The Study Skills book is an essential practical companion for students of any subject who want to improve their performance and succeed in their studies. It contains a wealth of tips and techniques for developing successful study skills and provides practical advice on everything from taking notes in lectures and time-keeping, to writing and referencing essays and dissertations and proven revision techniques.
Written by experts and tested by students, this third edition of the popular Study Skills Book contains practical tips and exercises to encourage successful study.
About the Authors
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. How to use this book
Part A - A toolkit for understanding what university involves
2. Preparing for university - what you and you family need to consider
3. Starting out how to get the most out of Freshers' Week
4. General expectations - how the university system works and how this impacts on students
5. What makes university education different - how to get off to a good start
6. Graduate skills and attributes - how to learn what employers expect you to gain from being at university
Part B - A toolkit for managing yourself
7. Personal development planning - how to reflect on your achievements and set yourself future goals
8. Time management - how to balance study, family, work and leisure
9. Financial tips - how to balance your budget
10. Campus orientation - how to identify the key facilities at your university
11. Social life at university - how to create new social networks and support existing ones
12. Contributing to the academic and outside community – how you can benefit and give something back by participating in extra curricular activities
13. Dealing with stress - how to cope with the pressures of university life
Part C - A toolkit for developing your learning skills
14. Your learning personality - how to identify and capitalise on your preferred learning style
15. Studying independently - how to organise yourself and develop good study habits
16. Lectures - how to learn effectively from this teaching method
17. Listening skills - how to understand what lecturers say and how they say it
18. Note-taking in lectures - how to refine what you hear into note form
19. Co-operative learning - how to study successfully with others
20. Participating in a team - how to make a contribution when working with others 21. Laboratory sessions and field visits - how to gain hands-on experience and skills
22. Tutorials - how to prepare and participate
23. Thinking critically - how to develop a logical approach to analysis and problem-solving
24. The library as a resource - how to make the best use of the facilities
25. Analysing and evaluating information - how to filter and select reliable material and discuss it properly
26. Effective academic reading - how to efficiently and with understanding
27. Note-making from texts - how to create effective notes for later reference
28. Computing literacy - how to make the best use of computers and software in your learning
29. E-learning - how to make the most of online teaching
30. Number crunching - how to solve problems in arithmetic and algebra
31. Interpreting and presenting data - how to understand and produce graphs, tables and basic statistics
32. Shaping up in maths - how to use basic geometry and trigonometry to solve spatial problems
Part D - A toolkit for improving your academic writing
33. Tackling writing assignments - how to get started
34. Academic writing format - how to organise your writing within a standard format
35. Planning writing assignments - how to respond to the task
36. Citing and listing references - how to refer appropriately to the work of others
37. Plagiarism and copyright - how to avoid being accused of 'stealing' the ideas and work of others infringement
38. Academic writing style - how to adopt appropriate language conventions
39. Shaping your text – how to create effective sentences and paragraphs
40. Improving your grammar – how to avoid some common errors
41. Better punctuation – how to use punctuation marks appropriately
42. better spelling – how to spell competently
43. Enhancing your vocabulary – how to develop your word power
44. Editing and proof-reading - how to make sure that your writing makes sense
45. Presentation of assignments - how to follow the appropriate academic conventions
Part E - A toolkit for performing well in assessed coursework
46. Assessment at university - how tests and examinations work
47. Multiple-choice and short-answer questions - how to tackle short answer formats
48. Numerical questions - how to approach quantitative problems
49. Essay-style assessments - how to maximise your marks
50. Tutorial assessment - how to make your contribution count
51. Assessment of practical and laboratory work - how to improve your marks
52. Tackling a dissertation or project – how to make the best possible start
53. Choosing a dissertation or research topic – how to decide on a them for your investigation
54. Writing a proposal – how to structure a successful dissertation or research proposal
55. Principles of quantitative research – how to obtain and analyse numerical information
56. Principles of qualitative research – how to obtain and analyse descriptive information
57. Ethics in researching and reporting – how to follow good research practice
58. Report–writing - how to select and shape your content appropriately
59. Literature Surveys - how to conduct and write up a literature survey62. Exploiting feedback - how to understand and learn from what lecturers write on your work and exam scripts
Part F - A toolkit for succeeding in exams
63. Physical and mental preparation – how to gear up for exams
64. Creating a revision timetable - how to get yourself organised for exam study
65. Revision tips - how to build understanding through active learning
66. Memory tips and techniques – how to develop tools and strategies for remembering information and ideas
67. Focussing your revision - how to make full use of learning objectives, past papers and other assessment information
68. Study buddies - how to work with fellow students to improve the revision experience
69. Improving your exam performance - how to avoid common pitfalls
70. Exam strategies how to ensure you have the appropriate tactics
71. Combating exam nerves - how to reduce anxiety and perform well under pressure
Part G - A toolkit for the future
72. Planning for a career - how to focus on your future
73. Assessing yourself - how to evaluate your skills, qualities, motivations and values
74. Your curriculum vitae - how to describe yourself to potential employers
75. Kick-starting your career - how to find suitable job vacancies and apply for them
This new edition of the Study Skills book has been fully updated to streamline the content, making it simpler to navigate.
It has also been updated to a larger format and the page number significantly reduced from the previous edition, to make it more portable for students.
Jonathan Weyers and Kathleen McMillan both work at the University of Dundee. Both have been teaching and lecturing for over 25 years and latterly have specialised in the transferable skills area. They have a track record of collaborative writing and achievement in this area.