Essential Study Skills PDF

Essential Study Skills Sarah Simpson Download free books at Sarah Simpson Essential Study Skills 2 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills 1st edition © 2015 Sarah Simpson & bookboon.com ISBN 978-87-403-1125-9...

Essential Study Skills Sarah Simpson Download free books at Sarah Simpson Essential Study Skills 2 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills 1st edition © 2015 Sarah Simpson & bookboon.com ISBN 978-87-403-1125-9 3 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Contents Contents 1 Introduction 9 1.1 Baseline / benchmark questions 9 2 Types of study 10 2.1 To gather information 10 2.2 To learn information 10 2.3 To check learning 10 2.4 To refresh 10 2.5 To improve learning skills 10 2.6 Main ways to improve learning skills 11 3 How do we learn? 12 3.1 Visual 12 3.2 Auditory 13 3.3 Kinaesthetic 15 3.4 VAK questionnaire 16 www.sylvania.com We do not reinvent the wheel we reinvent light. Fascinating lighting offers an infinite spectrum of possibilities: Innovative technologies and new markets provide both opportunities and challenges. An environment in which your expertise is in high demand. Enjoy the supportive working atmosphere within our global group and benefit from international career paths. Implement sustainable ideas in close cooperation with other specialists and contribute to influencing our future. Come and join us in reinventing light every day. Light is OSRAM 4 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com  Essential Study Skills Contents 4 Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics 20 4.1 Acrostics 20 4.2 Acronyms 22 4.3 Analogies 24 4.4 Mnemonics 25 5 Reading skills 27 5.1 Reading materials when studying 28 5.2 Speed reading 28 5.2.1 The speed reading method: 29 5.3 Skim Reading 29 5.4 Scanning 29 6 Condensing & summerising 360° 31. 6.1 Keywords 32 thinking 6.2 Tree structure 33 6.3 Spider diagrams 36 6.4 Mind maps 37 6.5 Concept maps 39 360° thinking. 360° thinking. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers Dis © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Discover the truth 5 at www.deloitte.ca/careers Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Essential Study Skills Contents 7 Cue methods 41 8 Note taking 42 8.1 Rewriting your notes method 42 8.2 Skeleton prose 42 8.3 The Cornell note taking system 43 9 Studying from books 46 9.1 PQRST 46 9.2 SQ3R 47 10 Prioritisation 50 10.1 The Traffic light Approach 50 11 Visual methods 53 11.1 Method of Loci 53 11.2 The Peg / Hook System 57 We will turn your CV into an opportunity of a lifetime Do you like cars? Would you like to be a part of a successful brand? Send us your CV on We will appreciate and reward both your enthusiasm and talent. www.employerforlife.com Send us your CV. You will be surprised where it can take you. 6 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Contents 12 Auditory methods 59 12.1 Pre-recording checklist 61 13 Don’t Miss Anything Out 62 13.1 The Black-Red-Green Method 62 13.2 PEE 62 13.3 The Seven Point Scale for Perfect Paragraphs 64 14 A General Study Strategy 65 14.1 ASPIRE Study Strategy method 65 15 Apps / web based study aids 67 15.1 General study 67 15.2 Flashcards 68 15.3 Scanning / photographic 69 15.4 Notes 70 15.5 Spidergram / mind maps / thought maps 70 15.6 Reading 71 15.7 Text to speech 72 15.8 Individual subjects 72 e Graduate Programme I joined MITAS because for Engineers and Geoscientists I wanted real responsibili www.discovermitas.com Maersk.com/Mitas e G I joined MITAS because for Engine I wanted real responsibili Ma Month 16 I was a construction Mo supervisor ina const I was the North Sea super advising and the No Real work he helping foremen advis International al opportunities Internationa ree wo work or placements ssolve problems Real work he helping fo International Internationaal opportunities ree wo work or placements ssolve pr 7 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Contents 16 Critical Reflective Learning Questions 74 17 Stop, Start, Continue 76 18 Summary 77 Appendix 1 78 8 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Introduction 1 Introduction We can describe study skills as “learning how to become a more effective learner”. They enable you to study and learn more efficiently, however, they do have to be practised and developed. During your lifetime of learning and study you will have to; learn, interpret, condense and recall huge amounts of information. Clearly the specific skill, tool or technique you will use will be determined by; your preferred learning method, topic of study, environment and the time frame you have available. This book will cover: the 5 types of study how we learn ways to read condensing, summarising and cue methods how to take notes & study from books prioritisation visual & auditory techniques how to ensure you don’t miss anything out how to prioritise general study strategy app and web based systems and information Some of these methods may be familiar to you, whilst others will not. 1.1 Baseline / benchmark questions In order to get a picture of your ‘starting point’ please answer the following questions. We will revisit these at the end of the book as part of your critical reflective learning. 1. How do you currently study? 2. Do you feel confident / competent in utilising a range of study skills and techniques? 3. Do you know / have an idea about which method is most effective for your learning? for example visual (seeing), auditory (speaking & hearing) and kinaesthetic (doing) 4. How would you condense your notes? 5. How do you study from your books? 6. Can you / do you recognise how to prioritise your notes? 7. Are you able to adapt your style to the type of text you are reading? 8. Do you know what apps and web based study aids are currently available? 9. What do you want to get out of this book? 9 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Types of study 2 Types of study There are 5 main types or reasons to study. In practice you will probably combine elements of all of these. 2.1 To gather information -- formulating a complete set of notes method: identify the information you need to learn organise, condense and record this information in a format that promotes your learning verify the completeness & accuracy of your notes 2.2 To learn information -- moving information from short to long term memory method: repeated recitations of material flashcards – ‘hard copy / paper based’ or app / web based recall everything you can based on a keyword place incorrect recalls in one pile and correctly recalled ones in another 2.3 To check learning -- identify what has and has not been learned. This type of study requires a way to self-test method – for the material you think you have learned: look at the main point only and recite / write everything you know check for accuracy if you recall accurately and completely 1st time you could consider this material learned if you recall incorrectly or incompletely you know the material has not been learned fully 2.4 To refresh -- prevents you from forgetting and requires regular review and reciting method: prevent ‘fading’ of knowledge through regular material review you could do this independently or as part of a study group if you are an auditory learner, re-listen to your material 2–3 time per week 2.5 To improve learning skills -- this is the most underdeveloped learning skill students possess method: critically reflect on each test / exam to evaluate your study technique identify which study methods (e.g. diagrams, flashcards, recital, mnemonics, visual techniques) result in the correct recall of information and vice versa modify study skills that result in low scores / grades 10 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Types of study 2.6 Main ways to improve learning skills There are 4 main ways in which you can improve your learning skills. You should apply critical reflective learning to measure and assess how effective a given method of studying is for you. Your grades and how you feel all combine to provide you with an individualised study aid tool kit. break down the effectiveness of your learning skills by identifying: answers that were answered completely – ask yourself ‘what learning skills were used here?’ answers that were incorrect or where you lost points – ask yourself ‘what learning skills were used here?’ Modify / replace learning skills that resulted in lost points Use all the available resources you have access to, for example: study groups app / web based systems lecturers audio options the tools and techniques in this book 11 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? 3 How do we learn? Neil Fleming (1987) suggested that people learn through a mixture of: visual – seeing auditory – hearing kinaesthetic – doing The theory behind this model is that most people will have a dominant or preferred learning style. It is worthwhile noting however that some people will have a blend of all three. If you want to test your own style there are many free versions available online, or you can complete the one I have put in section 3.4. 3.1 Visual Visual learners… element description learn by… seeing think in… pictures. Vivid images help visual learner to retain information they are good at… puzzles, writing, charts, graphs, pictures, visual metaphors etc. 12 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? Study skill options for visual leaners include: note taking using – charts and diagrams highlighting information colour coding and organisation of information and notes converting words into pictures visual ‘pathways’ e.g. Method of Loci / Peg System (see section 11) 3.2 Auditory Auditory learners… element description learn by… listening think in… words they are good at… remembering the written word, speaking, listening, storytelling, teaching, writing Study skill options for auditory learners include: recording & replaying notes reciting information out loud using analogies – verbal taking part in group study discussions 13 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? STUDY AT A TOP RANKED no.1 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL nine years in a row Reach your full potential at the Stockholm School of Economics, in one of the most innovative cities in the world. The School is ranked by the Financial Times as the number one business en ed school in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Sw Stockholm Visit us at www.hhs.se 14 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? 3.3 Kinaesthetic Kinaesthetic learners… element description learn by… doing, touch & movement think in… activity they are good at… hands on elements, physical activity (including coordination), acting, building, crafts Study skill options for kinaesthetic learners include: making models using diagrams and visual condensing methods reciting whilst counting on fingers remembering or recalling whilst moving around e.g. whilst walking or running some kinaesthetic learners prefer to study with music NB Kinaesthetic learners may find it hard to sit still for long periods of time and may get distracted. 15 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? 3.4 VAK questionnaire In order to get an idea of your learning style(s), please complete the questionnaire and scoring system below. You may have a dominant style, or a combination of all three. Answer: all the questions each with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as honestly as possible 16 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? number question yes no 1 When you are describing a party/holiday to a friend, do you describe the music, sounds and noise you experienced? 2 Do you use your hands when you speak? 3 To keep up with the news/sport, do you prefer the radio or TV rather than reading a newspaper? 4 When you use a computer, do you find the visual prompts useful, e.g. the icons/pictures in the tool bars, highlights and underlines, etc.? 5 When you have to take down information, do you prefer drawing diagrams and pictures to writing notes? 6 When you play noughts and crosses or draughts, can you picture the ‘o’ and ‘x’ or counters in different positions? 7 Do you like to take objects apart and repair things, e.g. your bike, engines, etc.? 8 When you are trying to remember the spelling of a word, do you tend to jot it down a few times in different ways until you find the one which looks right? 9 When you are learning something new, do you like spoken instructions, talks and/or lectures? 10 Do you like making things? 11 When using a computer, do you find the bleeps and sounds useful to tell you that you have done something wrong or to show when you have finished something? 12 When you revise/study or are learning something new, do you like to use diagrams and/or pictures? 13 Are you quick and efficient at copying information down? 14 If something is said to you, do you usually remember it, without it being repeated? 15 In your spare time do you like doing something physically active e.g. sport, walking, gardening, etc.? 16 When you have spare time, do you like to listen to music? 17 When you are looking at a shop display, do you prefer to look around peacefully on your own? 18 Do you find it easier to remember people’s names than their faces? 19 When you spell, do you usually have to write the word down? 20 Do you like to be able to move around when you are working? 21 Do you learn to spell by saying the words out loud? 22 When you are describing a party/holiday to a friend, do you describe what people looked like, what they were wearing and the colours? 23 When starting a new task, do you like to get on and do something straight away? 24 Do you learn well by watching someone demonstrate a particular skill? 25 Does saying things out loud help you to learn? 26 Do you like showing people how to do something as opposed to writing a series of instructions? 27 Do you like role play and acting things out? 17 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? 28 Do you prefer to go out and about to find information rather than sitting in the library or at your PC? 29 When you visit a shop, do you enjoy talking about the items on display, and listening to the comments of others? 30 Do you find it easy to follow a map? 31 Do you feel that one of the best ways to appreciate goods in a shop is to be able to reach out and touch them? 32 When you read a story or an article in a magazine do you picture the scene in your mind? 33 Do you tend to hum, or talk to yourself, when completing tasks? 34 Do you look at the pictures in magazines before deciding what to read? 35 When you are planning a new journey, do you like to talk to someone to find out where to go? 36 Have you always found it difficult to stay still for long and prefer generally to be active? Please see the next page for scoring. Remember, many people have a dominant style, but you will probably use a combination of all three when learning and studying. 