5. How to learn to plan in 4 steps?

Worrying and grinding, but also remembering lists in your head with everything you need to do all use working memory capacity. Literally. You can observe this on brain scans. Good planning frees that capacity.

A planning creates an overview. And with that more peace of mind and self-confidence. You can also reduce procrastination behavior or discipline problems with a planning. And increase concentration.

The more available memory capacity, the more efficient your study behavior becomes. You feel better and you have more time for sports, family, friends or extra (fun) study projects.

It is an important condition that the planning fits like a good jacket. Because otherwise you will not execute the planning. Which makes sense.

These are the steps for successful planning:

Step 1. Schedule activities
Step 2. Estimating and scheduling study material
Step 3. Organize repetition time, reserve time and practice exams
Step 4. Perform and monitor

Per step:

Step 1. Schedule activities
All your private affairs (sports, jobs, parties, friends, hobbies).
Mandatory: 1 day of relaxation.
Then the educational stuff; learning or working groups, project meetings, lectures, practicals, internships etc.

Step 2. Estimating and scheduling study material
Determine how many minutes you can or want to study per block
Determine per reading material how many pages you think you can study per study block.
Calculate how many study blocks you will need in total per book or material.
Plan these study blocks logically. [blocks 4 to 10, preparation for practicum on Tuesday; Schedule on Monday or earlier.

Step 3. Organize repetition time, reserve time and practice exams
One and a half hour repetition time per week: if you do not repeat, you will not get strong brain circuits!
Two hours of reserve time. This gives you room to adjust your schedule flexibly within the week itself.
Schedule practice exams. Halfway to know if you are on the right track. 
The last days before the exam to check whether you are ready.
Finally: The day before the exam is for relaxation or repetition (so no new material!).

Step 4. Perform and monitor
Perform the schedule.
Make a short note on the schedule if a component fails. Look at the end of the week to see which patterns you see:
in time [especially the Wednesdays, or maybe especially the evenings?]
in subject [which field always kills first?]
or is it every time for a particular reason [friends who come by, is it tiredness, do you take the material too lightly?]

Adjusting a schedule based on self-knowledge and experience will always lead to better schedules.And yes, it costs an investment in the beginning. No company can manage without investments. What do you gain? Overview, the increasing ability to properly assess yourself and the material and more available working memory capacity. You feel better and you are more in charge of your own time use. Solid gains!

With the info and worksheet you can read it calmly and comprehensively and get started with it yourself.