SET A TIME FRAME. ONCE YOU HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HOW MUCH STUDYING I...

3. Set a time frame. Once you have a good sense of how much studying is ahead, create a detailed study

schedule. Use a calendar to set specific deadlines. If deadlines make you nervous, give yourself plenty

of time for each task. Otherwise, you might have trouble keeping calm and staying on track.

To create a good schedule, break your studying into small tasks that will get you to your learning

goals. A study plan that says “Learn everything by May 1” isn’t going to be helpful. However, a study

plan that sets dates for learning specific material in March and April will enable you to learn every-

thing by May 1. For example, if you need to focus on building your reading comprehension skills, you

might create a schedule like the following:

Week 1 Review basic reading comprehension strategies. Start vocabulary list.

Week 2 Practice finding main idea.

Week 3 Practice vocabulary in context questions.

Week 4 Practice specific detail questions.

Week 5 Practice inference questions.

Week 6 Practice finding references.

Week 7 Take reading comprehension practice test.

Week 8 Begin reviewing grammar/usage rules. Start reading novel.

Week 9 Continue reviewing grammar/usage rules. Continue novel.

Week 10 Take structure practice test. Finish novel.

Week 11 Review writing strategies. Do practice essay.

Week 12 Do two more practice essays.

Week 13 Start overall review.

Week 14 Continue overall review.

Every day: Read several articles in an English-language newspaper.

Each week: Watch two or three TV shows and several news programs in English to build listening

skills. Watch at least one movie in English.

As you set your deadlines, think carefully about your day-to-day schedule. How much time can

you spend on studying each week? Exactly when can you fit in the time to study? Be sure to be real-

istic about how much time you have and how much you can accomplish. Give yourself the study

time you need to succeed.

Stay Away from Cramming!

BY creating a study plan, you can avoid cramming—trying to learn everything at the last minute. Cramming canmake you very nervous, and for good reason. If you wait until a few days before the test, chances are you won’tbe able to learn everything. And if you stay up all night trying to get everything done, you will be too tired to studyeffectively.Create a study plan that spaces out your learning goals. Give yourself plenty of time to learn and time toreview. Learn at a pace that is comfortable for you.