How to study A rough guide

Why? Talking with students indicated that a number struggled to study effectively They needed a how-to This is based on my experience, so is somewhat limited So change it to match what you need! Aimed primarily at university considerations

Get out of the house Some people can set up a desk and discipline themselves at home, I can’t do that easily. Stop cleaning the toilet Anything seems more interesting than study at home You will find yourself procrastinating, looking for excuses and distractions, even just staring out the window patting the cat So you need to move You need to change the environment, so leave the house/flat

Write notes Take yourself to a library, or a space where you can work quietly and not be disturbed. Write notes as you study Why? - When you go to read a text a second time you will remember it and switch off. So now condense your study notes. Refer back to the text to expand on things you don’t recall well. Then condense your study notes again, and again… until they fit on one side of an A4 When the exam comes you have one page to read, and it will be memory triggers and very familiar, boosting your confidence and knowledge just before you start.

One step at a time You need to make it a habit So one hour every day, plan it Do it before you do anything else, make it a key part of your day Then you are free to enjoy the rest of the day knowing you have done it Reward yourself, free time with friends, a movie, a coffee…. BUT only after you have done the hour, be disciplined, don’t think about it , just do it. When you brush your teeth for 5 minutes a day you don’t save it up and do it for an hour on Sunday, it doesn’t work like that. Nor does study, one hour a day, one step at a time….

Tabulate the old Exams Question 1 & 2 were from our lectures, tutorials and assignments Question 3 was the chapter as recommended reading in the course outline at the start of the year, not covered in lectures. So read the old exams There are patterns! Then when you see the exam you will know what to expect and feel confident in answering most of the exam

Hey I am enjoying this…. So now you are studying regularly It becomes a habit Then you find yourself reading because you want to know the material It interests you So then you start to read for your learning and enjoy it One day you will find yourself reading a textbook for fun and wonder what happened!!