18 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills How do we learn? Circle the questions you said YES to… 4 1 2 6 3 5 8 9 7 12 11 10 13 14 15 17 16 19 22 18 20 24 21 23 26 25 27 30 29 28 32 33 31 34 35 36 total circled (out of 12) total circled (out of 12) total circled (out of 12) VISUAL SCORE AUDITORY SCORE KINAESTHETIC SCORE 19 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics 4 Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics These 4 methods are often confused, but I don’t actually think this is an issue as long as the method is right for you. But for the purposes of this book we will go through the differences and specifics of each. All four of these methods condense information into something that is memorable, which could be; letters, poems, text or images (in the case of visual analogies). The key is to ensure the condensing method you use is one that can be easily recalled. Therefore, try a variety of methods and see which one(s) work best for you. You could also look online as many people post ones that work for them. 4.1 Acrostics An acrostic is an invented sequence of letters that helps you remember a poem or other text. The first letter gives you the clue to the information you need to remember or recall. The best way to explain this is to show you some examples. 20 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics Example 1 – to memorise the planets:    Example 2 – G-clef notes on a music sheet Example 3 I have included this example as it was one that my maths teacher taught me when I was 12 and that was an awfully long time ago! But I still remember it to this day and have passed it onto my children. And this is the point with all of these techniques, they must be memorable and easy to recall in both a short and long term situation. 21 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics 4.2 Acronyms An acronym is an invented combination of letters, which is pronounced as single word. Each letter is a cue or suggestion to the item you need to remember. As we did earlier I will explain acrostics further using some examples. The first example is IPMAT, the stages of cell-division. The invented word is IPMAT and as you can see each letter of this word gives you the first letter of the 5 stages of cell development 22 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics Our next example is BEDMAS, which gives you the right order of maths (or math) operations. Excellent Economics and Business programmes at: “The perfect start of a successful, international career.” CLICK HERE to discover why both socially and academically the University of Groningen is one of the best places for a student to be www.rug.nl/feb/education 23 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics Our final example is one to remember the Great lakes of the USA. Acronyms can often be confused with initialism in which words are shortened to their starting letters – for example DVD or FBI. But as I said before it doesn’t really matter what you call it as long as it works for you! 4.3 Analogies Analogies are comparisons between unlike things that have some particular things in common. Examples would include: the human eye is like a camera a heart is like a pump sound waves are like the circular ripples that spread from a stone dropped in water A visual way of representing these three would be… 24 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics              Analogies often begin with such phrases as: “It’s just like…” “It’s the same as…” “Think of it as…” Analogies enhance and enliven descriptions, express thoughts and ideas more clearly and precisely and help connect new concepts to things that are already familiar. 4.4 Mnemonics Mnemonics are techniques for remembering information that is otherwise quite difficult to recall. A very simple example is the ‘30 days hath September’ rhyme for remembering the number of days in each calendar month. 25 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Acrostics, acronyms, analogies & mnemonics A lot of the information we need to remember and recall is in the form of printed or written words. This can often be difficult to encode and remember when compared to other stimuli such as; images, colours, sounds, touch, emotions and language. The three fundamental principles that underly mnemonics are: imagination association location If you can use and apply a combination of these three principles you can create a powerful study system. So, lets have a look at each of these three elements in greater detail. 4.4.1 Imagination This is what you use to create and strengthen the associations needed to create effective mnemonics that are potent for you. The more strongly you imagine and visualise a situation, the more effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. The imagery you use in your mnemonics can be as vivid as you like, as long as it helps you to remember. 4.4.2 Association This is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a way of remembering it. You can create associations by: Placing things on top of each other. Crashing things together. Merging images together. Wrapping them around each other. Rotating them around each other or having them dancing together. Linking them using the same colour, smell, shape, or feeling. 4.4.3 Location This gives you two things; a coherent context into which you can place information so that it hangs together, as well as a way of separating one mnemonic from another. For example setting one mnemonic in a particular town can separate it from a similar mnemonic set in a city. You can build the atmosphere of these places into your mnemonics to strengthen the feeling and clarity of each location. 26 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Reading skills 5 Reading skills To be a really effective reader you need to be able to vary your style depending on your material and it is likely that you already do this instinctively to some extent. Ask yourself how you would read: a blockbuster novel a newspaper a poem an instruction manual When reading for pleasure you may read quickly, with few breaks and without worrying about having to recall details later. On the other hand, when consulting an instruction manual you may read only one or two paragraphs, but you read them very carefully, making sure you understand all the details. When reading complex material, since your objective is to understand it as well as possible, you will need to adapt your reading style to this purpose. In the past four years we have drilled 89,000 km That’s more than twice around the world. Who are we? We are the world’s largest oilfield services company1. Working globally—often in remote and challenging locations— we invent, design, engineer, and apply technology to help our customers find and produce oil and gas safely. Who are we looking for? Every year, we need thousands of graduates to begin dynamic careers in the following domains: n Engineering, Research and Operations n Geoscience and Petrotechnical n Commercial and Business What will you be? careers.slb.com 1 Based on Fortune 500 ranking 2011. Copyright © 2015 Schlumberger. All rights reserved. 27 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Reading skills To become a flexible reader, you need to know how to select and use a reading style that is consistent with your purpose for reading. There are three important reading styles you should learn to use and each one has its own purpose – speed reading, skim reading and scanning. Knowing when and how to use these three reading styles will make you a flexible reader. 