Just as there are basic rules for driving a car, no matter how long or short a trip you are taking, there are also basic rules for making a study schedule. The following list includes general principles that apply to all study schedules.

1. Eliminate dead hours. Shorter, more frequent studying is often more productive that long, uninterrupted sessions.

2. Use daylight hours. Research shows that each hour used for studying during the day is equal to one and a half hours of studying at night.

3. Study before recitation-type classes. For a course in which you recite and discuss, it is an advantage to study just before the class so that the material will be fresh in your mind.

4. Study after lecture-type classes. For a lecture course, retention and understanding are aided by a review of your lecture notes immediately after class.

5. List according to priorities. By putting first things first, you are sure to get the most important things done on time.

6. Avoid too much detail. Packing a weekly schedule with too many details is a waste of time for two reasons: (1) the time you take to make such a schedule could be better used in studying a subject directly, and (2) the chances of you following such a schedule are very slim.

7. Know your sleep pattern. We all have daily cycles of sleepiness and alertness. If your classes, work, and circumstances permit it, sleep when you are sleepy and study when you are naturally alert.

8. Discover how long to study. The rule of thumb that you should study two hours for every hour in class is a rough guide at best. The time required varies from student to student, and from subject to subject. Start out allowing two hours of study for every hour in class, but adjust the hours according to your experience, as you find out how long you need to master each assignment.

9. Plan blocks of time. Optimum efficiency is reached by planning in blocks of one hour: fifty minutes to study and then minutes for a break.

10. Allow time for sleep.Your need for eight hours of sleep every night is supported by medical evidence. Make no mistake about it, the quality of your education depends on sufficient sleep!

Borrowed from: Pauk, Walter. How to study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989.