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Essential Study Skills: Creating a Weekly Schedule

What is a weekly schedule?

A weekly schedule is a way to keep track of your activities and tasks for the week. A weekly schedule includes everything you have to get done, and helps you plan out when you can get things done. It also helps you see how much time you have available. This module explains how to create a useful weekly schedule.

Strategies for Creating Your Weekly Schedule

  • Spread things out.Try to spread activities without fixed times across the week so that they are not all concentrated on already busy days.
  • Plan time for fun.Leave time in your schedule for the things that make life worthwhile, such as hobbies or time with friends.
  • Don’t spread yourself too thin.Try to avoid wallpapering your schedule with activities and tasks. Don’t over commit.
  • Give yourself enough time.Budget at least 1 hour of homework for every hour of class time.
  • Plan for real life.Make sure you have some gaps between activities to allow for down time, eating, and travel.

Watch the video or follow the steps below to create your own weekly schedule.

 

Steps

  1. Find a weekly schedule template that works for you. Use one of the following options:
    • Our Word template (left side of page)
    • Our PDF template (left side of page)
    • Calendars on programs such as Blackboard, Outlook or Google Calendar. (Check out the Software Tutorials tab for help using these programs).
  2. Add items that are already scheduled for the week, including classes, appointments, and work.
  3. Add activities that need to be done that week but don’t have a set time. Try to spread these activities across the week so that they are not all concentrated on already busy days.
  4. Add the activities that make life worthwhile, such as spending time with friends, or going to the gym.
  5. Highlight the most important things so you can find them at a glance. Colour code item by type, e.g. classes are purple, work is blue.