So you just got home.

Youā€™re ready to get some hard-core studying in!

With hours and hours of time left just for studying ā€“ You can get soooo. much. done!

So first you take a little relaxation time…

…hit the gym…

…make a delish meal (yum)…

…and then before you know itā€¦. Itā€™s already midnight!!

WHERE DID THE TIME GO!?!?!

I found myself asking that question basically every night of my life when I was studying for the prelim exams.

You too?

So here are my top 5 time management tips so that you can fit in more studying and pass your exam the first time (or the next time)!

Actually, I personally need to get better at a few of these things myself…

I’m always running out of time to get done the things I need to!

But trust me, I’ve felt a noticeable difference when I started to implement the things I’m going to share here, even though I’m not perfect at them yet.

TIP #1: Block out distractions!

I knowā€¦ youā€™ve probably heard this one before. But honestly it makes such a big difference!

There are soooo many things going on in our lives these days that our attention is almost always split between 2 or 3 different things at a time.

That makes it really hard to concentrate and get ā€˜in the zoneā€™ when youā€™re studying.

But it also wastes time even when you’re not studying.

This could mean:

  1. Turning your phone off for 3-4 hours per day so it doesn’t constantly grab your attention
  2. Setting a time limit for your tasks (challenge yourself to do it in less than X minutes)
  3. Planning out your day the night before.
  4. Log out of social media sites that frequently distract you.
  5. Closing all the tabs on your internet browser (I need to follow this advice – 12 open currently!!)

TIP # 2: Donā€™t let the details drag you down

OK, this is a big one!

When I was studying for Exam P, I remember spending (on many occasions) 30-40 minutes just trying to figure out what the HECK was going on in a practice problem or in the study material.

Thatā€™s a huge waste of time, especially when you donā€™t have any to spare!

Instead, mark down that question later to come back to in 7-10 days or so.

Sometimes in just that short amount of time you’ve learned so much new stuff that the things you were having trouble with originally seem obvious the second time around and several days later.

Or, if you join myĀ Study Strategy ProgramĀ you donā€™t have to waste any time trying to figure these things our yourself..

… you can just ask me!

TIP # 3: Scheduling studying into your day

You might underestimate the effectiveness of this one, but…

I’m warning you…

DO NOT!

Have you ever heard that quote… something like ā€œThings that donā€™t get scheduled donā€™t get doneā€ā€¦.

Itā€™s so true!

If you donā€™t intentionally plan each day and figure out exactly when youā€™re going to get each task done..

…Well, that makes it really easy to procrastinate!

Every day has 24 hours.

You have 7 days in a week.

So that means you have 168 hours to use every week.

If getting in your studying is important to you, you should decide which of those 168 hours youā€™re going to dedicate to it.

Then book that studying into your calendar and treat it as if itā€™s not an optionā€¦

…Just like you would a job or a class.

Hereā€™s the 168 hour schedule that I give to my Study Strategy Program members (see the ā€œHourly Scheduleā€ tab).

TIP # 4: Set a daily task and a time limit

Having a specific daily task to achieve for your studying makes a H-U-G-E difference!

Check out this Study Strategy Program workbookĀ and how I organize my members’ daily goals (see the Daily Goals tab).

You should do the same for yourself!

Having one specific task to accomplish each day really helps to beat procrastination and improve your focus.

Better yet, give yourself a time limit!

That’ll reallllly increase your ability to focus.

Of course, Daily Goals work really well but itā€™s a difficult thing to stick to…

…Have you ever tried sticking to going to the gym 3-4 times per week, or eating healthy consistently when you havenā€™t for a long time?..

Studying is no different!

So because it’s difficult to stick to Daily Goals, you should definitely find an accountabilityĀ partner to motivate you to stick to your goals.

Actually, in the Daily Goals tab of this workbook that I shared, youā€™ll see that some days are orangeā€¦ those are my membersā€™ accountability check-in days to help keep them focused, pushing forward, and motivated!

TIP # 5: Learn to say NO!!

By far, this has had one of the biggest impacts on me personally!

If you haven’t readĀ this blog post on how you need to choose just 4 priorities in your life during your study period, I highly recommend that you do.

If you don’t set priorities in your life itā€™s just too hard to keep up with everything.

My 4 main priorities right now are my job, growing my Study Strategy Program, healthy eating and working out, and exams..

Recently, Iā€™ve been trying really hard to balance all these.

That meansĀ saying no to things that donā€™t fit into one of these priorities for me.

If you didnā€™t know I LOVE playing soccer.

I play 3-4 times per week.. and in the past I would have played more whenever I could.

But Iā€™ve realized lately that if I really want to grow the Study Strategy Program…

…and have time for the 40+ members already in the program…

then Iā€™m going to have to cut back on some of the other things that I love, like soccer.

So what are your priorities?

Do you say yes to things easily, without thinking of what you’re giving up?

You might want to start considering it a bit more!

You could try limiting the number of events you attend after work..

…or stop picking up extra shifts at work.

… or cut back on dinner with friends every weekendā€¦ if those aren’t your priorities right now.

(And yes.. you need balanceā€¦ but if you want to pass your exams youā€™ll have to prioritize and cut some things out temporarily.)

You need to say NO to things that aren’t priorities right now.

I promise, it’ll open up so much time for you!

Well, that’s all, folks! lol

Hope these time management tips help YOU fit more studying in. šŸ™‚

Ready to commit to saving time?

Want to really commit to better time management while you’re studying for Exam P or FM?

You’ll save tons of time just by joining the Study Strategy Program!

You won’t have to waste time finding answers to all your questions, you’ll get specific daily goals for each day AND you’ll be accountable for your studying (so that you can’t procrastinate!!)

Click here to check out the Study Strategy Program.

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Get all my best tips on how to become a TOP actuarial candidate so that you can get your actuarial dream job.

Just add your email below.