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Take charge of the framework
Planning is crucial for an effective study technique.
Planning require an overview of the syllabus and the courses.
Therefore, start every semester with making a study plan. Get
hold of a calendar, so you can make an overview of your
holidays, exams and other important activities.
What courses do you need?
When is the exam?
How are the exam forms?
What are the course purposes and leaning objectives?
What are your personal goals?
What tasks are required during the semester?
When do you have to plan your preparation?
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Take charge of the scheduling
When you have an overview of your semester, you can start
planning the days and weeks.
It is a good idea to make a weekly schedule, so you are aware
of when you have lectures, jobs and other activities.
In this way, you can obtain an overview of when to prepare.
Remember that your workload at university is an average of
37+ hours weekly, but also keep in mind to take time off. Time
off should also be marked in your schedule.
On the next slide, there is an example of a typical week for a
university student. The schedule is only for your guidance and
yours might look differently.
In Course Materials you can download a schedule, that you
can fill in yourself.
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
07.00-08.00
08.00-09.00 Course 2 Preparation Course 1
09.00-10.00 Study group Group tutorial Preparation
10.00-11.00 Course 3 Study group Course 4 Workout
11.00-12.00
12.00-13.00 Course 1 Preparation Lunch-date Preparation Planning OFF
13.00-14.00 Coffee-date Study group OFF
14.00-15.00 Course 2 Preparation Group tutorial
15.00-16.00
16.00-17.00 Work Group tutorial Friday bar Work
17.00-18.00
18.00-19.00
19.00-20.00 Workout Dinner club
20.00-21.00 OFF Workout
OFF21.00-22.00 OFF
22.00-23.00 OFF
23.00-00.00
Lectures and group tutorials 15 hours // Studygroup 7 hours // Preparation 17 hours
Total of 39 hours
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Find the right settings
Find a great spot to read, where there is no one disturbing you. Maybe it is a good idea not to
be at home. There are many great spots at campus.
Find the right time
It is very different when one performs the best. Find out when your concentration is at the best
and arrange your preparation according to it.
Read in intervals
Often, it is a good idea to read accordingly to time and not the number of pages. You need the
breaks. Focus on the readings for a maximum of 45 minutes and then take a break for 15
minutes, where you do something else.
Create an overview
Be well informed about a text before you read it. Read the introduction and conclusion
beforehand, then afterwards read the table of contents and the headlines. Investigate what
type of text it is and what you need to gain from it, before you start reading.
Find the right study technique
Reading has many purposes. The correct technique depends on what the purpose is.
Remember is takes practice to obtain good reading skills. The more you read, the better you
will be.
On the next slide, there is an overview of different study techniques.
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Reading
techniques
Purpose
Overview reading Establishing a quick overview by reading preface, table of contents, headlines,
conclusion, et cetera.
Skimming A bit more detailed overview, where you skim the pages. You read central words
and concepts but not full sentences.
Fast reading More detailed than skimming. Read everything but do not stop when there is
words you do not understand.
Normal reading You must understand and be able to repeat the content. This method demands
engagement and intensive reading, where you look up difficult words and
concepts in the dictionary.
After reading, you should have a good understanding of the text while being
able to account for what you did not understand.
It needs to be clear what the purpose of the text is, what the central issues are
and in what context the text is supposed to be used in the lectures.
Intensive reading You must obtain a thorough and detailed understanding while being able to
repeat the central points without difficulties. Look op all the words, concepts and
connections that you do not understand.
Bøjgård og Schleicher, 2015
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Take charge of the study group
The purpose of being in a study group:
- to read and understand the readings
more in depth
- to benefit more from the lectures
- to prepare for lectures, assignments and
exams
- to work together with other people and
learn others perspectives
- to achieve a social network
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Take charge of the study group
Before you make a study group, you should consider
what your purpose is and what you will contribute with.
What experiences (good/bad) do you have with study groups?
Why did it go the way it did?
What are your strengths when doing group work? What
motivates you? What can you improve?
Which ambitions do you have for a study group, both personally
and academically?
What do you wish to gain from being in a study group? What will
you contribute with?
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Take charge of the study group
Useful advices:
Match your expectations and make a group contract
containing the group’s purpose, activities and social
rules
Make clear agreements in regards to preparation,
absence and cancelations
Make a clear agenda of your meetings
Make a calendar for your meetings for a long period of
time (semester)
Use an online project or group space for your shared
documents
Use time on preparation before meeting your study
group. Make time for it in your weekly schedule, so
you have a time slot for it
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Further readings….
http://studypedia.au.dk/
- an academic study tool developed by the University of Aarhus (AU)
