PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Data Management at Franklin Templeton
Investments) who says that for him rather
than focussing on the balancing, it is moreso
about focussing on ‘purpose and passion’. 2
With this sense of purpose, how can we apply
Covey’s third habit of ensuring that every
step we take gets us nearer our goal? What
steps can you take each day to pass that exam,
get that qualification, complete your CPD
and future-proof your career?
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GET A PLAN. Your module-specific learn-
ing plan, which can be downloaded from
Connect, has already done all the planning
for you. This is a weekly high level study
schedule which you can adapt around other
life-events, holidays or busy works periods.
This enables you to make your study schedule
work for you, not against you. Keep this plan
visible so that it doesn’t slip your mind. Be
flexible, if you’re too tired to study after the
kids have gone to bed, change it up and try
getting up an hour before them (if that’s pos-
sible!!). Sylvain Pendaries gives wise advice
when he says that ‘It is going to be virtually
impossible to achieve complete balance every
day of your life. There will simply be days and
weeks when your work requires more time
from you. There will also be days when your
family requires more of your time. Instead
of driving yourself crazy trying to achieve a
work/life balance every day, look at your life
on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. And
schedule times to work hard, recharge, renew,
play, and engage whether with your colleagues
or with your family and friends. 3
FIGURE OUT YOUR LEARNING STYLE. Everyone
learns and studies differently – some like
graphics and diagrams, some learn what they
hear, while others need to read to under-
stand. By doing a simple quiz such as our
learning style one available in Connect, you
can discover what works for you, before you
even start. You’ll also be advised as to which
study methods and study supports will
benefit you most; ensuring that your study
hours are well spent.
Issue 5 • March 2018 • The Insider
GET FAMILIA R WITH YOUR SYLLABUS AND TEXT-
BOOK. Armed with your plan of attack, the
next thing to do is study. Your syllabus iden-
tifies the main topics and the level of detail
you will need to go into for each one. It is
a hugely valuable resource which can ensure
that you are focussing your time and effort
in the right direction. Your syllabus and
textbook will allow you to grasp the extent of
work you’ll need to put in.
STUDY SMART. For days when you are caught
for time but still want to put some effort in,
don’t despair. You can use the key points,
available per chapter, which are summary
notes of the chapter’s main topics (and can
also serve as revision notes), or read through
the study advice or exam preparation tech-
niques. Every small bit helps.
USE TECHNOLOGY WISELY. The advances in tech-
nology may have blurred the workday-work-
place boundaries, but on a welcome note for
students, they also mean that you can study
on the go. Using your tablet or smartphone
you can access Webinars while you commute,
listen to your eBook as you walk the dog
or take the learning styles quiz during your
lunch break. However, also remember that
the digital world can also act as a massive
distraction, so make sure you use it wisely.
Download as much content as you can in
advance and only go online when necessary.
Advances in
technology may
have blurred the
workday-work-
place boundaries,
but also mean
that students can
study on the go.
plan allows times for the things that you
like to do; meeting friends or going to the
gym. Ultimately, this will better prepare you
mentally to achieve your study goals. Read
the many Institute blog posts, such as ‘Work
wellness: how to boost your performance
through a healthy diet’ or ‘Food for thought:
powering your brain at exam time’ on In
Dialogue to make sure that you are giving
yourself the best chance possible.
TRIED AND TESTED. When you have some study
under your belt, take the mock MCQ exams
or review the sample written exam papers.
Familiarity with the exam structure will help
you to consider how you will be asked to
reproduce the material you are studying and
will help you manage your exam timings. Also
check back with the InDialogue blog posts
such as the one on the 10 most common
exam mistakes and how to avoid them.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF. Perhaps the most
important advice of all, take care of yourself.
Remember the proverb ‘a healthy mind in
a healthy body’. If you don’t take care of
yourself by sleeping, exercising and eating
well, then you and your study time is going to
be less productive. Make sure that your study
FINALLY, STAY POSITIVE. If you have had a
bad week of study, don’t fall off the wagon.
Readjust your study plan to catch up on the
material you might have missed and keep on
going. If you think you have overshot with
the amount of study you’ve scheduled in each
week, you might need to reassess your plan to
make your goals more achievable.
Patrick Dunne Geraghty from Aviva earned
his ACII designation in less than 12 months,
no mean feat on its own, but even harder with
a young family at home. His advice on how
to balance study with a busy work schedule
and personal life was “Try not to do every-
thing at the same time. Work is for during
working hours, lunch is for lunch time, family
time is family time and study time is study
time. Try not to blur the lines.”
Issue 5 • March 2018 • The Insider
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