Study Skills Survey ‘There are several interactive study skills checklists to which you can direct your students, ‘The following were live in March 2017, but you can easily search for alternatives. Try University websites as a good starting point. Study Skills Survey https:/ismaservt bu.edulstudyskills! Study Skills Survey hittp:/www.thps.org/studyskills/paget him Otherwise, try using the checklist below. Study Skills Checklist ‘What are your study habits? Review the checklist below and if you answer yes to two or more questions in any category, check out the corresponding heading for more information on how to improve your study skills in those areas. ime and scheduling: 1. I spend too much time studying for what I am learning 2. lusually spend hours cramming the night before an exam. 3. I'spend as much time on my social activities as | want to, | don’t have enough time left to study, or when I study enough, | don't have time for a social life. Concentration: 1. Lusually try to study with the radio and TV tured on. 2. can't sit and study for long periods of time without becoming tired or distracted. 3. Igo to class, but | usually doodle, daydream, or fall asleep. Listening & Notetaking: 1, My class notes are sometimes difficult to understand later, 2. Lusually seem to get the wrong material into my class notes. 3. I don't review my class notes periodically throughout the semester in preparation for tests, ror) PageEar geo ao Reading: 1. When | get to the end of a chapter, I can't remember what Ive just read. 2. | don't know how to pick out what is important in the text. 3. I can't keep up with my reading assignments, and then | have to cram the night before a test. 4, Loften find myself getting lost in the details of reading and have trouble identifying the main ideas. 5. rarely change my reading speed in response to the difficulty level of the selection, or my familiarity with the content. 6. loften wish that | could read faster. Exams: 4. [lose a lot of points on essay tests even when | know the material well. 2. I study enough for my test, but when I get there my mind goes blank. 3. Loften study in a haphazard, disorganized way under the threat of the next test, Writing Skil 1. When my teachers assign papers I feel so overwhelmed that | can't get started. 2. Lusually write my papers the night before they are due. 3. can't seem to organise my thoughts into a paper that makes sense. borers (ci rageAdvice about: ‘Time and Scheduling: 1. Have, maintain, and use a semester calendar to indicate when major projects will be due, exams will be given, and events will be held. Plan ahead to minimize the effect of "crunch" periods. 2. Keep and use a date book for appointments, meetings, classes, and errands. 3. Take time each week to review what is coming up the next week and plan time for doing assignments, projects, errands, etc. Ask yourself, "What are my goals for the week?" 4. Maintain an on-going list of things to do. Better yet, prioritize your "things to-do" according to their importance. 5. Use small bits of time effectively. In 15 minutes you can review, edit, and revise your notes from a recent lecture. Think about other ways to effectively use these ‘small bits of time between classes and meetings. Ask yourself, "What is the best use of my time right now?" 6. Know what times of day are best for you mentally and physically. Use that information to help you plan your time. 7. Handle each piece of paper once. Stop shuffling paper from one pile to the next. Make a decision about what to do with the paper, and do it. 8. Have a tough task to do? Do it now. Don't procrastinate. If the task looks overwhelming, use the swiss cheese principle: Bite off small holes in that block. 9. Take time for you: exercise, attend cultural activities, maintain healthy relationships, and get plenty of rest, otherwise, stress will mount and your quality of life will plummet. 10.Learn to say, "No! Concentration Location, Location, Location The study environment you choose can make the difference to how much accomplish during that study session. A bad study environment is distracting and takes away from your studies. A good study environment facilitates learning and allows you to make the best use of your allotted time, Factors to consider when picking a study environment: Lighting — there should be ample light to make reading and using a computer easy. ‘* Noise — the location you choose should have a low level of noise. Classical music has been shown to aid learning in some cases, but music can often be Pagel 1distracting. Talking is also generally distracting, so you want to minimise the amount of chatter you can hear from your study location. Possibility of interruption — you want to minimise the likelihood that you be interrupted. If you choose to study at home, you may want to turn off your ringer or put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door. Do NOT study in bed! The human body gets trained to behave in certain ways based on the environment itis in. When in bed, the environment is telling your body that itis, time to go to sleep, and you probably will. Variety and Movement To fight boredom and bumout, try varying your subjects. Spend 45 minutes to an hour on one then switch to another. Sometimes the changes of pace is all you need. Take a short break. Get a drink of water. Walk around a little. This can stimulate better blood circulation and help you concentrate for longer. Take some deep breaths. Breathe with your diaphragm. This allows more ‘oxygen into your system, which can help improve your concentration and leaming. Listening and Note Taking Active listening intentionally focuses on who you are listening to, whether in a group or one-to-one, in order to understand what he or she is saying. As the listener, you should then be able to repeat, in your own words, what they have said. This does not mean that you necessarily agree with the person, but rather that you understand what they have just said The external factors when listening: Subject complexity What do you think of the subject matter? Do you have a lot of experience and knowledge about this subject? it be hard to understand or easy? Is it important to you, or just for fun? ‘Speaker Is the speaker experienced or nervous? What are his or her non-verbal cues? What frame of mind is he or she in? How personable, threatening, intelligent, engaging etc does the speaker seem? Presentation Is the message illustrated with visuals or examples? Is technology used effectively? Are concepts introduced incrementally, with examples or in another way? Environment Is the space conducive to listening? Is the space conducive to interaction or exchange with the speaker? Are there avoidable distractions? Pagel 2What about you; The Listener? Prepare with a positive, engaged attitude: ‘+ Focus your attention on the subject ‘Stop ail non-relevant activities Review mentally what you already know about the subject and organise in advance relevant material in order to develop what you know further (eg previous lectures, TV