Crash Course Study Skills

Crash Course Study Skills

A 10-part course based on Thomas Frank's Crash Course Study Skills series. You may wish to jump to individual pages as needed; however, covering all 10 here will give you a well-rounded grounding in skills to enhance your learning. It is a great idea to brush up on your study skills at the start of your course so that you can make the most out of these skills throughout; however you can revisit these pages at any time. Take one a day or cover a few at a time. We start with taking notes, so you can practice the techniques with the content on the pages that follow. Without further ado...

Let's go!

Taking Notes: Crash Course Study Skills #1

Note-taking is about more than just recording what you have heard or read. In fact, noting down your lectures word-for word may make you less likely to retain the information. What is important is that we engage with the content in ways that makes it meaningful, and effective note taking can help with this. As the video on the left explains, there are different methods to choose from, such as 'Outline', 'Cornell' and 'Mindmapping'. You can take your notes on paper, in Microsoft Word, or another app such as OneNote. Whichever method you opt for, it is important to revisit your notes and use them to check your understanding. (Student Support can help you to work out a plan to do this.) When you revisit your notes, can you explain the ideas without looking? Try the Feynman Technique, or one of the other memorisation strategies in the links below to enhance your learning!

Support

Links

Reading: Crash Course Study Skills #2

This section is about making the most out of the time you spend on your reading: boosting your reading speed and remembering more of what you have covered. As with most areas of your learning, the key thing with reading is that it helps you to understand the facts and ideas, and that you are able to put these to use - in discussions, in assessments, in practicals and your working life. It is important to keep both of these aspects - understanding and recall - in mind when doing your reading. If we only pay attention to whether we have undertood what we have read, this can create an illusion of competence - just because I have understood what I have read, doesn't mean I can recall it when needed. At the same time, however, understanding is crucial (hence the perils of speed reading), so it is important that we pause over any parts that are tricky, check the meanings of new words, and check whether we are able to explain what we have read.

Support

Links

Memory: Crash Course Study Skills #3

When we learn something, we need to find ways of making it stick, and of finding our way back to that knowledge when we need it. The more connections you make to an idea, the more routes you have to retrieve it. There are lots of ways to draw connections: using mnemonics, discussing with your peers, but also covering and attempting to recall the content in different ways and contexts. Here especially we find that assessments - whether testing yourself, or taking part in a course assessment - are not just about grades. Rather, they help with learning by introducing what psychologists call 'desirable difficulty', telling your brain that you need to recall and use what you have learned, so that it becomes better able to do so.

Support

Links

Planning and Organisation: Crash Course Study Skills #4

Making a study timetable can help you to organise your time. It can act as a reminder to focus, but it can also remind us to take a break, and the breaks are just as important as the time spent studying. Everyone’s timetable looks different. Your classes might be the same as other people’s, but your homework and study breaks can be taken at different times. Someone who likes mornings may have a very different timetable to someone who likes to stay up late at night. The top left video looks at strategies, and the bottom left video is a very quick guide to using Outlook calendar within your SRUC Outlook account.

Support

Links

Focus and Concentration: Crash Course Study Skills #5

Focus and concentration can be a challenge. Here are some top tips from the video:

• Stick to one task at a time, at least for 20-30 mins
• Create a suitable space, specifically for studying
• Break your task into chunks, and remove things (distractions) you don't need for the one you are focusing on
• If you feel your attention waning after a stint of focus, take a break, but one that will allow you to get back on task afterwards (e.g. take a refreshing walk)
• Take care of your brain and body: rest, nutrients, exercise are essential to living, and therefore working well.

You may also find the 'pomodoro' strategy helpful, and apps like HOLD can aid your efforts to create distraction-free focus periods - see the links box below!

Support

Links

Procrastination: Crash Course Study Skills #6

Procrastination is when you put off a task when it is important to get started. Arguably, it is part of our evolutionary heritage: as hunter-gatherers, our preference for instant gratification over long-term goals was about survival. Biological evolution is much slower than cultural and technological evolution, so it is important to have strategies to make sure you tackle the projects that are important to you, in spite of being surrounded by content designed to divert your attention from what is really valuable. There are many reasons one might procrastinate. Often it is because the task seems too large: in this case, break things down into specific steps and move forwards one at a time. It may also be because you don't know where to start: in this case, your task is to find out, so write down 1-3 things that will help clear this up and, again, take them one at a time.

Support

Links

Studying for Exams: Crash Course Study Skills # 7

Top tips:

• Be clear on the dates of your assessments and schedule these in your calendar
• Work backwards from this, to schedule in your revision sessions
• Get clear on what is being assessed (e.g. learning objectives, marking criteria) and how (e.g. quiz, multiple choice, or short answer questions?)
• Practice, and try to replicate the test conditions as much as possible
• Allow yourself breaks: these are intrinsically valuable; but they are also essential to effective studying

It is good to revise the course content; but make sure you also have a good shot at recalling what you have learned (without looking, except to check if you are right). The Feynman Technique, or one of the other memorisation strategies in the links below can be very helpful here. See also the Crash Course page on Memory.

Support

Links

Test Anxiety: Crash Course Study Skills #8

Stress and anxiety are often perceived as negative - so it may be surprising to learn that they can help you acheive your goals. Anxiety is a sign that what you are doing is important to you, and it can fuel optimal performance. Moreover, as we have covered in other sections, taking part in an assessment is key to learning and future development. Studies have shown that our brains have a remarkable capacity to adapt (neuroplasticity) to new skills and ideas when we persist and engage in deiberate practice: practice, that is, where one pays attention to any feedback and adjusts in light of it. It is therefore important that we channel our anxiety to help us perform. (Not necessarily alone, however: Student Support and Peer Support groups are a great resource, here.) To write is to clarify, so try writing down any fears you have surrounding assessments. Doing so will enable you to overcome these by turning them into specific actions.

