Organizing Study Time. (Posted by Gabe)

As you kick things off, you're going to find that there's a natural progression for each subject. You'll start out panicking because nothing makes sense, and then as you keep working you'll see all the pieces fall together into a unified whole. I would bet at this stage of the game you've felt the panic - but never fear; keep at it and you will experience the "falling together" part.

But what you will also discover is that not all subjects are created equal - and even within subjects, not all lessons are created equal. Some subjects, and some lessons, will be easy and understandable for you, while others might require some digging, extra memorization, and research. I'm sure that you've already seen that, too.

It is on that basis, though, that I recommend my plan of attack for each lesson. While there are any number of ways to approach each week - and you need to find the approach that works best for you and your schedule - the truth is that you can't adequately approach each lesson until you have an idea what that lesson entails. Starting with a goal of, say, getting through each subject in a day is an excellent idea, but some subjects and lessons are going to require extra time, and others less time, so flexibility is key.

I'd recommend that you make your first task in each week going over each subject for that week, so that you can have an idea how to allocate your time for the week. Then take the subject that looks the most challenging, and move on from there. And don't forget, after a few lessons you'll want to save some time at the end of each week to review!

If you take that time at the beginning of each lesson, you'll find it easier to avoid falling behind, because you'll have an idea what's coming up next, and be able to budget your time. You'll be more flexible, and be comfortable giving the tough issues more time because you can sail right through the easy stuff.

Those are my ideas, but you are welome to provide your own! What has worked for you so far?