How to catch up on study when you’ve fallen behind
The uni workload can be very full on and overbearing at times, which often leaves students falling behind on content. I myself have found that once you fall behind, it sometimes seems impossible to catch up and get back on track in time. The first and most important thing to do is to stop stressing and admit you are behind, and then progressively begin working towards catching up.
Ask yourself why you have fallen behind
Have you fallen behind because you have other commitments? Don’t understand the material? Procrastinating too much? Firstly, it is important to determine why you have fallen behind on content to ensure that you can take action and work on specific improvement.
Prioritise your tasks using the 4D’s system
If you have fallen behind, it is more than likely you have a lot to do in a limited amount of time, which is why it is important to prioritise what needs to be done first.
- If the task is important and can be done in the time you have Do it now!
- If the task is important but takes a longer amount of time Delay it – but do it ASAP.
- Delegate other tasks (i.e. housework) so you can catch up on your uni work.
- Dump it – if the task isn’t that important and it can go without being done dump it and focus on the more important tasks
Be smart about your time
If you need to catch up on content it is important to use your time wisely. Here are some examples of times throughout your day that you can fit in short study sessions.
- On your commute to work or uni (listen to a lecture or read notes on public transport)
- Before or after work (heading to work early or staying back a little can motivate you to get some work done.
- On your lunch break
- In between classes
Free up your time
To catch up, it may be necessary to look at your other commitments and see if you can free up some time within the next couple of weeks to focus on your studies. If you are able to take some time off work and give up your social plans for the week you should be able to easily catch up and be back on track in no time!
If you have fallen behind accept it, forgive yourself and take these steps to get back on track.
By Shania Wood