Managing study and approaches to learning

Session objectives: Understand how to organise study time effectively Identify appropriate times to study Identify the personal challenges that may affect study Understand how to prioritise and set realistic targets for study Outline what SMART targets are Identify SMART targets for own study

Starter Activity: Consider the Study Skills questionnaire Work on your own and tick the comments that describe your approaches to studying Read the description of your approach – do you agree? Discuss and compare your results with a partner – how similar are you in your approach to studying? How could you improve your study skills?

Organising your time: Sitting down to plan your work in detail may seem like a waste of time; however, by organising your time: You can become more productive The quality of your work will improve You will know what you’ve done, and what you still have to do You won’t panic about ‘falling behind’, or leaving everything until the last minute You’ll build up your confidence and enjoy the work more You’ll be able to enjoy your leisure time more

Organising your time Planning Your Time The key is to impose a structure on your working time by dividing it up. This works at several levels; from the overall structure of a school year or term, down to planning how to organise a particular week, a day or even an hour How to organise There is no single answer that works for everyone. You need to find a way that works for you

Organising your time Task 1: Complete the weekly planner document based on your previous week Consider how you spent your time Discuss your results with a partner – be prepared to share your findings with the larger group

Peter’s weekly planner: Task 2: In pairs, complete Peter’s weekly planner – using the information provided; ie his school timetable and tasks for the week Work out how much time he has available, and when Work out his priorities between these tasks. Which are more urgent? Make decisions for him about how long to spend on each task, and set targets and completion times for him Can you organise his tasks (research, exam preparation etc) into smaller, less daunting tasks?

Organising Peter’s and your own time - summary DON'T: Try and complete everything at the same time – pace yourself Neglect any of your tasks - especially those you find relatively easy (or particularly difficult) Drift from deadline to deadline. Try and look ahead and make a start on planning and preparing tasks well before the deadlines Allow yourself to be distracted. Stick to your plans and your own timetable

What is your preferred learning style? During this session you will have used a selection of learning styles – which do you enjoy most? Auditory – learning through listening, hearing and speaking is your main way of learning Visual – ideas, concepts and data are learnt best by seeing them, using images, pictures, colours and maps Read / Write – you learn better by following written instructions and writing notes Kinaesthetic - you prefer to learn by doing, you enjoy learning by hands-on methods

What is your preferred learning style? http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/extra/module1/1.shtml Work through the questions to discover more about how you learn: Are you left brain or right brain dominated? What sort of learner are you? What is your general learning personality? Take notes as you work through the tests and be prepared to share your findings with the larger group

What is a SMART target? S - Simple (you’ve got to be able to do it!) M – Measurable (something you can tell when you’ve completed it) A – Achievable (you’ve got to be able to do it) R – Relevant (it must be something you feel you can improve) T – Time-bound (you must set a deadline to achieved your target)

Why should you use SMART targets? It gives you something to aim for You can choose something in particular to focus on You can see how you are progressing You can see what you need to do to improve

SMART or not SMART? Which of the following targets are SMART? ‘I aim to learn to play the guitar.’ ‘I aim to read the first 2 chapters of ‘Heroes’ by the 3rd of July.’ ‘I aim to know the dates and main events leading up to World War 2’. ‘I aim to be learn 10 symbols for elements from the periodic table by the end of July.’ ‘I aim to learn and understand different kinds of angles in maths.’

Setting yourself SMART targets Use the template provided Set yourself up to 5 SMART targets for the next two weeks Discuss your targets with a partner

Did we meet our objectives? Understand how to organise study time effectively Identify appropriate times to study Identify the personal challenges that may affect study Understand how to prioritise and set realistic targets for study Outline what SMART targets are Identify SMART targets for own study