5.1 Reading materials when studying When studying there will be many different types of material that you will need to assimilate, which could include: course materials books images audio ‘files’ / clips virtual learning materials DVD / videos journals online resources your own notes The above sources of study material are usually found in 5 main themes; core, texts, suggested reading, course materials and finally other sources which may include your additional research and assignment bibliographies / references. 5.2 Speed reading If you find it difficult to concentrate and your mind wanders when you’re studying, you could consider reading faster! If you read too slowly your thoughts can wander off on a tangent. You can easily train yourself to read more quickly, although it takes practise. To improve your reading speed you should practice: not reading every word not reading ‘aloud’ in your head reading in ‘fixation’ blocks 28 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Reading skills 5.2.1 The speed reading method: relax focus use a ruler or index card to guide your eyes down the page of text, line by line, or, just run the end of a pen under each line move the pen, ruler or card smoothly across/down the page, and force your eyes to keep up ensure you don’t fixate on each and every word You will be surprised how much you take in using this approach! 5.3 Skim Reading A skimming style is most useful when you have to read a large amount of material in a short amount of time. When using the skimming style, you should identify the main ideas in each paragraph and ignore the supportive details. Because you are looking only for the main idea in each paragraph you read, a lower level of comprehension is to be expected than if you were using a more in-depth strategy. The aim of skim reading is to get the general idea, gist or overview of a texts content. The aim of this method is not to have a detailed understanding of the text. This approach is highlighted by the famous Woody Allen quote… “I read War and Peace…it’s about Russia!” 5.3.1 The Skimming method get an overview of the text through the contents page read the first and least sentence of each chapter, section or paragraph to see where the text is going and what it’s covering. 5.4 Scanning Scanning is what you do when you read very quickly for a specific piece information within a larger amount of material. Since you know exactly what you are looking for, move your eyes quickly over the reading material until you locate the specific piece of information you need to find. An example would be when looking up a number in a phone book. You can use headings and titles and formatting clues – for example bold or indented text to help you hone in on what you’re looking for. 29 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Reading skills So in summary before you begin your next reading assignment, identify your purpose for reading. Decide if you are reading for a high level of comprehension, trying to get a general idea about what you are reading, or looking for specific information. Then use the reading style that is most appropriate for your reading purpose. Remember, if you are an auditory leaner you may wish to read out aloud or record your notes. 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The 5 main methods that we will be looking at in this section are: keywords tree structure spider diagrams mind maps concept maps 31 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising 6.1 Keywords Keywords help with memory recall by condensing large amounts of information into a single word or short phrase that is easy to remember. The key to success is to pick a word that unlocks a large amount of information. Don’t be tempted to highlight too much text. We have all seen, or will have done it ourselves where nearly all the page has been highlighted and we believe everything is important!. 32 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising 6.1.1 Keywords methods read a sentence ask yourself “does it have a key word”? if no read the next sentence, if yes, highlight it or write it down repeat this process for the entire page / notes cover up your full notes and use your keywords only to write down what you can remember – this will show you how effective your keywords are check for effectiveness; immediately, after a few days and after a week to really test your method 6.2 Tree structure Tree structures or diagrams allow us to see all the possible outcomes of an event and calculate their probability. Each branch in a tree diagram represents a possible outcome Types of tree diagram include: relationships family / history tree fault tree organisational chart work breakdown structure – for example with that seen in project management Here are some visual images of tree diagrams… 33 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising Family tree Organisational chart 34 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising A fault / cause & effect tree Join the best at Top master’s programmes 3  3rd place Financial Times worldwide ranking: MSc the Maastricht University International Business 1st place: MSc International Business School of Business and 1st place: MSc Financial Economics 2nd place: MSc Management of Learning Economics! 2nd place: MSc Economics 2nd place: MSc Econometrics and Operations Research 2nd place: MSc Global Supply Chain Management and Change Sources: Keuzegids Master ranking 2013; Elsevier ‘Beste Studies’ ranking 2012; Financial Times Global Masters in Management ranking 2012 Maastricht University is the best specialist university in the Visit us and find out why we are the best! Netherlands (Elsevier) Master’s Open Day: 22 February 2014 www.mastersopenday.nl 35 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising 6.3 Spider diagrams For essay writing in particular, there is a huge benefit in having a bird’s-eye view of your subject matter. This allows you to look over all that could be said and pick out the most relevant parts, while leaving plenty of mental space for the crafting of a comprehensive and well considered argument. Spider diagrams are an excellent tool for creating an overview and remembering it crisply. They help distil complex topics onto a single memorable page by using a branching spatial organisation, colour and images. 36 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising The two primary reasons that spider diagrams are such a powerful tool are; that they are memorable and that the addition of colours, pictures, and simple keywords creates a spatial structure and image that is easy for your memory to explore. (add colours, pictures and images to make it more memorable) 6.4 Mind maps Mind maps help you to generate ideas and make associations. They are a powerful memory aid in an examination because they are visual in nature and show the relationships between component topics within an overall subject area. 37 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising To create a mind map, start in the centre of a page with an idea or heading representing your main idea or central theme. You then create branches out from the central idea, each branch representing a sub- theme. Each sub-theme can then be subdivided, as appropriate. > Apply now redefine your future AxA globAl grAduAte progrAm 2015 - © Photononstop axa_ad_grad_prog_170x115.indd 1 19/12/13 16:36 38 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising This technique has a number of advantages: it enables you to see a large amount of information / thought processing on one page your central idea is clearly stated in the middle of the page you can show connections between key concepts additional information can