MOTIVATION REQUIRED - YOUR TIPS PLEASE

[hartey]

Hi all,

Find myself in a bit of a pickle. I am six exams away from finishing the ACCA professional accountancy qualification.

I am currently on leave from work for study purposes and cannot for some reason get started on the work I need to do to pass these exams!

I keep trying to tell myself the reasons why passing the exams is a good thing - a salary increase / a great personal achievement etc but I can't get through to even myself!

I am currently 12 weeks pregnant and so I am feeling the effects of that (also have a DD of 2.5).

Any tips to kickstart my study?!

Hi hartey have you had a look in student parents? There is lots of support for people with exams and coursework deadlines:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/student_parents/1226578-JUNE-PROCRASTINATION-STATION

thankswebwiz will follow that thread and see what advice comes my way!

Get off Mumsnet!!

Seriously, set yourself a timetable of study with regular breaks and stick to it...keep the end goals in sight.

My motivation for knuckling down to my ACA exam study was the thought that I really, really didn't want to be going back at the accountancy tutorial college to do revision courses for retakes - so I worked really hard to pass first time.

I echo the timetable idea- really essential in revision.
If you start early in the morning, maybe 7ish if you can, and end in late afternoon, about 5:30, with a jolly big break in the middle, it doesn't seem that bad.

I personally don't like the 'reward' system- finish one chapter, eat one chocolate button- but it might work for you. If you've got anyone to test you on short things like dates or names and anagrams, do it. It'll break up the monotony and they can be really strict and make you do it again and again. There's also this method:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system
There's a lot to be said for learning by testing. And when you get something right it gives you a nice kick :o
And if you make notes on the computor, condensed notes, you can print them out (depends on how much there is- maybe only the essential/least known bits) and then make spider diagrams. It's harder making spider diagrams from the textbook because they're more for last minute stuff, rather than typed out notes, which you can highlight and refer to, and which plants itself in your brain a bit more.
I'm sure you know how to revise, it's just a couple of ideas. If you like a varied schedule. I make my timetable complicated, so it's not too vague and I can't skip around the unpleasant tasks. But then I prefer working in long blocks and having long breaks. Everyone's different, but in the end, the work has to be done.

I finished uni recently, admittedly wasn't pg, however my motivation was that this was nearly the end! If I was really struggling I used to put the stuff away and go back to it after doing some mundane tasks, always seemed to help. Also I echo the plan/timetable. Also get some fresh air, I used to have the window next to me open at all times (even if snowing!) as the fresh air kept me awake.

Am sure you will get there, good luck!

Try this one - I set an online "mindfulness bell" (actually intended for meditation) to ring randomly every 5-10 mins and try to be working when it rings! Works for me, as much as anything does ...

www.mindfulnessdc.org/bell/index.html

Set yourself a five minute task, or a half hour one, and don't work for any longer - keep doing it for a few days and maybe your interest will spark.

Thanks everyone - I knuckled down and feel better prepared now! Fingers crossed

StayingZen will be looking into the mindfulness bell before my next set of exams :)