Study Skills for Undergraduates

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Study Skills for Undergraduates

• Presenter Lucy Hearne, WIT

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Presentation Format

• Nuts and bolts of Study Skills
• Notetaking
• Critical Reading Skills
• Assignment Writing
• Referencing Systems

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Academic Skills for Third Level Study

• STUDY SKILLS
• NOTE-TAKING
• RESEARCHING
• CRITICAL READING SKILLS
• ANALYTICAL THINKING SKILLS
• WRITING

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PRACTICAL STUDY SKILLS
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1. Planning Goal Setting

• Planning involves setting SMART study goals
• S Specific is my reason for doing the
  course clear and precise?
• M Manageable - are the resources and
  opportunities available?
• A Attainable is it within my ability?
• R Realistic will my circumstances allow it?
• T Time how much time will it involve?
• As a final word, remember
• Rome was not built in a day.
• Goals are achieved in small steps

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2. Time Management

• Make a timetable
• Plan most demanding activities for the times when
  you work best
• Fit short tasks into spare moments in the day
• Be realistic - dont try to achieve the
  impossible
• Prioritise important and urgent tasks
• Be flexible - allow extra time for emergencies
• Decide where you study best and stick to it
• Organise your notes
• Time for Self-Care fit in exercise, socialising
  and rest
• Learn to say NO

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3. Organising and Concentrating

• Quiet, warm, private space dedicated to study
• Undisturbed living areas not ideal
• College or city library
• Study in blocks of time - 40 to 60 minutes
• Concentration levels only last for so long vary
  subjects or topics
• Reward yourself

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4. Learning Techniques

• Reading
• The SQ3R Method
• preview or survey text,
• ask yourself questions,
• read text carefully
• recall main points
• review text again
• Tips
• Write down book author/s, date, title, place of
  publication, and library ref. number
• Check all headings to establish relevance
• Read introduction and conclusion first

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Note-taking Techniques

• Taking Lecture Notes
• Attend lectures dont depend on other students
  notes
• Sit where you can hear and see lecturer
• Use symbols, abbreviations and shortened words
• Listen for tips and guides from lecturers
• For Revision Purposes- Use highlighting,
  underlining, boxing, ringing, arrows for linking

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Note-taking Techniques

• Notes from a Book
• Write down title of book,/journal full name of
  author/s publisher, date, edition place of
  publication of a book volume number and page
  numbers of the journal article.
• Chapter in book follow rules of book but also
  title of chapter author/s
• Main topic areas and most important points in
  short form.
• Notes need to be clear, concise, easy to read and
  understand

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Critical Reading Skills

• Identify Line of Reasoning (angle viewpoint
  position held case made)
• Critically Evaluate Line of Reasoning (logical
  progression relevant, contributing sufficient
  propositions flawed reasoning)
• Question Surface Appearances (sufficient
  evidence other explanations biases hidden
  agendas etc)
• Identify Evidence in Text (statistics case
  histories experiences case histories)
• Evaluate the Evidence Valid Criteria (date of
  research source bias allure of numbers
  emotive language persuasive language)
• Identify the Writers Conclusions (therefore so
  hence thus must should need to recommend)
• Evaluate Whether the Evidence Supports the
  Conclusions (are the conclusions supported by the
  evidence and argument presented?)

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Critical Reading Exercise Some Observations

• What is the line of argument here?
• Who wrote it? When was the research carried out?
  How up-to-date is it for the argument put
  forward?
• Statistics use of percentages with no overall
  numbers given
• Assumes a causal connection between one issue and
  another
• Use of emotive language and isolated incidents
  (fox) to support argument

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Some Types of Written Assignments

• Reports (short long)
• On work placements, research conducted, site
  visits, specific projects
• Essays
• Summaries of an Original Document
• Oral Presentations
• Thesis

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Report Writing 6 Steps

• Step 1
• Gather all relevant information
• Do a mind map exercise
• Step 2
• Planning, headings/sub-headings and reference
  list
• Step 34
• Write number of drafts is there a flow?
• Step 5
• Write a Summary to put at the front of the
  report
• Step 6
• Final Draft Check again for accuracy

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Report Writing Structure of a Basic Research
Report

• Introduction brief intro on topic and layout
• Context Methods how it evolved and methods
  used to gather data
• Findings description of what you found out
• Conclusions critical analysis of what you found
  out
• Recommendations your suggestions for future
  improvements
• Bibliography/reference list of original
  documents used

