Keep your longterm goals in

mind. They can

motivate you

Schedule due
dates, work
times, & social
occasions on a
semester
planner

Prioritise tasks
for the week &
cross them off
the list as you
finish them

Break down
large tasks into
smaller tasks

Managing Your
Time

Paraphrase
when you want
to support your
argument

Quote if the
exact words are
really important

Decide the best

way to cite your
sources: quote
directly,
paraphrase, or
summarise

Be meticulous
about publishing
details. Accuracy
is essential

Referencing

10 Top Tips on Academic Learning

Hand out an
outline to help
the audience
follow your
points

Frame your
presentation
with an
introduction &
conclusion

Gather the
material, find a
focus, &
structure it
simply, clearly, &
logically

Know who your

audience is,
what they know,
& what their
level of interest
is

Presentations

Determine your
reason(s) for
reading the
article. Is it for
general
background on
a topic or
supporting
evidence?

Accurately
record title,
author(s), date &
place of
publication

Critical Reading

Decide why you

are reading the
text

Find a quiet,
uninterrupted
time & place to
read

Identify your
strengths & say
what you can
contribute to the
group

Ask yourself
Does the author
describe
adequately the
current
knowledge on
the topic?

Look for
organisational
cues: subheadings,
graphs, &
summaries

Decide on a
Identify the
Read for main
timetable &
authors purpose idea first. This is
exchange
found in the title,
contact details at
abstract,
first meeting
introduction,
thesis statement,
& conclusion

Try not to be in a
group with
friends: working
with friends can
be harder than
you think

Meet with your

group as soon
as possible

Group Work

Effective
Reading

Plan the
structure of your
assignment
make an outline

Read textbooks
for general
information
before reading
journals

Schedule time
for reading,
note-taking,
drafting,
referencing, &
editing

Read the
question. Make
sure you know
what to do. If
not, ask your
tutor

Successful
Assignments

Arrive before the

lecture to get
any handouts

Make note of
important
terminology
before class

Download &
read lecture
notes & outlines
before class

Do the required
readings before
the lecture

Getting the
Most Out of
Lectures

Schedule in
breaks every
hour

Plan to study at
times when you
are alert &
motivated

Establish a nice,
comfortable
study place

Reward yourself
when you finish
a task

Presentations

Avoid
plagiarism.
Acknowledge
the original
author

Use Endnote or
similar software

Use the right

referencing
format for your
school or
department

Use transition
phrases to link
your & others
ideas

Identify authors
purpose,
perspective,
approach &
orientation

Read topic
sentence
(usually first) of
each body
paragraph

Identify any
weaknesses or
limitations in the
argument

Consider the
argument in
light of your
other reading &
experiences.
Does it make
sense?

Every 20
minutes, take a
short break (e.g.
roll shoulders,
look at ceiling)

Highlight,
underline, &
take notes
during full
reading of text

After reading the Evaluate the

text, ask
evidence
yourself, What
do I think of
what Ive just
read?

Take notes of key

information.
Write any
questions you
think of, as you
read

Find the
evidence to
support the
authors
argument

Critical Reading

Essential Study Skills, Third Edition Tom Burns and Sandra Sinfield, 2012 (SAGE)

Photocopiable:

Communicate
as much as
possible
always gain
consensus

Leave time to
finalise
assignment or
rehearse
together

Be respectful to
ALL group
members &
remain taskfocused

Turn up to ALL
meetings

Brainstorm so
that each person
has a task to do
before the next
meeting

Group Work

Effective
Reading

Find out & attend workshops in your College or University

Never go over
time. Allow time
for questions

Dont rush.
Speak slowly &
clearly

Make eye
contact, & use
gestures & voice
in a natural way

Repeat
important points

Summarise main Signpost your

ideas &
presentation.
conclusions
Use phrases like
Another
important point
is

Referencing

FIGURE 11J 10 top tips on academic learning

10

Focus. Identify
your time
wasters (TV,
surfing the net),
& manage them

Managing Your
Time

Submit on time

Follow
guidelines
regarding word
limit, due dates,
& submission
requirements

Revise, edit,
revise, & proof
read

Draft a thesis
statement &
write according
to your plan

Start writing a
draft as soon as
you have
something to
say

Successful
Assignments

Record the
lecture (with the
lecturers
permission)

Review your
notes. Make a
list of questions
you need to ask
about

Experiment with
concept maps &
other strategies
to organise
lecture material

Be an active
listener. Ask
yourself
questions, &
make notes
based on these
questions

Sit near the front

of the room to
help in your
concentration

Getting the
Most Out of
Lectures