How to make a study routine for retakes?

I'm retaking privately and I don't have a tutor or anything. I'm having a hard time coming up with a routine and sticking to it. Especially with my sleep out of whack.. Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi,

What are you currently retaking and when are the retakes?

When it comes to studying, lots of people find different things are useful for them, so don't worry too much if you are doing something different to everyone else.

Could you try to replicate your timetable from when you were studying last time, either a revision one or the lesson timetable?

You could also try just setting yourself a list of tasks to do that day/week instead of having a set routine, that way you have a little more flexibility around your revision.

There are some online courses that you could try (some you do have to pay for) and then you could try and build a routine around that as the course might provide the structure you need.

Some standard advice around revision is to take breaks often, make sure you allow for this when making your timetable. You might also find it helpful to put other activities on the timetable like craft or reading so that you know you can do some fun things and not just revise the whole time.

I always spent far too much time making the revision timetable and so would also say that sometimes it works to just forget a routine and do what you can when you can. This might not work long term but might give you peace of mind until you can sort out your sleep and get a bit more settled into everything.

Hope some of this helps,

Lizzie (BSc Mathematics and Philosophy - University of Sheffield)

I'm retaking privately and I don't have a tutor or anything. I'm having a hard time coming up with a routine and sticking to it. Especially with my sleep out of whack.. Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm retaking privately and I don't have a tutor or anything. I'm having a hard time coming up with a routine and sticking to it. Especially with my sleep out of whack.. Any advice would be appreciated!

Hiya!

I am sorry to hear that you are struggling. Revisions can definitely be overwhelming, but luckily, there are some things you can do to switch to productivity and achieve your goals!

I would start by normalizing your sleeping routine, as this is crucial. At the end of the day you need energy to study.

In my case, the routine works best because it helps to form habits, and then it is just easier to motivate yourself to the responsibilities. In addition, creating a plan is very important. If you have it, you subconsciously want to complete it, so you have more determination to stick to it.

Schedule your studying in a daily mode in advance: divide the material into smaller pieces for a set period of time. The key to sticking to a routine is to create it in a realistic and achievable way. Start with 1/2 hours a day, and when you manage to do it smoothly for the next few days, you can gradually increase the time for studying and the amount of material per day.

One extra piece of advice is to always start with the most difficult material because you will have the most energy and motivation at the beginning.

I hope it was helpful! Fingers crossed for your retakes 🙂 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. You can also chat with me and other students through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University

Hi, I am currently on the same boat (kinda? pretty much) and I feel like having a study group helps me study better and maintain concentration; although the part where you find people with the same schedule is so difficult. Also, by study group I just mean people who'll study alongside you and not necessarily the same subjects.

Hi, I am currently on the same boat (kinda? pretty much) and I feel like having a study group helps me study better and maintain concentration; although the part where you find people with the same schedule is so difficult. Also, by study group I just mean people who'll study alongside you and not necessarily the same subjects.

You too? It's rough out here huh. If I may ask, what are you up to? Are you doing A Levels too? Good luck mate.

Yeah, I saw a couple group chats online and discord servers. I'll try join a few. Thanks

Hello!

I couldn't agree more with what you suggested there; I always find that studying alongside others really boosts my productivity levels. I do agree though that sometimes it may be difficult to find people with a schedule that works alongside your own. A solution I have found to this is to study in a public space (cafe, library, study space at a college etc) as it still has an aspect of the social element you get from studying alongside others, and reduces potential distractions that you may face at home. Another method of boosting my productivity during study time is to use different mediums of study. For example, if I am making flashcards and I feel as though I have hit a mental block, watching revision videos on YouTube are a great way to still be productive, but shift the mode of work in a different direction.

Also, using platforms such as the student room is a great way to meet like minded people (as you both have demonstrated) so you're well on your way for finding potential study groups/discussion groups within this area.

I hope this helps!

Ellie (3rd year English language and linguistics student)

Yeah, I'm doing my A levels as a private candidate, don't really have it all together though, trying to fix my sleep schedule rn.

I need to fix my sleep schedule too! 3 months in and I've still not fixed it? Unbelievable right. Last night I went to bed at about 6am and woke up at about noon. I'm hoping getting a job will build structure into my life but I need to do something about it now.

I'm retaking privately and I don't have a tutor or anything. I'm having a hard time coming up with a routine and sticking to it. Especially with my sleep out of whack.. Any advice would be appreciated!