Learning is best when your studying is distributed instead of massed.
In other words, it’s better to study sections of materials in brief study sessions rather than a single lengthy session (i.e., no marathon study sessions!). Your brain can only process so much information at one time before all the information starts going in one ear and out the other. Aim for chunking your time into smaller sessions, so you can process information efficiently and effectively.
Not sure where to find time? Check out these posts on working with your biorhythms, making use of unproductive time, and finding time to study.
This concept doesn’t just apply to the amount of time you spend studying, it’s also helpful for how you structure your study tasks or activities.
Try dividing your study session into smaller chunks.
For example, you could divide a session into fourths.
1. Review what you studied the previous session
2. Read new text/material
3. Answer practice questions
4. Review flashcards
Using this method will help you stay on top of previously learned information while continuing on with your study plan. Not sure what kind of chunks of time you should be working with? Some of this will be based on your natural attention span and how much you can reasonably shift your attention between activities. Try the Pomodoro technique to get a feel for pacing.