Advice for Students Post Lockdown

Mrs Dwight recently offered a workshop to Year 11 students on Managing Time, Stress and Motivation. Here are some of her top tips:

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Attention management –go to settings and turn almost all notifications off your phone. If working on a computer, either close all other non-study tabs (YouTube etc…) or open a new window, so you can’t see them. Set a timerfor a number ofminutes and stay 100% on task until it beeps, then set another timer for a break, and repeat. • One study found 52 minutes work and 17 minutes break was the optimal time used by highly productivepeople. • Another great idea is the Pomodoro technique of 25 minutes work, followed by a 5 minutebreak. • If you feel really unmotivated, set your timer for 7 minutes, at least it’s astart. Put some headphones in and listen to alpha waves study music –almost guaranteed to enhance concentration.

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Get in the habit of making alist. • Write EVERYTHING down, as soon as it occurs to you –don’t try to hold things in yourmemory. • Devise a system that works for you –digital (Google Keep, or a specific list making app) or paper (get a notebook andwriteallyourlistsinone place). • Next, prioritise –code each item A (need to get done today), B (next level) or C. then go back over the A’s and number them A1, A2, A3 etc then B1,

B2 etc –so you know the best order to tackle the items. • Keep it flexible –if you think of an item later, add it and feel free to rank it A 2.5 or whatever –i.e. between A 2 and A3. Get a system for writing deadlines –Google Calendar? A notebook/diary/year planner/physical calendar?