Hello future doctors, setting up a schedule is the first step to studying.
Most of the timetables recommended online are way too unrealistic. They will recommend only 4-5 hours of sleep, they will put intense 6 hour long study sessions without breaks and will also completely ignore necessities like eating or even taking a shower.
Well, we all know how these study schedules work out. You will become extremely productive for a week or two and then you suddenly feel the burn out. It becomes impossible to study at all, let alone follow the intense time table. So, it becomes important to set a time table after considering your long term productivity instead of just looking to be productive on that day.
See, the dropper phase is already a very hectic one, you cannot afford to feel burnout during this journey. And this is why I have come up with a good time table for NEET droppers.
Let’s take a look at the time table.
Time Table for NEET Droppers
There are a lot of factors that you must consider while making your time table. The first factor to consider is classes. Have you taken admission in any classes, if yes, are they offline or online? Do you live at a hostel or as a paying guest? How much time can you actually dedicate to studying? Considering all these factors, we have curated three different time tables.
One for students attending online dropper courses, another for students who live in hostels and attend offline classes and the last one is for droppers who prefer self study during this phase.
In this blog we will talk about droppers who attend online classes from home.
| Best Timetable for NEET droppers attending online classes. | |
| Time | Activity |
| 6:30 – 7:30 AM | Wake up Go through revision sheets Read a Biology chapter |
| 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM | Take a bath and prepare for class |
| 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Online Class Have Breakfast and Lunch during Class |
| 3:00 PM- 4:00 PM | Take a nap. |
| 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM | If you did not understand something in class, learn it up on YouTube |
| 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Short Break |
| 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Homework from class Revise what has been taught |
| 6:00 PM – 6:30/7:00 PM | Short break. Dinner if you eat early |
| 6:30/7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Questions Practice on Ongoing chapters Make revision sheets and/or notes. |
| 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Relaxation time. Dinner if you eat late. Follow a hobby (Read a chapter from a Novel/ Paint/ Draw) |
| 11:00 PM- 12:00 PM | Buffer: Study if you have the energy or go to sleep. |
| 12:00 PM | Sleep |
Important Points to Note in this Dropper Schedule:
- As a dropper, it is important to put in more hours of work than a fresher. You have less time and more portion to cover with added pressure and stress. So, do not shy away from hard work. Put in at least 10 hours a day into studying.
- Revision should NEVER be skipped. It takes barely an hour to go through all the sheets and a few Biology NCERT chapters quickly.
- You should include 15 minute breaks after every 45 minute study sessions. Include breaks even during question solving, this keeps up the stamina and avoids burn out.
- Question solving must be given as much importance as understanding new concepts, if you can spare more time for question solving then it will be better.
- Do not feel afraid to use multiple learning resources. If you do not understand something in class, feel free to ask questions or use YouTube.
- Make sure that you are doing something relaxing for at least an hour a day as mentioned above. It will help prevent burn out in the long run.
- Use your buffer time wisely, do not scroll it away on social media. Sleep early if you want to or revise your NCERTS.
- Always remember to sit on the chair and study at a table instead of studying on your bed. Do not watch the lectures in your bed.
Flexibility
Honestly, following a time table cut-to-cut everyday is impossible. Someday you might have to go to a wedding that you cannot say no to, some day a relative might come to your house unexpectedly, someday you might fall sick or your family member might fall sick and need help. The key is flexibility. I have given you a rough idea of the amount of work you should be putting in and also given you the idea of the work distribution.
You must include revision, question solving and learning new concepts in a healthy ratio in your daily schedule. It does not matter if you change the order of events or the time slots. The amount of work must be put in somehow and it should be quality work.
If you feel like the schedule is too overwhelming for you, you can also opt for a lighter schedule. Just learn to manage your time well, and you should be good.
What if I like to study at night?
That’s fine too. I myself am a nocturnal sort of a person. I’m writing this at 3:00 AM, I am just as productive as any early riser. The key is rest. If I sleep at 3 and wake up at 8, I usually take a nap during the afternoon. I shift the tasks in my time table as per my sleeping schedule.
Again, the key is flexibility. If you learn discipline, it is not difficult to toggle between tasks as per convenience.
That’s all.
All the best, dear friends. Stay disciplined.