Support

Links

Papers and Essays: Crash Course Study Skills #9

Academic writing is not about fancy, it’s not about complicated. It is used to demonstrate what you have learned to the markers. There are five qualities that make a piece of writing academic (FOCSI) - click each of the below for more info:

Formal

Others

Cautious

Succinct

Impersonal

Support

Links

Exercise: Crash Course Study Skills #10

Arguably, excercise has a crucial role to play in learning. One simple reason is that taking a walk, or engaging in sport, is a way of taking a definite break from your studies, and as we noted in the section on focus and concentration, allowing yourself to rest from your studies is essential to working well. A perhaps more surprising reason, though, is that research suggests that exercise may actually help you to remember what you have learned (see Links box below for some sources). So when studying, be sure to make space to take a break, walk, run, or play. This is worth doing for its own sake - but it will help you learn, too.

Support

Links

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Further Online Resources

Blog: More on spaced repetition

Study on chunking for memory, 3 to 5 things at a time

Video: How and why desirable difficulty works

When one person teaches another, two people learn:

Video: Feynman Technique

Cautious You need to be cautious with what you write as one can rarely be 100% certain about the things you have written. Below are some words to avoid and words that you can use instead: Avoid must, instead use may. Avoid should, instead use could. Avoid definitely, instead use probably.

Others

• Focus on what others think or have found out about the topic you are writing about.
• Research the topic and find out what others have written about the topic.
• Include your findings in your work and use phrases such as x found, opinion suggests, or x stated.
• You must reference where you have found this information.

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Further Online Resources

Try OneNote:

OneNote

Evernote also has a decent free version:

EverNote

Try out some of these study strategies to see what works for you:

Video: Feynman Technique

Video: 6 minute guide to study strategies

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Further Online Resources

On the psychology of channeling stress into positive action:

Article: The Best Mindset for Minimising Stress

Review articles on deliberate practice and neuroplasticity (the first academic, the second journalistic):

How physical and mental training shape the brain

Psychology Today Article: The Neuroscience of Effective Practice

For health and wellbeing resources, including meditation guidance and exercises, try the Spectrum Life app for SRUC students:

App: Spectrum Life

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Formal In academic writing you should avoid using slang or casual language, sentence fragments or abbreviations. Some examples are shown below: Instead of get you should use acquire. Instead of thing you should use item. Instead of need you should use require. Instead of wouldn't you should use would not. Instead of e.g. you should use for example.

Further Online Resources

For focused working incorporating breaks, try the 'pomodoro method'

Video: Pomodoro method

Interspersing scheduled, 'high density' fun can help:

Video: Defeat procrastination with fun

If anxiety about your work is preventing you from starting, here are some further tips:

Video: Getting Started (side-stepping perfectionism)

Or try one of the many lo-fi music playlists on Youtube - here's one:

Youtube: Japan Evening Vibes Lo-Fi Playlist

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Further Online Resources

For focused working incorporating breaks, try the 'pomodoro method'

Video: Pomodoro method

Music can help with pomodoro timing

Youtube: Music for pomodoro focus

The HOLD app can also help to put a hold on distractions:

Hold app to put distractions on hold

For body and brain health, explore the Spectrum Life app for SRUC students:

App: Spectrum Life

Further Online Resources

Microsoft To-Do may be especially handy, as it integrates with Outlook:

Microsoft To-Do

Other to-do and timetabling apps:

Evernote

My Study Life Timetabling and Note-Taking App

OneNote

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Succinct You need to make sure what you have written is not too wordy while nontheless covering everything needed. Below are three examples of how you can make what you have written more succinct: •In order to → to •At that point in time → then •During the course of → during

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Further Online Resources

Try out some of these study strategies to see what works for you:

Blog: The Corson technique

Video: How to Study Effectively with Flashcards

Video: Feynman Technique

Video: 6 minute guide to study strategies

Further Online Resources

This academic phrasebank is very helpful (for example, to use appropriate phrases without over-use):

Web page: Academic Phrasebank, University of Manchester

The Writer's Diet page allows you to test your writing style and diagnose your documents:

Web page: The Writer's Diet

Further Online Resources

As many of our courses are practical, this article linking exercise and motor memory may be of interest:

Article: Exercise Boosts Learning and Motor Memory

Here is a link to the original research paper

Research paper: Acute exercise performed before and after motor practice enhances motor memory

The BBC reports that four hours after learning is best:

BBC article: Exercise four hours after learning 'boosts memory'

The original research paper: Exercise four hours after learning boosts memory

Student Support Contacts

Each campus has a dedicated support team who can help with this and any other study and wellbeing related needs. Please see below for email and phone contacts.

• Aberdeen: Abstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01224 711071
• Ayr: Ayrstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01292 886196
• Barony: Baronystudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01387 860251; 01387 242902
• Edinburgh and Glasgow: Edstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 0131 535 4490
• Elmwood: Elmwoodstudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01334 658800
• Oatridge: Oatridgestudentsupport@sruc.ac.uk, 01506 864800

Impersonal Normally (except, for example, if asked to write a reflective journal or work diary) you should not write in first person so avoid using “I”, “my”, “me”, “we”, “our” or “us”. For example: •I am surprised → it is surprising •My findings indicate → results indicate •I liked it → it was enjoyable

Further Online Resources

The following links povide some of the background to the video:

The science of how fast humans can read

Debunking speed reading techniques for studying

Try checking a new word's origin to get a deeper sense of its meaning:

Video: Understand Tricky Words with Etymology