1. ⏱️ Why things only take as long as you decide they should

My IB Psychology (a pre-university course for 16-18 year olds) students started their mock exams yesterday (1st March).

This means one thing for me.

Lots of marking.

This is their final rehearsal before the real exams in May, so it’s really important for them to practise what the exams will be like. Likewise, this is my final chance to assess how well they’re able to answer genuine exam questions.

However, to give them useful feedback, I need to mark their exams thoroughly. As my subject examines students through essays, this can be very time-consuming to say the least.

That said, I have a not-so-secret weapon to limit the amount of time this takes.

Let me tell you a quick story.

In the 1950s, a naval historian by the name of Cyril Parkinson noted that as the British empire was declining, the number of officials employed to administer the colonies increased. In other words, more people seemed to be required to do less work.

In the years that followed, the law that bears Parkinson’s name has come to be represented by something like the following:-

Work expands to fill the time available to do it.
Another way of saying this is that if you leave something to the last minute, it only takes a minute to do.

Now, generally, it’s never a good idea to devote only one minute to anything that’s important 😤

Nevertheless, you’ve probably had the experience of working on a project - something at work, studying for an exam, or simply cleaning the house - and noticed that when your time to complete the task is limited…somehow, it always gets done. At the same time, the longer you have to do something, the more you might procrastinate.

So, I’ll be applying Parkinson’s law when it comes to marking my exams by setting a reasonable amount of time in which I can mark everything and not spending any longer on it than that.

Assuming that my time estimate is reasonable and no unforeseen circumstances knock me off track, everything should get done on time.

So, the next time you sit down (or stand up) to study English, do a piece of writing, or any other project in your life, remember Parkinson’s Law. Work expands to fill the time available for it. Set yourself a time limit to complete everything and you just might find you can do so much more.

Apologies to anyone who couldn’t download any of my free worksheets from last week’s email. As far as I am aware, the link below is working and should take you to the main products page where you can join more than 2,500 English-language learners in downloading 17 different FREE worksheets to help you improve your vocabulary and grammar.

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2. 📺 Article Series of the week: One Day

I’ve nearly finished watching One Day on Netflix.

This is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by David Nicholls. It follows the lives and fortunes of Dexter and Emma who meet on the final day of university on 15th July 1988.

Thereafter, each episode re-visits these characters on the same day every year to see how their lives are progressing and, crucially, if they will ever end uo together as they are so obviously made for each other.

I’ve enjoyed watching this series the last couple of weeks for a couple of reasons. One is the excellent soundtrack which generally chooses songs from the year the episode was set in. As the series progresses through the 1990s and I just so happened to be a teenager then, I found myself singing along frequently as I watched, much to my wife’s annoyance.

I also appreciated the short running time of the episodes. Each instalment is around 25 minutes long, in contrast to most series you might watch on Netflix, or other streaming platforms. This meant I was actually caught off guard by the episode ending on some occasions, so engrossed in the story had I been.

Finally the story is very bittersweet. Dexter and Emma belong together, but just can’t seem to make things right. There are frequent near-misses and split-second decisions that, had they been taken differently, would have saved them so much heartache. Who can’t relate to that?

If you’re looking for a series to watch in English and want something thought-provoking and enjoyable, this might just be right for you.

3 📚 Study tip of the week: Why listening to music doesn’t help you learn

This is a conversation I had with some of my students this week.

If you’re serious about studying anything and you normally listen to music while you’re studying, you’ll almost certainly be better off by not listening to music.

The reason for this is simply that our ability to process auditory inputs is very limited. When we read something, even silently, we actually use that auditory part of our brain (think about the “inner voice” you “hear” when reading to yourself). However, listening to music, particularly if you’re singing along (out loud or not) also occupies space in that part of the brain.

Once that auditory processing ‘unit’ is full, nothing else can enter. This is why you might not hear what someone is telling you if you’re watching TV at the same time, even though they're sat right next to you.

Listening to music, especially music we love, limits our capacity to focus on our studies, so we’re much better off leaving music for another time.

“But it helps me concentrate!”

is an objection I often hear from my students. Although they can never provide me with any evidence or explanation of why this might be true, I think I do know why they feel this way. It’s because they love their music. This is understandable, but unfortunately, doesn't mean that it helps them focus.

If you normally listen to music while studying, why not just try leaving the headphones out, at least for a week and seeing if you notice any difference. Or, if you really must listen to something, you could take a leaf out of my book and listen to white noise. I find this helps me ignore other distracting noises when I’m trying to read or study.

Don’t forget you can follow me on X where I post daily content to help you Master English. This week, I taught my followers 5 money-related idioms. Follow me for more!

Have a great week everyone 😀

Andrew

4 Bonus vocabulary: did you know the meaning of these words/phrases used above?

to be made for each other (idiom) referring to a couple who are perfect for each other

bittersweet (adj - used for experiences of things, not people) simultaneously sweet and bitter

heartache (n) emotional pain

take a leaf out of someone’s book (idiom) - follow someone’s example

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