A closet mugger's study schedule for the A Levels!

I took my A Levels last year, and I always found that the school holidays and study breaks throughout jc1 and jc2 were excellent opportunities for me to catch up on my content and actually achieve significant improvements in my grades. (I am REALLY prone to losing focus and procrastinating during the school term 😓 so sch hols were when I did the bulk of my studying)

⏰My daily schedule:

I have written down a rough outline of my daily schedule in the 2nd and 3rd slides! Do take note that although it may seem like I was studying for a ridiculous amount of time, my breaks were also very long, which helped me recharge and get into the right zone every time I sat down to study. Setting longer breaks instead of shorter and more frequent ones were also more effective for me, as it helped me achieve a 'state of flow' when I was studying!

Since the A Level papers are usually quite long, I also tried to mirror the duration of subject papers during my study sessions, to build my focus and tolerance for the different papers. I found this especially helpful for my 3-hour long math papers 💀

I suggest experimenting with your 'brain clock', so that your study schedule/routine fits you best! I found that I just could NOT study econs when I wake up or when it's nearing my bedtime because I would just fall asleep LOL! I'm also somehow most productive doing math later into the night 🤓🌙, and chem simply feels the least dreadful in the afternoons (probably because food comma numbs the pain) 🤡🧪

📱 Helpful app I used to stay productive:

YPT: for timing my study sessions

Some of my classmates actually created study groups on the app to motivate each other to study, but I didn't join because I don't thrive in competition 😀

I actually kind of got addicted to the sense of gratification I felt after a long day of studying, and being able to see how many hours of studying I clocked in each day through the app. This really motivated me to stay productive, so I could keep up my streak.

However, I would say that studying for long hours is actually not healthy. I was left with no choice as I really lagged behind a lot during the school term, and the holidays and study breaks were the best times for me to catch up. During the June holidays in J1, I was definitely not used to studying so intensely for so many hours every day. I fell sick (and almost got hospitalised?!!) due to health complications caused by stress and sitting too long 🫢 I would definitely recommend making time to exercise every day!! it's actually one of my biggest regrets from jc 🥲 plus exercising actually has numerous benefits in boosting your concentration 🧠 so it's certainly NOT a waste of time!!

📍 Where I studied:

I found that studying outside of my home was actually really helpful in keeping me focused, since my distractions are reduced, and the fact that I got ready and left the house just to study pushes me to get my work done!

I usually alternated between the library and community centre study rooms near where I live! Being around others who were also studying was super motivating and even helped me romanticise studying 😍

The school holidays and study break periods are excellent times to brush up your exam skills and catch up on studying! However, do also remember to listen to your body and take care of it! My schedule is also in no way the perfect bible for how to study for exams! But I do hope it was helpful in serving as a reference so yall could learn from my experience and also avoid making the mistakes I made!

Always remember that 'Self care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what is left of you'!