STUDY TIPS

TIME MANAGEMENT

1.         Planning a timetable

• Try to set aside a regular time each week to plan your study time.

• Fill in lessons etc first.

• Next, fill in sport, social and leisure commitments.

• Look at the amount of time left and allocate time for tasks you have to do.

• Leave some free time for any unfinished work.

• Check back to last week’s timetable: if there is something you did not finish fit it into this week’s timetable.

• As the weeks progress you will get better at judging the amount of time a task will take you.

• Put stars (****) beside pieces of work to indicate priorities.

2.         Handy hints

• Take five minute breaks between hour long sessions.  Make a cup of tea or listen to some music.

• Try to go for variety in your study sessions.  Don’t plan three hours reading in one night.  Try one hour reading, one hour 

         writing notes and an hour on, say, a rough draft of an essay.

• End each session by looking over what you have done.

• Try to pace your study: don’t leave it all until the last minute.

• Give yourself a treat when you finish your work.

• Set clear deadlines which you can stick to.

• Before you leave school each day check that you know what homework you have to do.  Keep a note in a homework diary.

• Before you leave home, check that you have all the necessary equipment: jotters, pens, pencils etc.

MEMORY SKILLS INFORMATION SHEET 

Research reveals the effectiveness of the following strategies:

1.       Spread out sessions of study and revision.

          Short periods of study with frequent reviews are preferable to long periods of cramming.  Review of work within 24 hours of

          the first study session is the most effective way to master the material.

2.      Use all of your senses

• Look at the material, read it, then close your eyes and visualise it.

• Speak and listen, ask yourself questions and answer them out loud.

• Write down notes, key ideas.

• Repeat the process until the material is mastered.

3.      Organise the material

• Set out the key ideas.  Make brief notes and headings.

• Relate new material to what you already know eg using mind maps.

• Look for patterns, relationships and categories to organise the material.

• List priorities.

4.       Test and retest

          The self-testing process is a useful strategy for remembering lists of facts.

1. Memorise the first item.

2. Go on to the second and memorise it.

3. Repeat items 1 and 2 from memory.

4. When you know 2, go to the third.

5. Memorise the third item and repeat items 1, 2 and 3.

6. Continue until all facts are committed to memory.

5.      Overlearn

• Revise material regularly to commit to and retain in long-term memory.
• Constant repetition is the key.

6.      Recall

         The following memory aids may assist recall.  For example:

• Making a sentence or word from initial letters of items - Richard of York gave battle in vainhelps in remember the colours of the rainbow.
• Using rhythm and rhyme – Thirty days hath September, April etc.

7.     Expect to remember

• If you want to remember, you will.  Attitude and belief in yourself and your ability to learn and remember are crucial.