Start organised: Stay organised Sara Steinke GET AHEAD UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER PROGRAMME 2012

Aims of the session To identify what you have already achieved in terms of getting organised for studying at university To recognise key organisational strategies to help you to study effectively and efficiently at university To draw up your ‘to do’ list of organisational strategies to action before you start your studies

Why start organised? Adult learners have many, often competing, demands on their time; involving work, family and studying Poor organisational skills prevents students from achieving their best Related to other study skills – study space, time management, essay writing, presentations, exams, revision, reading, note-taking Helps you to achieve your short and long term goals

Cottrell, S. The Study Skills Handbook chapter 4 C - Creative have the confidence to use your individual strategies and styles, apply imagination to your learning R - Reflective sit with your experience, analyse and evaluate your own performance and draw lessons from it E - Effective organise your space, time, priorities, state of mind and resources to the maximum benefit A - Active be personally involved, do things, physically and mentally in order to make sense of what you learn M - Motivated be aware of your desired outcomes using short and long-term 'goals'

Think about the following 1.Have you created an adequate and dedicated study space? 2.Are you comfortable? 3.Have you enough space to work in? 4.Do you have all the equipment that you need? 5.How are you going to organise your notes/books?

1.What pressures are there on your time? 2.Have you thought about how you are going to fit in studying with your work and family commitments? 3.If so, what ideas have you had? Think about the following

Setting goals academic professional personal goals short (this year) medium (next year) long (3 years) goals

Prioritisation

Stay organised Use one diary to create a ‘to-do list’ Prioritise tasks Note deadlines – write down dates you must begin working towards the deadlines Establish a study timetable

Stay organised 1.Write down the three most important organisational skills that you have learnt/thought about in this session? Why are they important to you? 2. Identify which organisation skills you can use to start organised and stay organised. How are you going to use these organisation skills to plan your study?

Recap of session We have looked at what you have already done to get organised for studying at university – well done You have created a organisation skills ‘to do’ list in order to start organised at university We have identified organisational strategies to help you stay organised at university

Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3 rd Edition (London, Palgrave) chapter 4 ‘The C.R.E.A.M. Strategy for learning’ pp study/studyskills/learning/time. asp helpful information on organisational skills on the Skills4Study website studyskills/course timetable study skills workshops which deal with organisational skills – and other study skills – in greater detail services/facilities/support/time- management online resources on organisational skills available on the Birkbeck Library website get-ahead-stay ahead/skills/organisational-skills 20 minute interactive tutorial supporting this Student Orientation programme