11 Secret Studying Tips

###### tags: `FDS` `SAD` `teaching` # 11 Secret Studying Tips ### 1. Take responsiblity Learning is an activity that you and only you can perfom. Your lectures provide you with tools and resources to learn, but these cannot be simply digested in a passive manner. Think of your university as gym with various courses and equipment. You cannot expect results by going into a gym and simply watch the instructor perform, you need to work out yourself! --- ### 2. Know your resources Studying is hard, active work. That means you need time, an adequate space, mental energy and motivation. If any of these things are lacking, your learning efforst will be less effective. This means that you need to fit in studying alongside your other commitments (work, family, etc) and you need to be honest with yourself. When are do you have spare mental resources? When do you feel motivated? Get a calendar and mark out time slots for studying! --- ### 3. Hatch a plan A large amount of learning is logistics: when, where, what, how, and for how long. Planning your learning might feel like a waste of precious time, but a *planned* learning is more effective and uses *less* time. You also need to decide how to divide your resources on the different modules. Decide what your goals are! It is perfectly fine to aim for a simple "pass" in a module if your resources do not allow for more. --- ### 4. Get organised It takes large amounts of mental energy to remember specific details. When was that in-class quiz? How much time until the assignment deadline? Where did I put that one important document that told me all those things? There is not one-size-fits all principle of how to be organised. For most people, it is also work. However, organising things is *part of your learning*. Structuring your learning material means you are engaging with the material on a high level. Make time for it! --- ### 5. Form a squad While you will not get any in-depth learning done in a study group, meeting up provides an important opportunity to compare notes and clarify issues. It also reduces anxiety around missing deadlines! Your fellow students are **not** your competition, their are your greatest potential allies! --- ### 6. Stop accepting what you're told Learning happens by engaging with the material. Are there contradictions in your understanding? Do you disagree with certain statements? Do not just *accept* things. They need to make *sense* to you. --- ### 7. Stop (passive) reading Passive reading (or watching or listening) is the worst use of your studying time. It takes up too much time and you will not remember much. Reading (or watching or listening) is a *first start* but it is preparation, not learning. There are two main ways of active reading (or watching or listening): creating summaries and answering questions. To create a summary, take notes during reading (or watching or listening) and *reorganise* the content in a way that appeals to you. Use diagrams like mindmaps to get an overview. Once you have an overview over the topic, try to find things that are unclear to you. Go back to the text (video, audio) and try to find the point where this topic is discussed. Still unclear? Go to step 8! --- ### 8. Pester your lecturer If the text (video, audio) does not provide answers, your lecturer can. Use *all* available channels: ask questions during lectures, office hours, or in the forums. However, make sure you applied step 5 first: you should reserve this method for the *difficult* parts, not the easy bits. --- ### 9. Apply your knowledge Practise applying the knowledge you gained to real-world situations. Practising Python? Try to program something that is useful to you. Practising UML? Try to make a class diagram of your favourite TV show. Trick yourself by applying a dry, theoretical concept to something you enjoy. --- ### 10. Become the lecturer The one true test of your knowledge is whether you can teach it to someone else. Ideally, this could be someone in your study group, but explaining (out loud!) the concepts you are trying to learn to an uninterested partner, your cat, or even a [rubber duck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging) engages a different part of your brain. --- ### 11. Accept your limits Your personal situation is unique. What you can and cannot achieve is mostly a reflection of your situation---Do you have enough time to learn? Do you have a quiet spot to properly focus? Is your mind clear of worries? You should be proud of the work you put into something, not matter the result. --- ## Further resources - [Good advice for studying at home](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/advice/tips-studying-online-and-home-university-students) - [General advice on learning](https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/) - [More about the study cycle](https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/) - [Resources provided by Birbkeck study support](http://www.bbk.ac.uk/student-services/learning-development/how-we-can-help) ###### tags: `SAD`