Table of Contents
Introduction
Time: what an ordinary yet crucial concept. Picture this: you are in the classroom doing a test, a test you have prepared for since the week before. You glance up at the clock at the front of the classroom. Whoops! 5 minutes left and you just started the 25-mark question. What are you going to do? You’re screwed, aren’t you? The root cause of your problems arise with time. It may not necessarily be because you haven’t studied or forgot how to do the question, but with how you manage yourself during the test. In this blog, let us explore this concept and why it is a core element in the IGCSE and IB curricula.
What is it?
Time plays an unspeakably important role in our lives. Time is seen everywhere. The giant clock in London, the watch on your wrist, the home screen of your phone; heck, your body is on its own clock! But, that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to discuss its importance within the IGCSE and IB curriculum.
Well, how else can I put this? The IGCSE and IB curriculum revolve around time. These curricula have been carefully designed to train you on your usage of time. Let’s take, for example, the IB curriculum. A weird and wonderful array of components, all of which need to be completed to obtain the IB diploma, forms the curriculum. And the worst part? You’re only given 2 years to complete it. In order to complete the diploma, you have to complete the EE, TOK, CAS, IOs, IAs, et cetera, et cetera. So, before you drown in more abbreviations, let’s explore how to have good time management.
The 3 Tips
Firstly, set your priorities straight. You don’t want to play Mario Kart for 2 hours knowing you have a Prelim exam the next day! If you have homework due, do it as soon as possible! Get it out of your head. If it’s due at a later date, it doesn’t hurt to get progress done on it, right? The point is, don’t dilly-dally.
Secondly, create a schedule! I will enlighten you with my own experience. I was struggling to commit to exercising on a regular basis. It wasn’t doing me any good and also wasn’t doing my CAS hours any good either 😬. So, I created a simple workout plan, literally wrote it on a piece of paper, and have stuck to it since.
Finally, if you are struggling with time management, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. I find that others, especially those who have been in your shoes, can provide warm insight into your concerns and can help you solve them.
It is important to note that while I might appear to be overly vouching for ‘studying all the time’, I am not condoning that in any way. Work/life balance is a thing and it is important to balance studying, and also leisure time.
I will end by saying: studying has the capability of consuming your life, but through time management, you should not let it consume your life.
More resources
If you wish to find out more, have a look at this website, which provides more crucial tips on time management: https://www.tutopiya.com/blog/time-management-in-igcses-how-to-make-the-most-of-dead-time/.
P.S. Want to know more about and succeed at the CAS component? Look at it here: https://prodatblog.org/my-cas-tips-1-easy-experience-for-each-strand/
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