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Essay Writing

• Break down the question analyse the question
  precisely underline key words, follow the
  instructions
• Take stock what do you know on the topic -
  create a map of what you have covered already
• Do you need to go outside of the prescribed
  reading on your course?
• How can you relate it to your practice (if
  relevant)?
• Do you need to do more research check reading
  lists etc
• Create a plan Introduction, Middle, End

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Academic Words Used in Essay/Assignment Titles

• Analyse examine in very close detail, identify
  important points, pros and cons
• Evaluate critically make an opinion of the worth
  of something, assessing strength of the evidence
  on both sides with criteria (theory) to guide
  argument
• Define give the exact meaning of
• Describe give a detailed account
• Discuss offer both opposing and supporting
  argument
• Explore examine from various standpoints,
  showing the implications
• Identify show your knowledge of a topic
• Illustrate make something clear and explicit,
  giving examples or evidence

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Examples of Essay Titles

• Discuss the impact of the Vikings arrival in
  Ireland
• Critically evaluate the role of the Catholic
  Church in the Irish education system in the early
  20th century.

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Examples of Essay Titles

• Discuss the impact of the Vikings arrival in
  Ireland
• 2. Critically evaluate the role of the Catholic
  Church in the Irish education system in the early
  20th century.

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Essay Structure

• 1. Title/Question focus on the title and what
  you are being asked to do in the assignment
  return to it regularly
• 2. Introduction explain what you are going to
  do, identify issues to be explored, how you will
  deal with each issue and how you will relate it
  to your own current practice
• 3. Develop argument Create a flow - each
  paragraph is a new idea/theme to be discussed
• 4. Conclusion no new material here. Summarise
  your argument and main themes. State you
  conclusions assertively. Last sentence should sum
  up your argument briefly, linking it to the
  title.
• 5. References and/ or Bibliography list all
  books, articles and other materials referred to
  in the body of the essay using a recognised
  referencing system (e.g. Harvard style)

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Referencing Why Cite?

• To acknowledge work of others
• Demonstrate your body of knowledge
• Enable readers to locate your sources
• and
• To avoid plagiarism
• Using a choice phrase or sentence from elsewhere
• Copying word-for-word directly from text
• Paraphrasing words from a text very closely
• Using text downloaded from internet
• Borrowing statistics or facts from another person
  or source without reference to that source
• Copying or downloading figures, photographs,
  pictures or diagrams without acknowledging
  sources
• Copying from notes or essays of fellow students
• Copying from your own notes on a text, tutorial,
  video or lecture that contains direct quotations
  from others

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Two Methods of Referencing in the Body of Essay

• Paraphrase involves restructuring and reporting
  a point an author makes in a book or article in
  your own words rather than as a direct quotation
• Direct Quotation only use direct quotation
  sparingly, in particular from an authoritative
  text, i.e. government report, primary source
  (historical document)
• Use sparingly, too many direct quotations
  display a lack of skilled analysis
• You can quote a few words or a number of lines to
  suit your purpose
• Advisable to indent the complete direct quote if
  it is longer than 3 lines

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References and Bibliography

• Reference List
• Alphabetical list at end of essay/report
• lists of all the sources referred to the body of
  essay/report
• Bibliography
• Alphabetical list at end of essay/report of
  everything read for assignment, whether or not
  referred to in the body of the essay/report.
• Some courses may require it to be a separate
  section to reference list

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Examples of Referencing at End of Essay

• Book
• Bailey, P., Jones, D. (Eds.) (1978) Leisure
  and Class in Victorian England. London Metheun
• Chapter in a Book
• Monroe, J. (1978) The Lives of Working-Class
  Women, in P. Bailey D. Jones (Eds.) Leisure
  and Class in Victorian England. London Metheun,
  pp. 137-156.
• Journal Article
• Nijhof, W.J. (2005) Lifelong Learning as a
  European Skill Formation Policy, Human Resource
  Development Review, 4 (4), pp. 401-419.
• Electronic source from Internet
• Department of Education Science (2000)
  Learning for Life White Paper on Adult
  Education. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from
  http//www.education.ie

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References

• Northedge, A. (2007) The Good Study Guide.
  Milton Keynes Oxford University Press.
• Pears, R., Shields, G. (2005) Cite them right
  the essential guide to referencing and
  plagiarism. Newcastle upon Tyne Pear Tree Book.
• Rose, J. (2007) The Mature Students Guide to
  Writing (2nd ed.). Basingstoke Palgrave
  Macmillan
• Learning is all about remembering
• (Aristotle)
• Good Luck