Study Skills - Keele University

Study Skills

Evaluate Your Existing Study Style

1] I genuinely recognise the intrinsic value of researching a topic and trying to make sense of a complex social issue, rather than thinking that all that matters is which grade the assessment attains Yes/ No

2] If other students in my seminar group decide on the best way to answer an essay question that is different from mine, I will immediately assume that my view on the essay question is wrong Yes / No

3] I find time management really difficult Yes / No

4] When I feel like getting on with some studying but all my friends are going out, I always end up joining them Yes / No

5] Revision should be an ongoing strategy; it is a good idea to review each lecture or seminar as you go along Yes / No

6] I only consider critical thinking skills in relation to my degree study Yes / No

7] I don't equate private study with loneliness or missing out as I know that I have more fun socialising with my friends when I feel confident that I am on top of my workload and have a good grasp of my subject areas Yes / No

8] I view the emphasis placed at University on self-motivation and independent learning as unfair - lecturers, tutors and support staff should let us know exactly what we need to do at each stage, why we need to do it, and when we need to do it Yes / No

 

Best Practice Answers

Evaluate Your Existing Study Style

1] Yes: You need to value the intrinsic worth of researching about the world around you or it will be extremely hard to motivate yourself to engage meaningfully in the topics you study.

2] No: The majority aren't always right. Have faith in your own opinions, talk to your tutors about your stance and most of all, be prepared to research effectively so that you can support your view.

3] No: Most people, whether they are students or Professors, find time management a real challenge. If you make use of the suggestions for time management in the managing your workload section of this resource and also invest in an academic diary, you will find organising your life much easier.

4] No: Obviously, saying that you don't succumb to peer pressure or the internal devil that tells you not to 'miss out' on anything socially, would be the best answer to question 4. However, sometimes we are all weak in that respect! But you mustn't be afraid to swim against the tide; just because everyone else seems happy to leave everything to the last minute and have a poor or average understanding of their subject area, doesn't mean that you should be content with that also!

5] Yes: Revision should indeed be an ongoing strategy. Rather than getting together a whole semester's worth of notes and then trying to condense them into spider diagrams and flashcards just before the exams, it is a good idea to review each lecture or seminar as you go along. This means that you are constantly revising the information and therefore, when it comes to revising for assessments, the information will be in a manageable form rather than starting with a higgledy-piggledy mess of papers.

6] No: Thinking critically about life is an essential human skill, not just an abstract academic activity. If no one thought critically about the world around them, why would charities be set up, why would individuals have aspirations to change their lives, why would you bother to read a newspaper- in fact, why would you care about anything!

7] Yes: Getting a good balance between study and socialising is extremely important. When you stay in to get your work done, rather than going out, it means that when you do choose to go out with your mates, you will have heaps more fun as you won't be stressed out through being behind in your work or not understanding what you're studying. Your brain will be more free to wind down if you're not plagued with guilt and worry about messing up your degree!

8] No: The support available to you at University through lecturers, tutors, support staff and support services is impressive, but when it comes down to it, this is your education and you need to take ownership of it to a large extent. This shift towards personal responsibility and self-management is always a positive thing where learning is concerned. Dealing with financial stresses, loneliness and homesickness can be awful, but where studying is concerned, managing your own education should always be seen as a positive experience and a chance to control your own personal development and knowledge about the society we live in.