The International Baccalaureate is known for its rigorous curriculum, which demands dedication and hard work. Students study six subjects along with extended essays (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS). This creates an arduous academic journey for students, but it can be easily covered with a practical study timetable and a well-organized attitude toward learning. In this article, Our IB Tutors will discuss creating an effective timetable for IB exams to reduce students’ stress and improve their productivity.
Understand The Scope of Your Work To Create An Effective Study Timetable For IB Exams
Before planning a timetable, you should collect information about the subjects and the syllabus for these subjects. You should also collect information about the assignments and their submission deadlines. After collecting the syllabus and information about the exams and submission dates of internal assignments, you should go through the topics covered in all the subjects. Dates of the IB Exam are also given in the academic calendar of IB. You should check the dates and the schedule before starting the table preparation.
Assess If You are Following An Effective Timetable Currently Or Not
There are specific essential points that you should remember while preparing the timetable for preparation. You should place the school hours and after-school activities. You should also divide time between rest and physical activities. You cannot disconnect yourself from the society. You should also give time to social gatherings, such as joining friends on special occasions. There should be free time left in your timetable to make arrangements as per your obligations.
You should be very aware of the demand for the subject and how long it will take to achieve the goal. Your goal should be specific and measurable. Do not waste your time revising the things that are not very important. You should also set goals you can achieve in a particular period. Do not set an imaginary goal that you will never be able to achieve. You should also be careful to complete your goal in the allotted time; otherwise, it will disturb the whole table.
Prioritize Subjects Strategically
You should also decide your priorities before making a timetable. All subjects do not require the same type of focus and attention. Students should set the difficulty level of each subject and then allocate more time to the subject with challenges. You should also set the deadlines and opt the subjects according to the deadline. For example, if you have to submit your English extended essay next week, you should give priority to English in that particular week. You can also get an idea about your weak areas with the help of the mock test. You can provide 60% of study time to HL subjects and 40% to SL subjects.
Students have different levels of understanding, and all the students have various methods to get the information. Most scholars suggest studying intensely for 25 minutes and then taking a rest of 5 minutes. It also benefits students who struggle due to a lack of focus and concentration. Some students cannot study late in the night. Such students should start their studies early in the morning. Also, do not continue with the same topic for an extended period. You should change the subjects after 2 hours of study. It will help you to stay connected, and your interest level will remain good.
Plan for Active Revision, Not Passive Review
IB students should be conscientious about actively revising the concepts. Do not waste your time reading passively. You can understand the concepts with the help of the mind maps. These are very beneficial for clarifying the concepts. You can check your understanding with the help of the cell testing techniques. Whatever you study regularly, prepare a quiz related to the topic and then ask questions to yourself. It is the best way to check knowledge and understanding. You can also explain the issues to your peer groups. It will also give you an idea about your conceptual knowledge.
Several unexpected events happen to everyone. Students are also not untouched by it. There might be unforeseen assignments from the school. You might get ill, or there might be a family emergency. So, you cannot be rigid in following your timetable. You should keep one buffer day to adjust your pending and unexpected work. If you have missed any session due to any health issue, try to get back with complete focus and a positive attitude. You should not forget that consistency is the key to success.
Take care of your physical and mental health to Follow An Effective Timetable For IB Exams
You should also be concerned about your physical and mental health because academic success is impossible without good health. So, you should have healthy food for your physical health and good sleep for your mental health. Also, give some time to family and friends.
You can manage your study schedule easily with the help of digital tools like Google Calendar. You can also prepare quizzes and tests with the help of digital tools like My Study Life or Quizlet. You can also revise the topics through YouTube videos.
Create a Revision Plan For The Final Stretch
IB exams usually start in November and May. You can get help from the past year’s question papers and solve those papers to get the idea of an actual exam. You should also revise the topics that require more attention and practice. There are specific IB commands like explain, evaluate, and discuss. Try to prepare your answers under these commands.
Creating a practical timetable for preparing the IB syllabus is very important. You should consistently balance your lifestyle throughout your journey with IB. Your timetable should be accurate and easy to follow. Prepare a timetable that allows you enough time to study and rest. Book a free consultation with our IB Online Tutors NOW.