be added easily the open ended nature of the pattern means that you may be able to make new connections 6.5 Concept maps Our final condensing or summarising method is the concept map. This is a way of representing relationships between ideas images or words in the same way that a road map represents the locations of highways and towns, or a circuit diagram would show the workings of an electrical appliance. In a concept map, each word or phrase connects to another, and links back to the original idea, word, or phrase. As such they are a way to develop logical thinking and study skills by revealing connections and helping you see how individual ideas form a larger picture. Concept maps were developed to enhance meaningful learning in the sciences. A well-made concept map forms from a clearly defined “focus question”. Research has shown that because concept maps are constructed to reflect organisation of the declarative memory system, they facilitate meaningful learning for those who create and use them. 39 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Condensing & summerising In Summary then the five main methods of summarising or condensing information are: keywords tree diagrams spider diagrams mind and concept maps It’s going to be down to personal preference as well as what kind of information you are trying to condense as to which method you use. But, you may well find yourself using a combination of 2 or more methods – for example highlighting key words on a mind map. I mentioned earlier turning keywords into flash or cue cards and this is what we will look at in the next section. 40 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Cue methods 7 Cue methods The most widely used cue method is the flashcard. Nowadays these can be electronic in nature and there are many apps or sites where these can be created or downloaded (see section 15), although of course the ‘traditional’ index card style approach is just as beneficial. Which ever method you use the principle is the same: they are a two sided (or virtual two-sided) aid one side contains a cue, question, concept or even image the other side the ‘answer’ or expansion One of the primary reasons for their success is they require active recall and each time this is practiced you force your brain to remember or recall information. Below are 2 examples of cue cards showing carbohydrates and Pythagoras Theory – the blue side being side one and green being side two. Remember to see section 15 for app based systems. 41 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Note taking 8 Note taking Lecturers will often place great emphasis on the information they provide in class when they design tests. The result is that that your class notes are a vital resource when studying for a test. Therefore, it is important that your notes are complete and accurate. The best way to be certain that your class notes are complete and accurate is to review them later that day while the information is still fresh in your mind. As you rewrite them you should correct any errors, fill in any gaps and add any additional or supporting information as required. A ‘side’ benefit from rewriting your class notes is that it reinforces the information helping you to remember and recall it more effectively. 8.1 Rewriting your notes method re-read your class notes two or three times before beginning to rewrite them, so that you have the ‘big picture’ in your mind re-write your class notes in format that shows the connections and relationships between topics, concepts and key terms ensure what you have written makes sense and you understand it ascertain that the information you wrote in your class notes is consistent with any corresponding information in supporting textbooks look for additional sources of information that will give you greater insight consider changing any abbreviations and symbols into complete words and statements highlight the most important words and concepts make a note of any questions you think you may need to ask your lecturer in order to clarify or expand your thinking This is all very well, but, what you really need is a way of taking really effective notes at the time rather than having to re-write them. The two main ways you can do this are by using the Skeleton Prose and Cornell Note Taking Methods. 8.2 Skeleton prose This is the most common form of note taking. Notes are structured as a sequence of numbered points and paragraphs, with headings and indentations which resembles an essay plan. It is a useful technique for books or articles where arguments are static and built up slowly and sequentially. The negatives of a skeleton prose are that they: are difficult to add to or amend do not indicate the relationship or connection between different parts of the argument easy to fall into the trap of coping text verbatim 42 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Note taking 8.3 The Cornell note taking system This method of note taking was devised for students at Cornell University in the USA and has been publicised through Walter Pauk’s books on study skills for University education. It provides you with a structured, common-sense way of making sure that you take clear notes, engage with them actively and have accurate material from which you can study or revise. It prevents you from having to laboriously recopy your notes when revising or studying – a so called ‘do it right first time’ method. 8.3.1 The advantages The advantages and benefits of this note taking method can be summarised as: it provides a clear set of condensed key ideas it can be used in lectures you are able to engage with the material which helps recall that information at a later date your notes provide an invaluable resource when preparing for and revising for exams or further study Need help with your dissertation? Get in-depth feedback & advice from experts in your topic area. Find out what you can do to improve the quality of your dissertation! Get Help Now Go to www.helpmyassignment.co.uk for more info 43 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Note taking 8.3.2 The method Prior to the lecture: on a A4 sheet of paper create a summary space along the bottom draw a vertical line through the remaining sheet so you have 2 sections – the left hand side being a third of the space of the right label the left section keywords & questions label the right section notes Consider having these sheets pre-printed as a blank template so can always have with you, or as an electronic document, for example word or pages. Additionally you can do any pre-reading around the topic under consideration / discussion. During the lecture record your notes in the right hand column – you are not aiming to write everything, but rather arguments, general ideas, facts etc. if you use abbreviations ensure you can recall these after the event leave spaces so you can add to your notes or amend then afterwards 44 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Note taking After the lecture and preferably within 24 hours: read through your notes and add or amend anything produce a summary in the space you created along the bottom of the page write down key words and ideas in the left and column and turn these into a set of questions cover up your right hand column notes and test yourself as to how well you can answer the questions you composed Brain power By 2020, wind could provide one-tenth of our planet’s electricity needs. Already today, SKF’s innovative know- how is crucial to running a large proportion of the world’s wind turbines. Up to 25 % of the generating costs relate to mainte- nance. These can be reduced dramatically thanks to our systems for on-line condition monitoring and automatic lubrication. We help make it more economical to create cleaner, cheaper energy out of thin air. By sharing our experience, expertise, and creativity, industries can boost performance beyond expectations. Therefore we need the best employees who can meet this challenge! The Power of Knowledge Engineering Plug into The Power of Knowledge Engineering. Visit us at www.skf.com/knowledge 45 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Studying from books 9 Studying from books There are two main ways you can study from books, namely the PQRST & SQ3R methods. Both of these methods of studying focus on the key information in books. Its unique approach is that it prioritises information using a method that directly relates to how you will be asked to use that information in an exam. 9.1 PQRST PQRST stands for: Preview Question Read Summary Test P is for Preview Look at the topic you need to learn by skimming over the main headings and points. Q is for Question Formulate questions that could be asked. R is for Read Re-read all the material, concentrating on the information that best relates to the questions you formulated in the previous step (Q is for Question). S for the Summary Summarise your topic in your own words. You could use any of the condensing and summarising methods we have already covered. T is for Test Using the questions you developed earlier answer each one in turn. Ensure you pick a whole range of questions and not just the ones that you find easy to answer! 46 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Studying from books 9.1.1 The benefits of PQRST The PQRST method ensures: information is studied in a way that directly relates to questions that may be asked the method can be adapted to any subject allows you to practice how to time your answers you can potentially preempt the questions you will be asked 9.2 SQ3R A second method you can use when studying from books is the SQ3R. This 5 step technique stands for: Survey Question Read Recall Review S is for Survey Start big and then go small – survey the whole book, then the chapters and finally the paragraphs. Also look at the titles, headings, and subheadings, picture captions, charts, graphs or maps, introductory and concluding paragraphs and any summaries. The aim of this is to get the general ‘gist’ of the material. Q is for Question By questioning the text you turn it from an passive activity to an active one. Ask yourself: why are you reading this and what is it’s purpose? what do you already know? what do you want to know? what is new or interesting about this material? does this support / supplement / contradict what I already know? Try converting the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions. Examples of questions you could ask include: What do I already know about this subject? How does this chapter relate to the assignment question? How can I relate what I read to my own experiences? 47 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Studying from books R is for Read After questioning you will be ready for the main activity of reading. This involves careful consideration of what the author is trying to convey and involves being critical as well as active. firstly skim read concentrating on the main ideas and general text structure secondly read again to make notes on the key points look for answers to the questions you raised in ‘Q is for Questions’ make sure you re-read any parts which are not clear R is for Recall It doesn’t matter how interesting (or not!) the text is, you must make a concerted effort to recall what you read. Failure to do so will result in information being forgotten. Recalling also provides you with the opportunity to think about and assimilate what you have just read keeping the process active. Ask yourself “can I recall all the key facts without re-reading the text”? Try and answer questions about what you have read and/or try and summarise what you have read. This summary should be in your own words and you should consider highlighting key words and points. Also consider using a variety of senses in order to recite and recall. Seeing, hearing and saying is known as triple strength learning, whereas quadruple strength consists of; seeing, hearing, saying and writing. 48 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Studying from books R is for Review The final step in the SQ3R method is to review the material that you have recalled in your notes. Ask yourself: did you understand the main principles of the argument? did you identify all the main points? are there any gaps? Double check you haven’t missed anything of importance. There is sometimes a temptation to ‘miss out’ pieces of information and associated questions that cover areas we do not enjoy or we find hard! 9.2.1 SQ3R plan Below is a sample 7 day plan for using the SQ3R method that you might like to use. Remember it can be and indeed should be adapted for your own individual needs. day 1 read the text formulate potential questions day 2 review the important points you have highlighted answer the questions you formulated on day 1 make cue / flash cards – you could do this for all the questions, or just those you find difficult condense / summarise any other information using one of the methods described in the previous sections days three, four and five Alternate between your condensing method and notes and test yourself (orally or in writing) on the questions you formulated. Add additional condensed material if required days six & seven list the topics and subtopics each chapter / ‘chunk’ of information contains create a ‘map’ for each element You will now have a summary of the whole book / lecture note. 49 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Prioritisation 10 Prioritisation When studying a common pitfall people fall into is setting out to learn everything in the order in which is was presented or delivered. However, for a variety of reasons which could include time constraints, fatigue or sheer volume of material this may not be possible, or as you will see, even desirable. So, we need a method of separating what is essential you know, i.e. what is likely to make up the majority of your exam marks, from what would be great to know if you had unlimited time and energy. One such method is the traffic light approach. 10.1 The Traffic light Approach Green: Take a green pen and mark everything that is essential to know for your exam. These topics should be studied first and will allow you to progress to the less number of amber and red topics. These green areas are often found first on a syllabus and may be the easiest concepts to learn but also the easiest to underestimate. 50 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Prioritisation Amber: Take an orange, gold, or even yellow pen and label everything that is either essential to know or is not too time consuming to learn. These items will form the mainstay of your learning and range from topics leading from the green to the red range of topics. 51 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Prioritisation Red: Take a red pen and label everything you would want to know if you had unlimited time and energy. Red topics should never be studied at the expense of the essential green and desired amber topics. Red topics would include overly complicated ideas and subjects that may add one or two marks but will cost you a great deal of time and focus. By focusing on green and amber topics those that seemed red at the start may become more amber as time goes on. This colour system visually reminds you to get moving and motivated on green topics and discourages wasting time on red ones. Additionally it provides a progressive learning system that is logical and less likely to become ‘bogged’ down in the minutiae. 