The Overloaded Timetable
A 14-year-old student, Mia, is preparing for the Aptis for Teens exam. She has 6 weeks until the test. She attends school from 8:30 to 15:30, has 1 hour of homework each evening, and plays football twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday, 17:00-18:30). She wants to improve her grammar and vocabulary. She has allocated 30 minutes each weekday evening and 2 hours on Saturday for exam preparation. On Sunday she rests. She has identified 10 grammar topics she needs to revise and a list of 200 vocabulary items. She plans to spend equal time on grammar and vocabulary. She also wants to do at least one full practice test per week. Each practice test takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. She is worried about not having enough time.
1. Calculate the total number of study hours Mia has available over the 6 weeks. Then determine how many hours she can allocate to grammar, vocabulary, and practice tests if she spends equal time on grammar and vocabulary, and does one practice test per week.
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First, calculate weekly study time: 5 weekdays × 0.5 h = 2.5 h; Saturday = 2 h; total = 4.5 h per week. Over 6 weeks: 4.5 × 6 = 27 h. She wants one practice test per week: 6 tests × 1.75 h = 10.5 h. Remaining time for grammar and vocabulary: 27 - 10.5 = 16.5 h. Split equally: 8.25 h each. So she has 8.25 h for grammar and 8.25 h for vocabulary. With 10 grammar topics, that's 0.825 h (about 50 minutes) per topic. With 200 vocabulary items, that's 8.25 h × 60 = 495 minutes; 495 / 200 = 2.475 minutes per item, which is about 2.5 minutes per word. This is feasible if she uses efficient methods like flashcards.
2. Mia is considering skipping her football sessions to study more. What is the impact on her study time? Should she skip football? Give reasons.
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If she skips football (2 sessions × 1.5 h = 3 h per week), she gains 3 h per week, which is 18 h over 6 weeks. That would increase her total study time from 27 h to 45 h. However, physical activity is important for health and can improve concentration. Also, she already has enough time if she uses it efficiently (as calculated, she has 8.25 h each for grammar and vocabulary, which is sufficient). Skipping football might lead to burnout and reduce overall effectiveness. Therefore, she should not skip football; instead, she should focus on making her study time more productive, e.g., using active recall and spaced repetition.