The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, suggests that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your efforts, and has been applied to a wide variety of social environments. In school and studying, this means focusing on certain key areas can significantly boost performance, rather than trying to master every subject equally. Recognizing where those important efforts lie can make a big difference for students.
But how do we use this principle to study? How can we use it to boost our grades without burning out? Where do we even start?
Don't worry! In this article we'll explore how you can implement the Pareto Principle into your study schedule to maximize your study efficiency while preventing study stress!
Key Points:
The Pareto Principle states that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts.
Focusing your studying on foundational concepts first makes complex concepts easier later.
Tutors can help set your schedule and your topics without worry as they're familiar with foundational & complex topics.
How To Find Your 80/20 Study Plan
Initially it might seem difficult to find which specific topics in your class syllabus are the "20%" that matter the most in your studies, but you can find it rather simply! Most important study topics are foundational, and as a result tend to be taught in the first few months of class. For example, Algebra can become complex in later months, but much of the content relates to your understanding of how numbers in equations relate to each other. Being concrete in the roles these numbers play can help you easily understand by more complex subjects like inverse functions, graphs, and even the unit circle!
Starting at square one, we'd recommend looking at your syllabus and the topics covered throughout the year. You'll find complex topics that build off of simple ones, focus most of your energy on the simple ones and you'll find the complex ones come more naturally later on.
Building Your Focused Study Strategy
When I was studying for the MCAT, I was incredibly intimidated by the massive amount of information we had to know. 3 years of pure science classes condensed down to one single 8 hour test. How was that even possible? How could I do well even with multiple months of studying? How in the world was I going to make it out without burning out completely? I tried brute-forcing it and just found myself stressed and not progressing quickly. So, I changed it up a bit, and implemented the Pareto Principle.
After finding your 80/20 topics, split them up into topics you're confident with, topics you're OK with, and topics you don't know well. Study the topics you don't know well every day (even if it's just 20 mins), study the OK topics once every 2-3 days, and study the topics you're comfortable with every 5-6 days. When new 'add-on' topics come up, simply add them onto the foundational topics you've already been studying. This will help you connect the dots that would've been trouble earlier and can help you build upon knowledge instead of just memorizing it. When it comes time to put it into action during your tests, you'll find yourself significantly more confident and stress free when pushing through questions. Though, if you have test anxiety like many students, you may find some of the additional tricks we've laid out in our Test Anxiety article helpful!
Boosting Your 80/20 Studying With Tutors
Especially when starting out on using the Pareto Principle, you'll likely find expert help incredibly useful in identifying foundational topics and building towards complex ones. Tutors can therefore be an incredible boon towards helping you both pass your tests and boost your grades with these study plans.
Tutors have been through these classes before, and likely have struggled with the exact same things you're struggling with in class. Learning from them in both study strategies as well as concepts can help you ease your way towards the 'A' while also avoiding the pitfalls that commonly line the academic path. Tutors can also adapt your plan on a level that works for you, so you can keep your peace of mind without having to panic whenever a brand new foundational or complex topic is taught in class.
Conclusion
By using the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 Rule, in your studying you'll be able to spend significantly less time studying while also retaining a greater amount of information. Further, with this studying strategy you'll find yourself gaining the confidence necessary to succeed both on tests and with classes in general. Tutors are able to supplement this strategy well, as the formation of succinct study plans works well with the sessions an expert tutor can provide.
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If you're interested in finding a tutor who can perfect the 80/20 plan with you, look no further than Nucleus Tutoring! Be sure to check out our site to find your path to success today!
References:
Erridge, P. "The Pareto principle." British Dental Journal 201.7 (2006): 419-419.
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