Study Strategy

My hat is off to you for working on additional qualifications with your considerable responsibilities.

I too am working on a new certification and have full job and family responsibilities. My best studying is done on my lunch break at work. For me, I need quiet time earlier in the day for difficult or abstract material. This requires that just before lunch I try to put out any fires so I am not distracted while I study. I then close the door to my office, eat a quick bag lunch and try to get a solid 45 minutes of good study. Sometimes distractions (work emergencies) blow the whole thing but usually I get solid study time. At times I sit in my car in a shady spot and study in the parking lot. Some days, after work hours I stay in my office for a time of uninterrupted study before I go home.

Obviously 45 minutes a day may not be enough depending on what you are studying so the week ends may have specific study times also.

Thank you, u a awesome.I will try that strategy of being earlier @ work and trying to go home an hour after knock-off time.This past Tuesday I left work just before 8pm studying and will try to maximise the time when it is not too busy @ work during the day.

Do the topic a day club.

You are clearly in action mode.

So when you get up, prepare a one page summary of what you will "master" that day.

It should be the important concepts, an example calculation, some thought questions, application ideas or idea of when NOT to use this.

Keep the page with you, and hit it throughout the day.

Keep the textbook in the car where you can get it on a break, if you need to recheck something.

Then do some web research on topic in between task completion at work.

At home, on the back of the paper, write out what you know and hand it to your husband for 'proof' or have him quiz you on the material on the front.

Then take your mind off of your studies for an hour or two and enjoy your family.

Before retiring, look at tomorrows topic and leave materials out so you can prepare your study sheet.

This got me through Masters level Economics in a similar situation. But my advantage was lots of great Econ lectures on YouTube to augment the crappy textbook.

Good Luck.

Milo

Break out the whip and get your husband to do more.

Get your family together tell them how important this is to you and them if you pass as you will be able to bring more money in to the household and work out how they can be more useful round the house.

Get husband to undertake at least half as much work as you

And arrange for a slot each week when you agre with them they will not under any circumstances disturb you, unless house is on fire.

And then only after they have tried to put it out

What a great post.

Milo

GUEST,

it is quite obvious that your examination dates have approached.

*Daily job, routine family life, fatigueness and social interactions won't help you much to do your preparations for the fast approaching exams. Having experienced a similar situation, I had appeared for M.Phil exams [3 papers ] in Dec2009 and P.hD course work examinations[ 4 papers ]in Jan 2010 and managed passing close to 70 to 75 % score. Working class scholars can adapt the following strategies for faring well.

1] Get to know the syllabus and collect all possible study materials, books. web searches etc or your own classmates or current students. If you are sure of sufficient study materials that adds to your primary mental comforts.

2] The second part comes about clearing doubts from experts or pre ceders preferably the tough part of various subjects. since you wee out of touch.

3] You have a time plan like so many days allotted for your preliminary reading subject wise.

4] During your preliminary study, write down key word hints along side book or on an exclusive note pad to avoid wholesome reading later.

5] Clear all possible doubts from the syllabus part or even get in touch for any tutorials from your old faculty[ nut shell information].

6] Skipping tough matters is wise choice if you can be sure on choice of question[ calculated gambling].

7] Now explain your family to be self family members to exclude yourself from all possible dependent activities, depute possible your relatives or a temporary servant or instruct self help policy in all daily works[ food, washing, cleaning etc- assign responsibilities].

8] Daily work and whole hearted study are not possible. Get some exemption hours from your company on a permission request for studies.

9] Depending on number of days of examination including holidays, take combined leave for the total duration of the exam plus two day's advance leave so that you can reach and settle down at the exam centre[ Preferably hostel or an exclusive lodging]. During exam days stay away from your family by all means including mobile phones.

10} Have a good bunch of reference study materials in hand for final reading..

11] Give a good deal of revision, syllabus coverage and proceed confidently for the exam. By all means don't mug up things and go by what you have understood.

12] Sleep well after final prepartions and don't keep anything for the last minute study- since you can not conceive any last minute study.

13] Don't panic too much, enjoy preparation and writing your best known stuff.

14] Attempt all questions for 100 % choosing the best eligible question with a good sense of time allotment for total coverage.

Now you are given all success tips- I look forward hearing your successful and happy completion of your degree.

My Hearty wishes

Warmest wishes for your future..career and life in general.. hope the world will see more of your kind of people

i think this has to be one of the best threads in CR4... ok to rate it *****

Thanks, I am trying.

U guys, are awesome!!! Thank you for the support

It sounds like you effectively already have 5 or 6 full-time jobs, as it is...

I did not detect which particular engineering discipline it is which you are pursuing...

Are you trying to complete a college degree, or pass a licensing exam?

Is there any one else at your work who is doing the same thing?

Maybe you could meet with them at work for an hour, or so, as a study group?

Is there a formal (saturday?) review class accessible to you on-line, or within commuting distance? (This option which kept me going when I ran low on ''steam'' to keep up)

The un-spoken lessons of academic success are that first, college gives you the opportunity to learn how to teach yourself,

and second, presents you with the opportunity to learn how to manage a project in completing each class,

and third, presents you with the necssity to become a more effective personal program manager by completing an entire (engineering) degree program.

Collectively, learning to self-manage the challenge of successfully meeting academic challenges with the apparently inadequate time, energy, money, etc., resources availalable.

Learning those few things will go a long way to academec, and workplace, success.

A slower pace allows for more sanity retention, in the process. It is not just a sprint, but more of marathon of simultaneous sprints. What matters is not how fast you go, but whether or not you ''finish'' at all.