These rules aren't optional. They're the difference between putting in the hours and actually improving. Jamie, read these at the start of every study day.
Phone goes face-down in another room (or on aeroplane mode) for the full 50 minutes. Every notification during a session resets your brain's focus — it takes 20 minutes to fully re-engage after an interruption. That's not an exaggeration; that's neuroscience.
Your brain associates different spaces with different states. Bed = sleep. Desk = work. Studying in bed is one of the most effective ways to guarantee you retain almost nothing and fall asleep. Always desk, always upright, always good lighting.
Sessions start at the scheduled time, not "in a minute." Momentum builds from the very first session of the day. If you start late, you finish late, dinner gets pushed, the evening session moves, sleep gets cut. One late start cascades through the whole day.
Re-reading notes feels productive but isn't. The sessions in this plan use flashcards, blank-page recall, and past paper practice — these are 2–3× more effective for memory. If a session says "write from memory," do NOT look at notes first. The struggle is the learning.
After every past paper question, mark it against the official mark scheme — strictly. Every mark you didn't get: write one sentence explaining why you lost it. This is the single most effective revision habit across all four subjects.
All study finishes by 8:20pm. In bed by 10:30pm at the absolute latest. Memory consolidation happens during sleep — everything you studied today gets filed into long-term memory tonight. Cutting sleep doesn't save time; it wastes the time you already spent studying.
30-minute breaks are not screen time. Get up, walk around, get outside if possible. Physical movement during study breaks measurably improves focus and retention for the next session. Even 10 minutes outside beats 30 minutes on your phone.
Russian must be spoken aloud every day — even if only 20 minutes. Fluency is a "use it or lose it" skill. Missing a day doesn't feel like much but shows up immediately in your spoken production. The evening session is always Russian. This is not optional.
Before every Biology session: re-read Miss Bates' feedback. Before every Chem session: remember Dr Moylan said mechanisms are "vital." Before every Psych session: remember Mrs Gregory said "specific key terminology." These teachers told you exactly what to fix — use it.
After completing a full session: screen time, gaming during break. After a full study day (all sessions ticked): order something for the Lego collection, or social plans. After sticking to the full week: a bigger reward, decided in advance. The plan only works if rewards are real and earned, not handed out for "nearly" doing it.
Russian is the non-negotiable daily priority — IRP presentation must be polished and learned off by heart before the mock on Wednesday 8 April (11am). Alongside this: cover all 6 Psychology approaches, begin Chemistry mechanisms, and lay the groundwork on the Biology immune system. Today (29 March) starts at the 15:50 session — sessions 5, 6, and 7 only.
The Russian Oral Mock at 11am. All the preparation this week has led here. One job: do your best, stay calm, and treat every stumble as data — not failure. The real exam is 27 April. This is a dress rehearsal.
Psychology test on 14 April (first day back) is now the #1 academic priority. Chemistry follows on 15 April. Biology on 17 April. Russian continues daily. Note: 11 April is a full day away — no study. Make the days either side count.
School days: evening sessions only (one session, 19:30–20:20). Weekends remain full study days. Two Biology tests plus the Russian oral exam on 27 April are the targets in this phase.
Use this space for notes — and use the Share Progress panel below to send your progress to Dan in one quick copy-paste.