Studying as an adult can be a lot trickier than it was when you were a kid. You’ve probably got a full-time job, and you may have other family obligations too. All that adds up to a day that is often more full than you think. And yet, you can still find opportunities to study. Here are a few ways to take advantage of quick moments to help you get ready for the contractor licensing exam.

Focus Your Goals
Most experts in productivity will tell you that you must have focused goals in order to achieve them. For example, if you simply plan to “get some studying done,” you might not achieve nearly as much as you’re hoping to get. Instead, take a moment to think about certain topics that you would like to study, and make a list of the ones you want to start with first. If you’re not sure how to refine your goals, try setting broad ones and then breaking them down into pieces. You’ll have a better time estimating how much time they will take that way.

Create Short Tasks
With your list of study topics that you need to master, you can start planning out short tasks. At the very beginning, it may be difficult to estimate how long you think it’s going to take you to do something. That’s why you may need to have some longer study sessions. On the other hand, if you want to re-watch a recorded lecture, you simply need to see how long it is to set an approximate time for it. Make a list of short tasks that last 5 to 15 minutes, particularly if you find yourself constantly strapped for time. Making a little progress at a time is better than letting days pass and realizing you haven’t studied at all. In small blocks, the hours will add up.

Book Study Time
Finding time in the margins for studying can be a way to get extra study time, but it probably won’t be sufficient. When you are new to a topic, you may need to immerse yourself in it for a couple of hours before you have some passing familiarity with the terminology or the processes involved. Short periods of time are better for refining your skills or reviewing in advance of the exam. If you finish every week wishing that you could have planned out more time for studying, you may want to start there first. Set aside a couple of hours once or twice a week to give you that foundation. You’ll find it easier to fit more time for smaller tasks if you feel like you’re making progress.

Use Multiple Formats
The thing about fitting studying into the margins is that you may end up doing it in a variety of places. As such, you’ll need to have multiple formats in which you can study or review. If everything that you do presumes that you have access to a desk with books and a computer, you’ll have a harder time listening to a lecture on your commute. Try to give yourself more than one way to study or review, even if it means recording yourself explaining a concept so that you can listen to it later. Review is a key part of recall, so it won’t feel like wasted time.

Avoid Big Schedule Changes
As with any schedule change, one of the worst things that you can do is to swap your time allocation to the extreme. For example, cutting out an hour of sleep abruptly to buy you more study time isn’t likely to make you more focused. Instead, you may end up more stressed and less inclined to study. Start by making slight changes to your routine, no more than 15 to 30 minutes at a time. Give yourself a week to get used to it before you change it again. You’ll be more likely to build reliable study habits that way, and you won’t up-end your home life as a result.

Finding time to study is a crucial part of passing the contractor licensing exam. For guidance in meeting the requirements to take the exam, contact CSLS today!