52 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Visual methods 11 Visual methods Visual study methods allow you to not only condense large amounts of info but the potential colours and images you can use provide a different sensory experience to text alone. We have seen this in previous sections for example in the case of spidergrams, mind maps, trees and concepts. In this section we will look at two other visual ways of studying and remembering information using familiar places and the neural building of a pathway and story. The first is The Method of Loci and for those of you who have watched Benedict Cumberbach in Sherlock Holmes, this is the method he uses in his ‘mind place’. It can also be seen in Elementary and Hannibal. The second method is that of The Peg or Hook System. 11.1 Method of Loci The loci strategy was developed by the ancient Greeks and the word loci comes from the plural of locus, which means place. The principle of this strategy is that it is based on a familiar place, such as your home and helps you remember lists of items through organization, visualization, and association. It is particularly beneficial if you are good at picturing things in your mind. Challenge the way we run EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF FULL ENGAGEMENT… RUN FASTER. RUN LONGER.. READ MORE & PRE-ORDER TODAY RUN EASIER… WWW.GAITEYE.COM 1349906_A6_4+0.indd 1 22-08-2014 12:56:57 53 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Visual methods 11.1.2 The Method of Loci steps: identify a place you are familiar visualise that place and all of its features associate each item that you need to remember with a particular feature of your place. It is worthwhile noting that the more unusual the association you make the more likely you are to remember it practice mentally ‘walking around’ your place and test how good your associations are and how well you can recall the information required The best way to explain this in greater detail is by showing you a couple of examples. One a random list and another that is connected. 54 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Visual methods 11.1.3 Examples of the Method of Loci Example 1 – remembering 5 random items; pigeon, clown, lemon, ants, puddle. In this example the familiar place will be the kitchen. So, my pathway could be as follows: 1. I walk into my kitchen 2. a pigeon lands on the table 3. sat at the table is a clown drinking lemonade 4. in front of him is a piece of bread covered in ants and behind him the sink is overflowing creating a puddle on the floor In this second example we will see how you can use this method to remember connected and not random information. This example uses one we looked at earlier in acrostics and it is the order of planets. So, as with the first example you would need to set this somewhere that is familiar to you – and your pathway might be…you see a Mercury thermometer in the mouth of Venus, who is balancing a football shaped Earth on her head. On the floor is a Mars bar wrapper that has been dropped by Phil Jupitus (Jupiter), he is wearing a hat made of Saturn’s rings. You then turn round to see a chair in the shape of the Uranus symbol which Neptune sits. 55 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Visual methods 11.1.4 Top tips The Method of Loci is particularly powerful when relating pieces of information that are not easy connected. It does however, require an initial intensive period to practice the method and establish what kinds of visuals work for you. This e-book is made with SETASIGN SetaPDF PDF components for PHP developers www.setasign.com 56 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Visual methods So, I have compiled a list of top tips below to help should you choose to give this method a go: give yourself time to practice – it’s not going to come straight away, especially if visual learning isn’t ‘your thing’ really focus on the place you are using. Immerse yourself in everything about it – this is a highly active not passive journey you may find it easier to use familiar items and connections to start with and then progress to more obscure connections later a boring image is not going to work, it needs to be as emotionally and visually stimulating as possible consider using things other than images. By utilising all of your senses you are more likely to create something memorable and repeatable. So, consider smells and noises as well If you take my full online course you will see the Method of Loci step by step as a ‘talking head’ video – https://www.udemy.com/essential-study-skills-strategies-for-ultimate-success/?couponCode=bookboon 11.2 The Peg / Hook System This method works by associating the numbers 1 to 10 with words that rhyme. You can then associate these words with the information you need to remember. So, lets explain this in a little more detail. Here you can see examples of words that rhyme with numbers 1–10. Remember the words you choose will be different depending on your accent. 57 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Visual methods 11.2.1 Example of The Peg System As with the Method of Loci above, let’s have a look at an example so I can show you the peg system in operation. If you wanted to remember that the Earth is the Third planet, you could visualise a image of Earth with a tree on top. Tree rhymes with 3 therefore this visual image helps you to recall that the Earth is the third planet. Now we have looked at visual methods of studying, lets move on to auditory ones. 58 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Auditory methods 12 Auditory methods We saw earlier in section 3 that people learn through a mixture of: visual – seeing auditory – hearing kinaesthetic – doing www.sylvania.com We do not reinvent the wheel we reinvent light. Fascinating lighting offers an infinite spectrum of possibilities: Innovative technologies and new markets provide both opportunities and challenges. An environment in which your expertise is in high demand. Enjoy the supportive working atmosphere within our global group and benefit from international career paths. Implement sustainable ideas in close cooperation with other specialists and contribute to influencing our future. Come and join us in reinventing light every day. Light is OSRAM 59 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Auditory methods In this section we will look at auditory methods in greater detail.  You could learn from listening to: module summaries revision key points of notes language – if studying vocabulary another student your tutor audio books podcasts ‘spoken’ PDF files – there are various app available for this purpose You could also record your own notes on: heldheld devises – dictaphone, phone your computer plug-in microphones / headsets apps – text-to-speech, speech webreaderHD etc. 60 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com  Essential Study Skills Auditory methods Once your audio recording has been made you can listen to it in a variety of places that includes: at home whilst travelling when exercising 12.1 Pre-recording checklist Before recording you should consider: checking your recording equipment – do a short test before recording a large volume of material ask yourself what the objective of your recording is for – for example, remembering key ‘trigger’ words or concepts in depth 360° are these notes for your own use, or do you intent to share them. This will effect the quality and format you convert your recording into. how do you want to record your information – in small ‘bite sized’ sections or a large block thinking 360° thinking. 