ZEL 3115: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

STUDY SKILLS

a) What is studying
The process that one uses to understand, memorize/internalize and recall information
(Select, organize, memorize for recalling)
b) What are study skills
 Techniques one can use to undertake studies to help them study effectively
 The techniques to use in understanding the content of the subject being studied
 They are important for they:
o Improve learning for better grades
o Aid in understanding the material being studied
o Help one think about and plan the way to study
o Assist in how to prepare for and undertake exams
NB: Study skills need to be learnt and practiced besides just understanding them
c) The study process/The process of studying
 It entails a number of things, which must work together and function as a whole to achieve
the intended goal.
 There are aspects of the study process that you need to consider in order to undertake
effective university study. Some of them include the following:
a) Planning study time
 Time is the most valuable resource a student has
 However it is also one of the most wasted of resources
 If you do not plan your time you are likely to:
o Use too much time on one task and leave out no time or very little time for
other tasks
o Work less effectively because of lack of commitment
o Do easy tasks first postponing difficult ones
 When planning your time consider the following:
o The time available for the work
o The amount of work to be done
 To plan and use your time well you need to learn how to and develop a study timetable
or schedule
o Develop a schedule that meets your needs- you can revise it if necessary
o A schedule guides you in how to allocate the available time in the most
productive way possible (i.e. where it is needed) hence helping you save time
o Points to consider in developing a schedule
 Time for every unit/class
 Self study time
 Discussion group time
 Break time
 Rest time
NB: Break self study time into various tasks depending on what you are
studying
o Points to consider for the effective working of the schedule
 Keep to your schedule however hard it may be

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  Avoid wasting valuable time
 Don’t avoid studying however easy it is
b Choosing a place to study from (place of study)
 Endeavour to find a convenient place for studying that has the following characteristics
o A quiet place with enough air and light
o A place without distractions (newspaper, radio)
o A good physical environment (not near a window, facing the wall, with
comfortable upright chair)
(The library, lecture rooms, etc)
c When to study (time of study
 Varies from person to person
 Study when you are rested, alert and have planned for it
 Avoid last minute rushes
 Overall:
o Be physically fit
o Eat and sleep properly
o Take breaks (15-20 minutes) in between to relax after 1-2 hours
o Change activity when boredom sets in
d Method of study
 Read and make study notes (summarize, charts for remembrance)
 Think as you study – make an effort to recall and remember
 Understand don’t memorize. Only memorize what needs to be memorized
 Read widely- many sources on the same thing
 Formulate and answer questions
 Discuss what is not understandable with others
e Study or discussion groups
 Advantages:
o You are responsible for own work and can plan it as you wish
o Access and use limited resources e.g. text books as you share with others
o Learn from one another in a freer atmosphere
o Cover more work as a group than individual
 How to organize and manage one
o Take turns to organize, head and chair it
o Meet regularly
o Plan ahead- agree on what should be done next time in advance
o Every member should be committed
d) Note making/Making notes
 What are notes
They are written records of something that we would like to remember. This may be what
we have read, a lecture we have listened to, an interview we have attended or an
experience we have encountered.
 What is note making
It is a selective, critical and above all personal exercise. You only write down what you
consider important based on your understanding of the purpose of the lecture, reading,
interview or experience that you want to keep a record of.
 Why do you need to make notes as a student?

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 o As reminders
o To internalize ideas and express them in your own personal way
o To improve your attention to a speaker or what you are reading- helps be alert
 Characteristics of notes
o Sketchy in nature
o Short and brief
o Focused
o Straight to the point
o Unexplained
o Without argumentation and exemplification
o Presented or written in point form
o Uses abbreviations, symbols, acronyms etc.
 Note making strategies
o Choose the right materials to use to make your notes depending on convenience in
terms of the time, place and the length of time you are going to need the notes
o Always keep record of the reference books and the crucial information
(bibliographical information)
o Use your own words- paraphrase the actual information
o Analyze the material critically and select only those that seem to answer the
question you are discussing in your paper
o In revision for exams do the same. Think of possible questions on each topic and
organize your points from the notes in terms of their relevance in answering various
questions
 Filing notes
o Learn to keep notes logically
o Use dividers to separate notes from different units
o Use the same place to avoid losing some
o Decide on the method that suits your need: a file, note books, loose leaves etc
e) Preparing for and taking examinations
 Assessment is an intrinsic part of learning and teaching
 Tests and exams are sources of information since they give feedback during and after
courses
 The purpose of evaluation is to collect information systematically to indicate the worth of a
program to inform decision making both for the point of view of development and the end
product
 It is in an exam that you, as a student, is required to give your knowledge of the subject
under the test from what you have been taught and what you have read about the subject
 To do that it requires your:
o Memory- remembering
o Time – for revising for the exams
o Understanding of the question, materials you read etc
a Preparing for exams
 Undertake revision
o Plan for it by:
 Putting your time to good use (book worms, know your subject,
studying for long times may not help)

