Study Skills

• Identify what is really needed
  Study assignment titles carefully. Work out exactly what is required for assignments. This saves time in re-writing assignments later.
• Work strategically
  Set yourself clear goals and work towards these.
• Make the material meaningful
  Looking for 'the meaning' or how things work, rather than focusing on remembering information. Work with the material, looking at how it fits together and applies to different circumstances. If you develop your understanding of the subject, it will help you to take in future material more easily. This makes reading easier. It also improves your memory for the subject.
• Look for links
  Be active in searching out links between different aspects of the programme. Look also for links between what you are learning and the wider world. This helps to develop understanding and memory.
• Work with others
  Work with other students so that you share ideas and gain mutual support. You may be able to share some research tasks and clarify your lecture notes. Studying with others makes study more interesting, as you gain a different set of perspectives.
• Set yourself SMART-F targets
  Targets should be:
• strategic : they assist you to achieve your goals
• measurable: you can tell when you have completed them
• achievable: you are likely to succeed in meeting them
• realistic: they fit the circumstances
• time-bound: you have a set time to meet
• flexible: you can adapt them if the circumstances change

• Look for short-cuts
• Look for reasonable short-cuts that do not compromise your studies. For example:
• avoid unnecessary tasks such as writing notes out neatly
• use abbreviations in your notes
• write assignments onto a computer if possible rather than writing them out by hand and then typing them up
• focus your notes around themes and questions rather than making long notes that you do not really need
• Use the word limit to focus your energies
  Most assignments have a word limit. Use this as a guide to how much you need to read and how many examples you can include. Plan out in advance how you will divide up the words available to you. Often, you need to be very concise about each topic. This means you may not be able to include very much of what you have read if you have undertaken a great deal of reading or made very extensive notes.
• Take care of yourself
  Take rests when you are tired. Study takes longer and the brain is less effective when you are tired or stressed. · Plan your time so that you get breaks. A change of scene stimulates the brain and helps creative thinking

(This material is taken from the handbook on study skills by Stella Cottrell)