360° thinking. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers Dis © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Discover the truth 61 at www.deloitte.ca/careers Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. Essential Study Skills Don’t Miss Anything Out 13 Don’t Miss Anything Out You would think it would go with out saying that you shouldn’t miss anything out when studying and answering questions. However, we have already seen that when revising you need to ensure the maximum ROI (return on investment) – see section 10 The Traffic Light Method. As a quick recap we discussed labelling fundamental information as green, essential as amber and unlimited time – low return information as red. The next two methods we will examine ensure that once you have been asked a question you consider and answer every aspect. When you combine this with the study method of predicting questions you may be asked, you will develop a robust and comprehensive study system. The methods we will be looking at are the Black Red Green and PEE. 13.1 The Black-Red-Green Method The Black-Red-Green method was developed through the Royal Literary Fund. This method helps you to ensure that every aspect of the question that has been asked has been considered 13.1.1 The Black-Red-Green Method Stages Read the question given and underline relevant parts of the question using: BLAck is for BLAtant instructions – something that must be done (an obvious instruction or directive) REd is for REference point, or REquired input. This is usually to do with definitions, terms, theories, authors etc. GREen is for GREmlins, or GREen lights – these are subtle signs that you could easily miss, or hints on how you should proceed or place your emphasis 13.2 PEE Another popular method to break down and answer a question is the PEE approach: Point Evidence Explain This method builds an argument around a series of logical, coherent, linked paragraphs. 62 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Don’t Miss Anything Out 13.2.1 The PEE Method Stages Build an effective paragraph using: P = Paragraph that makes one point in the right depth E = Explanation, Evidence and Examples E = Evaluation You may also want to consider leaving some lines in between each paragraph in order that: you can add further explanation or evaluation if exam time permits you signal you have moved from one point onto the next it is easier for the marker to read 13.2.2 PEE Expansion So, lets expand on explanation, evidence and examples and evaluation – the ‘E’ ‘E’. Explanation, evidence and examples These form the bulk of your paragraph and provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the topic being questioned. You should construct well written, robust analysis which is written in logical, flowing sentences. One of the ways you can do this to great effect is the Seven Point Scale for Perfect Paragraphs (see 13.3). Evaluation You should include evaluation in each of your paragraphs and not just the concluding one. You should ask yourself: how important is the point or argument you have made? what does your argument depend upon? do your sentences build on each other? to what extent is your argument based on facts, opinion or unreliable data? 63 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills A General Study Strategy 13.3 The Seven Point Scale for Perfect Paragraphs step explanation 1 open using words from the question to give focus 2 use relevant theory to explain and analyse the point 3 follow a logical path of analysis (use connectives) 4 use ‘hooks’ and ‘cues’ from the question to support and form your points 5 use real examples and evidence to support your point 6 come back to the question for focus 7 conclude with an evaluative statement We will turn your CV into an opportunity of a lifetime Do you like cars? Would you like to be a part of a successful brand? Send us your CV on We will appreciate and reward both your enthusiasm and talent. www.employerforlife.com Send us your CV. You will be surprised where it can take you. 64 Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills A General Study Strategy 14 A General Study Strategy Throughout this book we have looked at a wide variety of study skills. In this section we will conclude with a general strategy / approach for any kind of study, which is easy to remember and execute. This is the ASPIRE Strategy. 14.1 ASPIRE Study Strategy method A: Approach / attitude / arrange Approach your study with a positive attitude Arrange your schedule in order to eliminate distractions. Although, remember that auditory learners may like and indeed benefit from playing music whilst studying S: Select / survey / scan Select a block of material to need to study Survey the headings, titles, graphics and questions to get an overview Scan the text for keywords and vocabulary and make a note of what you don’t understand P: Piece together the parts: Put your books and notes down Piece together what you’ve studied Summarise what you understand I: Investigate / inquire / inspect: Investigate alternative sources of information you could use – other text books, websites, experts, tutors, students, etc. Consider consulting other support professionals (academic support, and other resources for assistance) Inspect what you did not understand – be honest don’t just avoid that which is difficult or ‘not interesting’! 65 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills A General Study Strategy R: Re-examine / reflect / relay: Re-examine the content, reflect on the material, relay understanding Re-examine – what questions are there yet to ask? Is there something I am missing? Reflect – how can I apply this knowledge & how can I use it? Relay – ask yourself if you could explain this to your fellow students? Will they understand it better if I do? Will it help me understand the information better? E: Evaluate / examine / explore: Evaluate your grades on tests and tasks – are there any patterns? Examine your progress Explore options with others – for example teachers, support professionals, tutors, or parents 66 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Essential Study Skills Apps / web based study aids 15 Apps / web based study aids Below is a comprehensive guide to app or web based study aids. Some are general study aids and others subject specific. 15.1 General study Examtime A web based resource that is optimised for all touch devises. Builds; mind maps, flashcard, quizzes and notes. You can share as well as create and track your learning progress. Exam countdown A test will never sneak up on you again! Exam Countdown allows you to track your exams by storing key dates in one place. You can add a ‘to-do’ list of items that must be completed prior to the exam and read and share test taking tips from other students. All you need to remember is to download this app. iStudiez pro The iStudiez Pro app is an easy-to-use study app which works for the Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It allows you to colour code your work schedules and store various snippets of information. You can create reminders and push notifications for looming du