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  Undertaking it in good time before the exams start
 Being cautious that forgetting is human and hence making deliberate
efforts and attempts to remember
o What to review
 Lecture notes, study notes, relevant past exam papers
o How to revise
 Use short periods and take breaks
 Re-read to a minimum
 Plan an answer to a question by writing down main points
 Answer some past paper questions
 Have a revision timetable
o Have a timetable for all units you are taking in a semester
o Consider :
 Time available
 Subject length and difficulty
 Total number of units
 Your strength and weakness in each unit
o This will enable you to:
 Work out which units to concentrate on
 What time you will be under pressure to see how to handle that
 Be aware of the relative importance of each assessment aspect
 Plan your time and keep track of your progress
 Look for and be aware of any necessary information about assessment
o System of assessment for each course and part of each course (theory, practical)
o Are other courses more important than others?
o How and when are you going to be assessed
o What is the weight of each assessment and how important is it in the overall
assessment
o Are the exams:
 Supervised or not
 Sit in or take away
 Free answer or objective
 Open book or closed book.
 Examination program routine
o When they are held
o Their length in hours
o The kind of exam:
 Essay
 Objective
 computer or manually done and marked
o Design:
 number of sections
 number of questions in each section
 how many you must do
 any compulsory questions
o What areas do the exams cover (practical, theory, etc)
o Find out if previous exam papers are available
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  Grading
o Know the grading system of the units to know what your marks or grades mean
o A low grade may be due to:
 Wrong, little or irrelevant Information
 The information may be badly presentation
 Not answering the question
 Unclear and confused thinking
 Illogical arguments
 Own and other people’s ideas not clearly separated
 Arguments not supported with evidence (did not know, knew
but did not just use them)
 Unclear summary of arguments
 No definite conclusion given
NB: Assess your results and try to find out what went wrong and where and how
you can improve it. Consult your lecturer if need be.
 Remembering
o To prevent forgetting
o Revise: the soon after the learning the better
o The more frequent the revision the more slowly the forgetting takes place
(everyday, go over the main points in your mind)
o Organize and make the material systematic to remember easily (charts,
diagrams, rote memory etc)
o Make what you learn meaningful to you and organized in a systematic manner
to be able to remember and score well
o Reduce the amount, concentrate on main ideas don’t try to remember
everything
o Don’t waste time trying to remember what you do not understand
 Question analysis
o From past papers as you revise
o Look for
 Layout
 Instructions
 Content and form of questions
 Look for key words – the exam word
 Discuss
 Explain
 List
 Describe
 Define
 Give reasons
 Show
 Compare and contrast
 Writing practice
o Undertake it during revision to be able to answer exam questions with ease
b Taking exams
 Get up in plenty of time

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  Make sure that any equipment you need is in working condition and placed in a
strategic position that you can’t leave it behind in a rush
 Get to the exam room in plenty of time
 Make sure you have received the correct paper
 Check through the instructions carefully
 Be sure about the number of questions you have to do
 Tick the questions you intend to do
 Start with the easiest the difficult last
 Essay question: you can note down the points then organize them later)
 Do each question in full
 Watch your time
 Check your paper at the end and do some editing
 Present your work clearly and legibly
 Follow the exam etiquette to the letter (don’t leave the exam room with booklets, don’t
tear papers from the booklets, cheating, registration numbers, talking in the exam
room)
 Do not discuss the paper on leaving the exam room
 Relax till it is time to revise for the next exam
c Tackling questions
 Essay questions
o Write an outline of the answer – specific points to be discussed, logical order,
number of points and the time to use for each
o Get right to the answer without repeating the question
o Use clear language
o Do not give personal opinions unless asked
o Edit your work