Study Skills A Presentation by ABBAS HUSAIN

The ordinary mind exists well; The organized mind lives well ---Samuel Smith

There’s not an easy way to get an A You need to learn effective study skills and time management skills The following guidelines will give you suggestions to make you a better student

THE FIVE MAJOR MISCONCEPTIONS 1. Hard work automatically gets one an A Grade 2. You need not worry about your health if you want to be a good student 3. Excessive note-taking guarantees an A grade

THE FIVE MAJOR MISCONCEPTIONS 4. Just attending classes is enough 5. Just reading the prescribed textbooks is enough

NOT!!! Study hard and smart Aim not for perfection but excellence

Time Management

Examine how you currently spend your time on a given day

CATEGORY MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL Sleeping Eating Relaxing Working Exercising Commuting Studying Family Class Time Self Time TOTAL

Identify blocks of time to study (determine how much of your time is committed to other activities and how much time you need to study)

Mark the areas you spend too little time  Sleeping  Eating  Relaxing  Working  Exercising  Commuting  Studying  Family  Class Time  Self Time Mark the areas you spend too much time  Sleeping  Eating  Relaxing  Working  Exercising  Commuting  Studying  Family  Class Time  Self Time

How do you feel about your overall use of time? What changes do you want to make in your use of time? How do you plan to change your use of time? How many hours of study time do you spend for each hour you are in class? How will you manage your time to bring it up to where it should be?

–Most people need an average of 2 hours study time for every hour of class per week (3 credit class=6 hours per week studying)

Make to-do lists Prioritize tasks

Study Breaks! Don’t expect to get everything done in one sitting Take 10 minutes every hour or so-get a cup of coffee, walk around, make a quick phone call, check Make sure this doesn’t turn into procrastination!

Switch subjects every few hours Tackle difficult assignments first Make mini-deadlines (if something is due in a month, have a draft due 2 weeks before) Learn to handle procrastination DON’T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE!!!

CHECKPOINT: What is the best way to study? A. Work on one assignment until it is done B. Switch subjects and take periodic study breaks –There is not right answer-this depends on the topic and your level of interest, as well as when it needs to be completed. Try to switch subjects as a rule to keep your motivation high!!!

11 ESCAPE IN CRASH The following extract is a complete newspaper story. Many of the words have been left out, yet the sense of the original is still retained. Try to answer the comprehension questions that follow the story.

11 Escape in Crash ELEVEN_______________lucky ____________________________ _____ landing_______________ Maredy _____Wednesday. ______________________ Cessna ________________damaged _______________________ _____________________ survived without_____________ injury. ____________________ scheduled ______Wye _____Rambak, _____________________director _______________yesterday____ investigator___________________ _safety department _____already ____________________ determine____________________ ___.

What crashed? How many passengers were there? Were they hurt? Where were they going? What did the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority say yesterday? When is the investigator going? Why

11 Escape in Crash ELEVEN passengers had a lucky escape when their light aircraft crashed on landing at a remote strip in Maredy on Wednesday. The plane, a Broadens Airways Cessna 206, was extensively damaged – but the eleven passengers, including the pilot, survived without a single serious injury. The plane was on a scheduled flight from Wye to Rambak, where it crashed. Civil Aviation director Mr Steven Woods said yesterday an investigator from the air safety department had already flown into the area to determine the cause of the crash.

Speed Reading 1.Prime 2.Peek 3.Peruse 4.Participate 5.Prudent 6.Post mortem.

1.PRIME Why am I reading this? What do I want to discover from it? What do I know about the subject? What do I know about the author?

2.PEEK Our cursory peek might include finding out whether there is: a table of contents, footnotes, an index, an index of tables headings and subheadings introductions and conclusions As well as: how the book is arranged what the blurb on the front and back claims

3.PERUSE What is the style of the book like? Are there key words or concepts which keep coming up? Are the sections highlighted at the peek stage the right ones? Is there any technical terminology? Where is it?

4.PARTICIPATE Now is the time for real reading, though even at this stage we don't want to waste our time on every word.

Read the first and last sentence of every paragraph and possibly the first and last paragraph of those chapters that are identified as useful

5.PRUDENT Having marked those areas which contain the items which are of interest to us, we can now speed read them

6.POST MORTEM This final part of the process looks at –how the reading was done, rather than the content of the book. –What worked, what helped and where was time or comprehension lost?

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN NOTES Main points Definitions Theories Formulas Lists Page references Important Dates Anything noted as “important to know, keep in mind for exam” Important people Anything spelled out Charts

Reading Assignments Avoid over-highlighting-while it may look like you read the material, it may be harder to remember the information Write notes in margin of book Pre-read: read major headings, first paragraph, and chapter summaries first. Read for understanding.

CHECKPOINT: What does NOT have to be included in lecture notes? –Important dates –Definitions –Exact sentences –Theories ANSWER: exact sentences

NOTE-TAKING

Golden Rule Don’t expect to write every word of the professor’s lecture down! Need to prepare for notes before class and review notes after class

NOTE TAKING » Use key words and NEVER write sentences as notes » Use Index cards for reviewing » Categorize cards by subject » Carry and use them whenever possible

NOTE TAKING » Use maximum number of senses  Read aloud on your tape- recorder (eyes)  Listen to these tapes (ears) » Review ASAP to see that you understand them!

NOTE TAKING » Two week Attack!!! » Take practice exams (under exam conditions)

Trigger charts

Trigger chart

Trigger charts Putting information into brain Makes it easier to recall information Make use of right side of brain Uses colours, patterns, shapes, free-flow Used for preparing notes effectively

Trigger charts Planning essays and exam answers Preparing oral work or speeches Taking notes Summarizing lots of information Planning projects, events, etc.

Trigger charting method Decide what the topic is Print topic in center of page Use different colour for each group of ideas (branches/stems)

Trigger charting method Attach related ideas to main branch with same colour Uses images, shapes, pictures to make it more creative Remember no one else need to understand It only has to make sense to you

Another example of trigger charts

MIND MAPPING Mind Maps are more compact than conventional notes, often taking up one side of paper. This helps you to make associations easily.

Mind Maps are also useful for: Summarizing information Consolidating information from different research sources Thinking through complex problems, and Presenting information that shows the overall structure of your subject

Mind Map

AND LASTLY… » You must not only study to make a living… » You must also study to live a life!

» All exams are a measure of your performance… not of yourself. » No matter what grade you get, know that if you have done your best, that is all there is to it.

IN CLOSING » Everybody looks at the door that bangs shut… few notice another door opening silently, elsewhere…. GOOD LUCK!

THANK YOU For a copy of this presentation

ABBAS HUSAIN Director Teachers’ Development Centre 129-G Block 2 PECHS Karachi Tel: /