Using the 7-day Planner

7- Day Planner

Allow a minimum of 35 - 40 hours per week (lectures, tutorials, and study) for full-time courses, more at exam time.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
8.00am
9.00am
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm
1:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:00pm
5:00pm
6:00pm
7:00pm
8:00pm
9:00pm

Using the 7- Day Planner

At the end of Week 1 is the time to start planning for the semester. Planning ahead will allow you to prioritise your time and give you the best chance for success in your studies.

Start by marking on your 7-Day Planner all your regular activities and commitments:

Lectures, tutorials, and practical sessions for all units
Routine activities, e.g., work
Reading and preparing for lectures and tutorials
Revising lecture notes and completing readings after lectures
Other activities, e.g., family, sport, social events.

Then, you will need to use a Semester Planner and your Unit Outlines to map out assessment tasks across the semester. On a Semester Planner or calendar remember to include both due dates and starting dates for assessment tasks.

Next, look at your 7-Day Planner again and allocate time for both ongoing assessment tasks and assessment tasks due in the next four weeks. This is the point when you will often have to make hard decisions about your priorities for the semester.

For planning:

Break larger tasks into smaller tasks. For example, a written task that may be prepared over three weeks can be broken down into the steps of locating resources, reading and making notes, planning the structure, writing, reviewing, and editing.
Use a diary to record daily activities and tasks. Reward yourself by ticking tasks as you complete them.
Review your 7-Day Planner each week. As the semester progresses, you will need to allocate time differently as assessment tasks change and you need to revise for mid-semester tests and final exams. The final exam schedules will not be released until late in the semester, so you will need to add study time for these assessments at that time.

Planning and preparation are the keys to a successful Semester