to cope.

We are not blaming the teachers because the homework helps us to prepare for the exams and the internal assessments are unavoidable. I remember when I was in year 12, I didn't go out at all on weekends for a couple months;a friend of mine missed several due dates as she couldn't keep track of them;students that I tutored told me that they had to give up their hobbies and only had 4 hours of sleep every day in order to finish the work.

It doesn't have to be this way and you just need to know how and really apply the skills. Time management is so important and useful and it is not hard AT ALL if you compared it to the course! You are already learning maths, a second language, a science subject etc and these are not easy subjects. If you can do those, time management is not a scary term and it will definitely make your life easier. I always wonder why the school doesn't teach these skills (instead of TOK ;P). But anyway, I am going to share my tips and Ihope that you will find them useful.

Sometimes study strategies and learning skills can be quite personal -everyone has their own habits and not everyone will find each other's helpful. If you haven't started exploring your own or you want to improve your time management skills, try them and see if they are suitable for you!

6 steps to manage your time for assignments

1. Manage deadlines on a monthly calendar
-- Get a calendar (digital/non-digital) that is only for noting the due dates (i.e. don't include chores, social events etc). It is also better to get one that you can view the whole month on the same page so that you don't have to flip over the pages and can see the big picture and spread of the dates
-- Write the name of the task on the due date in red. You MUST complete the task before that day.
-- Mark a date that is a few days before the due date in orange -that’s the 'warning date'. You SHOULD almost complete the task by then. If not, you need to work faster and plan for the next 2 days so that you can make sure you will finish the task before it is due.
-- Mark a date that is a week before the due date (or even earlier) in blue -that's the 'starting date'. You SHOULD start planning for your assignment e.g. topic, structure.
-- Now you have got three dates marked for each assignment. Note that the starting date apply to bigger assignments because you need to start early for those. For homework given on the day it's due tmr obviously you have no choice but to do it after school.

2. When should I start an assignment? (When should I set the 'starting date' to?)

It depends on …

---Complexity/ length of the assignment
If the task is complex and long, you should start the task earlier the better, e.g. EE. Estimate the time that you will need, e.g. 5-7 days for a lab report.
--> If you are not sure about when to start an assignment, you can break it down into smaller tasks and estimate how much time you will need for each sub-task
E.g. EE
Researching background info and set a topic: 1 month
Find first-hand information/ Research second hand information: 2 months
Outline structure of the essay: 2 weeks
Write: 1 week>> so you should start at least 4 months before according to this plan. Note that this is just an example of how you should break down a big task and estimate the time for each sub-task instead of a real plan for an EE (you will need more time than this!). If you are not sure, it is good write out a plan with time needed by yourself and discuss it with your teacher. Also, if you start an assignment during the holidays, you can probably do the task quicker because you have more free time.

---How much it is worth for your final grade
IA: If the assignment is an internal assessment, you have to put more time and effort in the task. You should start early and be organised with the sub-tasks because you don't want to rush it when it's near the due date. Even if you are able to write out a whole essay the night before, it is no doubt that it is in very low quality. Remember, you get marked on the QUALITY of your work.

HW: Homework given by teachers are important for exam revision and it makes sure you won't fall behind in class but I have seen my students spending hours on HW; they spent a whole night to answer comprehension questions on a novel for English. It is good to put effort into all your work but you don't have 50h/day and unexhausted energy. You've got to assign time for HW every day so that you have more time for other more important tasks. Invest more time and energy in more important tasks. DO your HW but don't spend 5h polishing/researching. Don't spend 3h figuring out a math question. HW is used to CONSOLIDATE your knowledge from class; it is important but it is different from IA, which is used to EXAMINE your knowledge and skills. You can ask your friends/teachers about your HW if you are stuck (and let your teachers know if you don't know the answer) and just be 'good enough' and leave the 'perfection' for the IAs.

3. Set target completion date for each sub-task
Once you have created a plan for your big assignment and discussed it with your teacher, you should start it and set a target completion date for each sub-task on your calendar according to your plan and stick to it!

4. Make a To-Do list after school
-After looking at your calendar and school diary, write down the tasks that you want to accomplish today, including HW that is given today and due tmr, ongoing big assignment preparation and if it's not a busy period, you can include revision and notes-making as well.
-Then, write a time period that you want to finish that task in and include resting times as well e.g. 4-4:30 rest, 4:30-5:30 HW (do all the small tasks given that day in the same time period), 5:30-5:45 rest, 5:45-6:45 research for essay…
-Use the name of the sub-task (e.g. write introduction for lab report) for big assignments in the To-Do list instead of just saying 'lab report writing'. Be specific so that you have a clear idea and goal for what you should accomplish.

5. Time yourself
After making the list and organising the times, stick to the plan!! Use a timer because it will motivate you to concentrate and also not to forget the time when you take a break.
What if I can't finish all the work in that time period? Try your best to stick to the plan but if there is too much HW for that day, you could add 15-30min more at a time but make sure you have time for other bigger tasks as well.

6. Minimise procrastination and increase productivity
This is another big topic but for now, organising your tasks on a calendar and write a to-do list with times every day really help reducing procrastination. The plan reminds you what you need to complete and it helps keeping track of the time. Timing yourself also increase productivity because it gives you some pressure. Many people spend hours and hours working on essays but don't get much done. They don't concentrate when they work and feel guilty when they relax. You don't have to be like them. Put 100% concentration and effort into the study period and get as much done as possible so that you can relax without guilt in your resting period! Get the work out of the way so that you'll have time for your hobbies as well. You can save hours by being productive and it IS possible to take up your hobbies, have enough sleep, have time to hang out with friends in high school while studying well!

Please leave me some comments and let me know whether it is helpful! I am thinking of writing other posts on time management on exam/test revision and in SWOTVAC, or other topics on study skills. If people are interested, let me know and I will start writing it!

Let me and the others know what other challenges you face in terms of time management or in your study in general! Comment below so that we can help each other