One of the biggest contributors to procrastination, especially with a large and seemingly difficult project like preparing for the GED, is feeling overwhelmed by the sense of lack of control over the process. Make a study plan, break the project into manageable pieces, and you’ll be on your way to finding confidence and control.
Although most of us keep our calendars on computers and smart phones, I find that making an effective study plan is best accomplished with pencil and some blank paper. Make a grid, seven days across, for as many weeks as you have between now and your Test Day. First, block out all the times you don’t have available (work, classes, weddings, sleep) so that you’re left with an idea of how much time you actually have available.
Then find at least an hour a day, every day, to study. Two hours is even better! But an hour a day—that you can stick to—is much more effective than no studying during the week and four hours each day on the weekend. You don’t have to find a complete hour at a time; in fact, you might learn more in two 30-minute sessions, taking a break in between in order to let what you’ve learned percolate in your brain.
Now, go back through your scheduled study dates and times. Give yourself assignments for each of the blocks of time. At this point, the assignments can be fairly general, even just RLA” and “Math” as categories.
Enter your study plan into your regular calendar. Stick to the schedule—set alarms! These are appointments you’re making with yourself, and you owe it to yourself to keep them.
As you get further into your preparation process, get more specific with what you plan to do with your study periods. An hour marked “RLA” can turn into “writing practice” or a half hour marked “math” can become “multiple figure geometry.”
Reevaluate yourself at least weekly. Are you keeping to your schedule? Are you making sufficient progress? Is it time to consider rescheduling your Test Day? Were you unrealistically ambitious about the amount of time you have to commit to GED study? If necessary, rearrange your study appointments.
Make sure you schedule time for leisure. Instead of feeling guilty about going out to a movie, seeing friends, or even watching a favorite TV show, put it in your study schedule and know you’ve earned the break.
