The Timewarp: How to Find the Time (for Wine and Spirits Study)

.

Where to find the time?

I’ve been bombarded by “how, when, and why to study” questions lately. I’ve written a lot about how to study in the past, but would like to tackle the never-ending question of “where to find the time in a busy, stressed-out, hacked-up world” today. I am sure that none of these suggestions are ground-breaking (or time-warping), but these tactics have worked—at different stages of life—for me and many of my students, and maybe one or two will work for you!

Be dressed and ready to go (early): Whatever your deadlines are for the day—leave for work at 8:00 am, be ready to go to dinner at 7:00 pm, have the housework done for the day by 8:00 pm so you can watch Grey’s Anatomy in peace—try to be primped, dressed, and ready-to-go early, and use that time to study. In the morning, you might be able to make this happen so that you have a half an hour of “found” time. Later in the day, the goal might be five or ten minutes of spare study time. Whatever the time frame, it’s a perfect excuse to fit in a few minutes of no-stress study time.

.

Show up early: Whenever you have an interview, an appointment, a lunch date, or even a dentist appointment, get there early and you will have a beautiful block of stress-free study time. Plant yourself as close to your appointment as you can—in a coffee shop, the building lobby, or even in your car—and hit the books (or flashcards).

Stay late: At the end of your shift, stay after work for a half hour or so and study. If you have an office, just shut the door and pretend that you are not there. If you don’t have an office, consider using your desk, the building lobby, an employee break room, a coffee shop, or just go sit in your car. If you work nine-to-five, this half hour of “found study time” might have the added benefit of easing the crush of the evening rush hour. One caveat: this might not be the best idea for those of you who work the late-night shift.

Brush it up: Everybody brushes their teeth (let’s hope) in the morning and again at night (and most likely a time or two in between—I am talking to you, popcorn and cotton candy eaters). Why not tack on an extra five or ten minutes to your morning and/or evening routine, and schedule one of your shorter study sessions for right after your brush your teeth? You’ve already carved out these segments of the day as personal time, so it’s an established habit—no behavior modification necessary.

.

Skip it: First things first: there is no way I am skipping Jeopardy. However…we all know that an hour a day (or even a half hour) of study time can lead to big results. If you really can’t find that kind of time in your schedule, consider swapping out one hour or half hour of activity a day. Skip the first half hour of Morning Joe. Skip the 6 pm news. Skip the re-run of Family Feud you watch before dinner (I know, that one’s tough). Cut your Candy Crush time in half. Cut your social media time down by 40%.

Everybody get up: Get up a half hour earlier than you need to, make a fast cup of coffee or tea, and make studying the first project of each day before the rest of the world even knows you are awake.

Use that drive time: It is easy to study if you use public transportation—just dive right in to your books, notes, or flashcards. However, if you drive yourself, you need to be more creative. Consider making short recordings of yourself—read from your study guide or textbooks, read from your notes, or recite short lists of information (regions of Chile, styles of Champagne, lists of approved grape varieties [for instance]). You can even make verbal quizzes for yourself (ask a question, wait ten seconds, read the answer). This study technique has all kinds of active learning benefits built right in. Of course, many people use drive time to listen to their favorite podcasts or radio programs; this is a great idea made all the better if you can find one that is applicable to your current studies.

If you have any time-warping ideas of your own, help us all out by letting us in on your secrets in the comments!

Click here for more tips on how to study wine and spirits…we have a lot!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas… missjane@prodigy.net