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Overview of General Study Skills

Introduction

There are lots of strategies you can develop to help you study more effectively. You will be aware of many of the strategies on this study skills site but others might be new to you. Remember that everyone learns differently. Try out different things and see what works for you.

I'm at Uni. What do I do now?

Uni is another commitment to juggle. You need to identify your commitments - family, friends, part-time job, hobbies and study - and reflect upon the importance of each one. You will need to learn to prioritise. Think of realistic and practical goals and devise strategies to accomplish them.

How can I organise myself better?

Planning is the key here. You need to have your year planned in a poster format or diary - semester dates, assignment dates, examination times, family events, important other commitments. This plan needs to be a visual aid, located where it is seen regularly and can be easily modified. Then you also need a weekly plan that allocates time to complete specific tasks. This should be looked at on Sunday night in readiness for the week ahead. Individual tasks should be broken down into manageable units and then it may be useful to work backwards from the due date in order to work out the starting date that will ensure there is adequate time available. To improve your time management skills, try some online quizzes.

Why have lectures?

A lecture is an opportunity for a lecturer to contrast different theories and perspectives about the topic to a large number of students at one time. Your goal as a student, is to understand the material being presented. Therefore you should familiarise yourself with key concepts before attending the lecture. During the lecture you will need to listen and note main points and examples. After the lecture you should review your notes as soon as possible and add to your notes both information to make them more understandable and information from your further reading on the subject.

'Not more reading...'

Whenever you are reading for academic reasons, ask yourself the following questions. Why is it important to read this material? What information do I need to absorb? How will I demonstrate my comprehension of this material? Use the title, table of contents, preface, index, publication details, references and appendices to determine whether the book / article is relevant. If mastery of the information contained is required then try the technique of surveying for appropriateness first, then generating questions you hope the reading will answer, reading (and if necessary, notetaking), recalling and testing your comprehension, and finally reviewing to see what information has been retained.

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Using the Learning Hub

If you are having trouble navigating the Learning Hub, the Using the Learning Hub section may help you find your way around. This page contains general information and resources that may help you find what you're after.