The CLAT exam is a demanding and competitive exam and requires students to pay full attention while they are preparing for it. With the limited number of seats and tough competition, students do feel anxious about their CLAT preparation. Over and above that, many students attempt CLAT while they are in their final year of school or their 1st year of college. In those circumstances, the only solution to manage both things together is to bring in tune effective strategies.
Students should not come out with highly ambitious study plans as such plans are often met with failure. One should attempt to create a realistic and well-organized study schedule that accommodates both CLAT preparation as well as school/college studies. It is not humanly possible to study 16 hours each day without any break. The best idea is to allocate specific time slots for each subject or topic, which a student can only do by assessing its difficulty level and gauging its weightage in the CLAT exam. So, firstly, try to have an in-depth understanding of the recurrent themes prevalent in the CLAT exam and identify those topics that are mostly asked. Prioritize high-impact areas in both CLAT preparation and academic studies and then come out with a timetable that suitably accommodates those topics first that are frequently asked.
On the other hand, do not compromise with school/college studies at all. Now as the CLAT exam is taken in the month of December, students who are 12th class still have considerable time to prepare for Boards after the CLAT exam. However, it would be too late to start school/college studies only after the CLAT exam, so it is advisable that in the meantime, instead of targeting to complete the whole syllabus, students should focus on covering the application-based elements of the syllabus till December for school exam, and post CLAT exam, they can then move towards theoretical part of their syllabus. This way, both exams are taken care of at the same time.
But as a word of advice, keep some time for your breaks and utilize your breaks wisely. Within the break time, one should do what they like the most such as reading a new novel, going out with friends, or a movie plan with parents. Such small breaks in a hectic study schedule act as an energy booster that keeps one motivated for the remaining time for their study. So, the key to effectively balancing CLAT preparation with school/college studies, the answer lies in effective time management.
