Page 19 - Unit Six 3rd Sec

Adel : Yes, I agree.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trying to raise my productivity levels:
Week 1
I tried dividing my study time into twenty-five minute periods and taking breaks between

them. I can understand the logic of doing this and I‟m sure it helps some people to
concentrate better because they only have to concentrate for short periods. However, the
big drawback for me was that I kept looking at the time to see when it was time to have a

break. Looking back, I suppose I should have set an alarm instead so I didn‟t have to do that
and then it might have been more helpful for me. I decided to always do the task that I
found the most difficult first and, of course, this was quite hard to do at first because it isn‟t

what you naturally want to do. However, I kept going with it and after a few days, I noticed
how it was helping me to manage my time better and meant that I made a better job of the
unpleasant tasks than I did before. This definitely had a positive impact on my productivity.

I liked the idea of making a study plan because I thought it would help me to get better
organised. It definitely helped me to feel less stressed about what I needed to do because I
wrote down exactly what I had to do in a list and that made it seem easier to get everything
done. I was surprised by what a big difference the study plan made. I‟m definitely going to

carry on making study plans.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

SKILLS FOR LIFE
When you make a change to the way you study or in any other area of your life, you
need to evaluate it . Has this change had any positive effects? Has this change had any
negative effects? Which effects have had a greater impact? Evaluate the effects to make

decisions about whether to continue with the change or to try something else.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Huge benefits from small changes

The last time I blogged, I was worried about my exams. Well, you won't believe what
happened! A teacher told me about a coach called David Brailsford. He helped the British
Olympic cycling team set 7 world records in the 2012 London Olympics. But how did this

coach change their performance? Well, he analysed absolutely everything and improved
each thing by 1% He made lots of small changes to the cyclists' clothes, their diet and even
their pillows! It had a very positive impact on their productivity. So, I thought I'd do the

same to help me study more effectively. I looked into the following areas:
• when I concentrate best • for how long I can concentrate before I need a break
• where I concentrate best • howI sleep best
• what food makes me feel my best

At first, I thought it was a waste of time but I kept going with it. I realized I was more
mentally active in the morning and after 6 pm so that's when l studied the most difficult

subjects. I also reduced the amount I ate for dinner and bought some ear plugs to avoid any
outside noise l now wake up feeling really refreshed and ready to go. Did it work? Well, I