Practical guides
Organising your working week
The weekly volume is stated on every course page: it is planned like an appointment, not like an intention. This guide gives the slicing method that holds for a year, and the dashboard that makes it visible.
Start from the stated figure
Every programme states its hours of actual work per week, and that figure covers real work: reading, exercises, output, revision. Planning it means reserving named blocks in your diary, exactly like a professional appointment. A named block gets kept; an intention gets postponed.
- The weekly volume stated on the programme page
- Named blocks in the calendar, with a reminder
- A one-fifth margin for busy weeks
- A weekly record of hours actually kept
Slicing the week in five moves
- 01
Set the long block
Two to three hours in a row, in your best moment of the week. That is where outputs get produced.
- 02
Add two short blocks
One hour each, on weekdays. They serve reading and exercises, which fragment well.
- 03
Reserve the catch-up slot
A block left free, used only to catch up. It absorbs the unexpected without shifting anything else.
- 04
Place the end-of-week review
Twenty minutes: what is done, what remains, what moves to next week. It is the highest-return block.
- 05
Compare planned and kept
Record the hours actually worked. Three weeks of tracking is enough to set a right pace for the year.
A typical week, by pace
| Pace | Weekly volume | Suggested slicing |
|---|---|---|
| Compatible with a job | 12–20 h | One long block at the weekend, two short evening blocks |
| Self-paced | 8–20 h | Two blocks placed according to that week's availability |
| Full time | 20 h | Four long daytime blocks, one end-of-week review |
Load markers
- of weekly work depending on the programme
- 8–20 h
- blocks are enough to hold a working pace
- 3
- minutes of weekly review
- 20
The highest-return block.
Organisation questions
Is one long block better than several short ones?
Both, for different uses: the long block carries production, which needs continuity; the short blocks carry reading and exercises, which fragment without loss. A typical week therefore combines one long and two short.
How do I catch up a missed week?
Through the catch-up slot, reserved for exactly that. Resume the current module rather than doubling up: continuity beats volume, and content stays open between two assessments.
Should I work every day?
Three slots kept beat seven planned. Regularity is measured over the month, not the day: it is the number of complete weeks that moves a programme forward, not the number of days touched.
Explore next
- Studying while workingRunning an IHETC programme while keeping your job: energy trade-offs, using the gaps, handling peak load and progress markers.
- Study and familyStudying at IHETC alongside family life: announced slots, a dedicated place, shared assessment periods and use of offline mode.
- Notes and revisionA note-taking and revision method for remote study: per-module notes, reformulation, spaced recall and reuse in submissions.
- Using the tutorUsing the IHETC tutor: permanent availability, anchoring in the course, phrasing a useful request and the value of the certificate earned.
- The first yearRunning your first year at IHETC: key appointments, production rhythm, use of the cohort forum and preparation for semester assessments.
- Group workSetting up and running a remote study group in an IHETC cohort: formation, meeting rhythm, written trace and peer review.