programmes, newspaper articles, web sites, prior real life experience, etc) Avoid distractions (eg a window, a talkative neighbour, noise etc) Seat yourself appropriately close to the speaker ‘Acknowledge any emotional state you are in, and try to actively suspend your emotions until the lecture is over. Set aside any prejudices or opinions you might have. You are present to her the speaker, not the other way round Listen Actively ‘+ Focus on the person speaking «Follow carefully what the speaker is saying, with your ears, eyes and other senses + Be aware and acknowledge, non-verbally, points in the speech (eg by nodding or smiling). Let the argument run its course — don't agree or disagree, just encourage the speaker + Be involved — Actively respond to questions and directions. Use your body position (eg lean forward) and attention to encourage the speaker and signal your interest. One-to-One If itis appropriate, speak one-to-one with the speaker ‘+ Give them time and space to rest after talking Express appreciation for what they've said (eg that was very interesting) to build trust and encouraging dialogue Now, check if you have understood what the speaker has said. Restate key points ‘Ask questions to build understanding Reflect on your experience and give the speaker feedback If posing a question * Quickly express appreciation * Briefly summarise a point «Ask the relevant question Page 3Hf making a point + Quickly express appreciation ‘+ Briefly restate the relevant idea ‘+ State your idea, interpretation and reflection + Invite a response Continued Development ‘+ Summarise what you have learned ‘© Write out a summary with questions for further review Reading: Reading difficult material can be a matter of concentration or of simply organising the challenge into steps: + Choose a moderate amount of material or a chapter to begin + Geta grasp of how the material is organised: Scan the section for titles, heading, sub-heading, and topic sentences to get its genera ideas, pay attention to graphs, charts and diagrams. If there is a summary at the end of a chapter, read it. ‘Check the beginning and the end for leading questions and exercises Read first for what you do understand, and to determine difficulty. Mark what you do not understand to review later. As you read, practice the look-away method: + Periodically, look away from the text and ask yourself a question relating to the text «Respond or restate what the text says in your own words. Make connections and associations: «Look up words whose meaning are important to your understanding of the material ‘+ Read to the end — do not get discouraged and stop reading. Ideas can become clearer the more you read. When you finish reading, review to see what you have leamed, and reread those ideas that are not clear. © Organise your notes by connecting ideas you choose into an outline or concept map. Pay attention to relationships between ideas. Don't confine yourself to words! Use representations, graphics, pictures, colours to visualise and connect ideas. Use whatever techniques work to help you understand. Pagel 4At this point, if you're stil struggling to understand your reading, don't panic. Set the reading aside and read it again the next day. If necessary, repeat this process; it wll let your brain process the material, even whilst you're asleep. This is sometimes. called distributed reading. Ifthe reading is still a challenge, get help from your teacher or your classmates, Exams: ‘These suggestions might help you to prepare for tests: 1 PRON 2 Analyse how you did on similar tests in the past. Each test you take prepares you for the next one. ‘Arrive early for tests so you're calm and prepared when the test begins Keep a good attitude and remind yourself that you are going to do your best Read instructions on the test carefully to avoid careless mistakes If there is time, read the test so you have an overview. Scan for keywords. If permitted, jot down any notes that come to mind. Answer questions in a strategic order. You might start with easy questions first to build your confidence, then answer those with the highest point value. Review your answer if you have time. Resist the urge to leave when you complete the exam; check first if you have answered all the questions, then if you have made any errors. ‘Change answers to questions if you have made errors After the exam, review where you were successful and where you struggled, ‘Speak with your teacher or your peers. Writing Skis Writing, no matter the topic is, is a process: Establish your topic and then narrow and define it State your thesis of theme in a sentence of two at most Define your audience —is it your instructor? Your classmates? Someone else? ~ then keep your audience in mind when you write. Plan ahead Set a timeline and allow for unexpected developments Gather resources eg people: advice from your instructor, a librarian, subject matter expert etc references: text books, reference works, web sites, journals etc Research: Read, interview, experiment, gather data etc and take complete notes. Organise your notes and undertake a pre-writing exercise such as brain- storming, mapping or outlining your essay. Write your first, rough, draft. Page lSin a reasoned Determine how you will develop your argument; use good logi argument to develop the theme and/or support the thesis. Will you compare or define? Will you criticise or describe? Your First Paragraph Introduce the topic Inform the reader of your point of view Entice the reader to read the rest of the paper Focus on three main point to develop The first paragraph is often the most difficult to write. If you have trouble, just get it down with the intention of re-writing it later. Development Establish flow from paragraph to paragraph — use transition sentences, clauses, or words at the beginning of a paragraph to connect one idea to the next + Use topic sentences in each paragraph ‘* Make sure each paragraph develops a point — avoid one or two sentence paragraphs Write in the active voice eg He decided, rather than it was decided * Introduce, explain and cite each quote ‘+ Keep the primary focus of your essay in mind throughout + Don’t start summarising your work during the development phase Conclusion ‘+ Read your first paragraph and the development © Summarise © Conclude your argument «Refer to the first paragraph and the development * Briefly restate your main ideas * Reflect the succession of your argument ‘Logically conclude the development of your essay «Edit the first paragraph to better set your development and conclusion Now take a day or two off! Reread your paper with a fresh mind and a sharp pencil Read aloud — this might help you phrase parts of your essay more clearly — you could also read your essay to a friend or family member and get their feedback Check that your essay has fulfilled its primary purpose ~ have you answered the question? Is it suitable for your intended audience? ‘Adapted from hitps:/www.radford.edu/content/LARC/homelearning- ides/writing. html ‘Accessed May 2017 rage 6