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How do I create an AQA Psychology study plan?
How do I create an AQA Psychology study plan?

🧠 Master your AQA Psychology A Level

Isia Storey avatar
Written by Isia Storey
Updated over a month ago

👀 Get started

  • Grab a calendar that works for you - it can either be digital (like a Google Calendar) or paper-based

  • Allocate study time based on when you’re most/least productive and plug in all your other commitments e.g.

    • Block out lunch every day 12.30pm-1.30pm

    • Block out weekends if you prefer to have those off

    • Schedule in some early morning study time if you’re very productive at the start of the day

  • Now review your total study time, increasing or decreasing it if necessary:

    • If you’re on study leave, you’re aiming for ~30 hours per week

    • If you’ve got more time before your exams, aiming for ~8-15 hours per week is ok

    • Or, anything in between!

⏲️ Set a commitment

  • Now split those hours across all your subjects, assigning slightly more to the ones you find hardest

    • TOP TIP! Scheduling the same subject at the same time of day/week can build habits and help you stick to your schedule more easily

  • Try to mix up different subjects in your study plan rather than cramming one subject at a time. This method is called interleaving, and can help boost learning

  • You’re aiming to study for blocks of time that work for you:

    • 30 min ➡️work for 25 mins then take a 5 min break

    • 1 hour ➡️work for 50 mins then take a 10 min break

      • TOP TIP! Use the Pomodoro technique to help you. The break is just as important as study time

✍️ Schedule in Up Learn

  • You can simply add ‘Up Learn’ slots to your study plan or if you’d like to get more granular, read on…

  • Consider which ~20% of topics you find the hardest in your subject and prioritise working through the detailed video lessons of those

    • Skip this part if you’re confident in most of the subject and are just looking for practice/revision!

  • Next, schedule in time to cover the following sections:

    • Exam Questions ➡️ complete exam-style questions where you mark your answer using an interactive mark scheme, and then watch a video walkthrough of the model answer

    • Recall Practice ➡️ additional practice on facts and definitions you’ve already learnt. These are marked by a human within 48 hours and your Up Score will be updated

  • As soon as you feel you’re ready (or when you hit 40-50% Up Score), it’s time for Exam Practice Papers. Be sure to schedule enough time to complete this and mark it after (using the mark scheme provided)

  • Finally, as you get closer to your exam or if you want to revise content you feel quite confident in, schedule in:

    • Summaries ➡️ a very quick way to get an overview of the topic right before exams and/or figuring out whether it is something you need to spend more time on

    • 16 Markers ➡️ preparing for these without looking at your notes will help you double check your overall knowledge. If you don’t have time to write a full practice essay, practise quickly writing an essay plan from memory
      ​

💪 Review and strengthen

  • Review your study plan every couple of weeks at least by checking through your Up Learn course:

    • Which of your topics have a lot of green bars and which ones don’t? Head over to the topics that need some more work (or are completely empty of green)

      • TOP TIP! Once you hit 7/8 bars move onto another topic and come back to that one later. The algorithm doesn’t like you repeatedly strengthening the same topic on the same day

    • Is your Up Score stuck on 40-60%? It’s time for Exam Practice Papers. Complete and redo them, aiming to get a better score the second time

    • Need some general tips on how to increase your Up Score? Find those here

    • Need some general tips on the best way to learn? Find those here

Remember! These guidelines are intended as hints and tips to help you but if you’ve already got a process that you like - stick with it! Everyone has slightly different study habits and it’s really important to figure out what works best for you. Happy learning 😎

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