The Study Skills Book

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Is there a secret to successful study? The answer is 'yes'! There are some essential skills and smart strategies that will help you to improve your results at university .

Using proven techniques and tips to help you focus your efforts and develop successful study skills and strategies, THE STUDY SKILLS BOOK provides practical answers to questions such as:

This book is an essential practical resource for all students who want to improve their performance and succeed in their studies:

This handbook has been written by experts and extensively tested on students to help you focus your efforts, troubleshoot your problems and thrive at university.

"Every aspect of university life is covered - my tip to other students is to have this book on their desk and use it - (it) has been a great help", Sarah Scott, Student

"This book really is a must have for any first year student!! Easy to read, intelligent and the best help a first year could ever want!", Alastair Ross, Amazon reviewer

"This book really will be a godsend to you during your time at university. It's like my bible now - I'm so glad I bought it!", Fi Wordsworth, Amazon reviewer

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 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 survey
• 62 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