Maximize Concentration with Good Time Management

Taken from Succeeding in College: Study Skills and Strategies, pp.163-166

Divide daily study time into blocks of “A”,”B”, or “C”.

A Blocks:

Maximum concentration time — time needed for intense studying — best in the morning (even if you think you work best at night).  Utilize the hour between classes to head to the library to complete a good 45 minutes of intense studying or get up an hour or two earlier (which means getting to bed sooner).  “A” blocks of time are appropriate for High-concentration tasks and are best done in a quiet setting such as the library.  Since this time is limited in your schedule, you should reserve this for difficult assignments and studying complex information.

B Blocks:

Time reserved for less demanding tasks — review and completion of routine assignments, such as rewriting lecture notes, reviewing study sheets, etc. This can be done in a “noisier” environment such as the lounge, your room, or with a study group.

C Blocks:

Utilize the odd moments of time (time standing in line, the 10 minutes in between classes, waiting for the laundry to finish drying) for repetition and reinforcement — use of flash cards or rereading study sheets you have already reviewed 3 or 4 times or reviewing a chapter you have already studied.

Note Reduction

Using the A, B, C Blocking Technique

Reduce the amount of content to be learned by identifying its importance. Categorize A, B or C.

A: information that is very important

B: information that is less important but would be helpful as filler and support information

C: unimportant information– information known or only of small importance

Concentrate on the “A” material during “A” Blocks of study time, etc