Investing in Yourself Lecture 2 Study Skills and Research Skills module.

Managing Time Officially: each 10 credits you study corresponds to 100 hours of total work  Study time  Going to classes  Doing homework, research, exams  Organizing your study In reality...  There is no magic number of hours needed to maximise learning  Key is to spend your time well.

Creating Time! “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!”  Don't become dull! Allocate good-sized chunks of time to study.  your lecture time, leisure time, etc., should also be indicated. Make a weekly timetable, for all 7 days of the week. Break it down into Morning/Afternoon/Evening, or perhaps into 2-hour chunks (e.g, 8-10, ).

Creating Time! MonTuesWedThursFriSatSun Morning Afternoon Evening Total

Creating Time! Save the weekly time template and print it off at the start of each week. Fill in the hours spent on your main non-study activities during the week (work, leisure, eating, sleeping, etc.) The total hours that you fill in for each day are for your study time. Fill in the study time for each day and make a total for each day, and the week.

Creating Time! High and Low Quality Time  Not all of your time is equal quality  High Quality time is when you are alert, able to concentrate, and work undisturbed for a good chunk of time  Low Quality time is the rest of the time  You should identify these chunks of time! You need to manage your time so that you use your high quality time for the tasks that most need it.

Creating Time! Plan the week(s) ahead. Your TO DO list shows what tasks are immediately ahead of you. Your weekly study chart tells you where to find time to do your tasks. Now … you:  Make a TO DO list  Make a weekly study chart

Using Time Well It's easy to get distracted. When you read something and don't understand it, you feel uneasy and restless. You distract yourself, as this lets you focus on familiar things that you can control. Routine orderly tasks particularly appealing. The urge to avoid uncertainty is very strong. That is why its important to set yourself specific tasks which give shape and meaning to your work.

Using Time Well When you read, use a highlighter pen to mark useful passages of text. The choices you make about which words to highlight keep your mind in gear and this makes reading less passive. Make notes in the margin too, whether you agree or disagree.

Check your progress. Sit somewhere else for a while. Switch to a task you find more interesting. Take a short break. Do something physically active. Focus on what you find interesting. Play to your strength. Don't let the course dominate you. Stay in control.

Time vs. Task Try to balance time management vs task management. If you tend to think in terms of “hours put in” rather than what you have achieved, then you find yourself filling up time with unimportant tasks. To avoid this, set out with a goal of completing specific tasks.

Time vs. Task On the other hand, if you focus too much on completing a task you can let it drag on too long. You need to switch your attention between task and time management.

Equipping Yourself Pens and highlighter pens A4 note pads and printer paper Paper clips, stapler Pocket files, filing boxes, sticky labels. A good dictionary (or online) Shelf space for books and filing boxes Access to a computer with internet connection

Filing System Have some method of organizing your study documents:  Lecture notes  Homework  Research Treat the filing system as a work in progress Keep upgrading it What matters is whether you can find documents quickly when you need them.

Managing Your Morale What lowers your morale?  Disruption  Overload --- information, work, tasks  Personal pressures Lack of confidence Lack of structure in your life Alienation (your studies make you feel like you won't belong in the university community) Dislocation (you feel your studies cut you off from family and friends)

Managing Your Morale Everyday crises  Feeling overwhelmed by work.  Struggling to make sense  Writing assignments  Bad days at the office  Disagreeable course elements  Disappoint results  Obsession with grades  Exam anxiety

What Lifts Morale? Achievements  Completed tasks  Good results Creating structure  Tidying up: getting organized  Administration: deal with those details  Planning. Update your TODO list and plan the next week.

What Lifts Morale? Knowledge  Understanding something in a lecture, or something you read in an article  Using knowledge. Find yourself understanding and taking sides in a TV or radio debate. Personal Growth  Express yourself. Speak in class, or seminars. Take control.  Accept new challenges. Volunteer for things related to your learning.

What Lifts Morale? Belonging.  Joining student groups.  Speaking your mind. Sharing.  Peer support. Remember, most other students have the same problems as you.  Staff support.  Home support.

The Successful Self-Manager Be active. You are not a passenger. Be in control. Be strategic. Constantly assess your situation. Be systematic. Take time to plan. Be analytical. Break down tasks. Be reflective. Learn from your experience. Give yourself incentives. Remind yourself of your goals. Manage your morale.