My Method for Studying at Uni!

What up Peeps,

Studying tends to take up a fairly large component of your free time when living a Uni lifestyle. In recognition of this I thought, why not discuss it? I view studying as three broad areas, and like a Venn diagram, where these overlap evenly, this is where you will be most productive. I will discuss each area in the hope that you will become an efficient studying machine!

Mindset

As an ex-semi-professional swimmer the power of a positive mindset became apparent to me very quickly. As I took a step back from my swimming career I wanted to apply this in a similar way to my studies. The best way to describe and to help you apply a positive mindset is shown by research from Carol Dwek. She shows that there are two different mindsets especially when applied to learning. One being a ‘fixed mindset’ and the other being a ‘growth mindset.’ Dwek’s study shows that some people see intelligence as fixed (fixed mindset) while other people see intelligence as qualities that can be developed (growth mindset).  More importantly the study shows that these both lead to different behaviours and results. Students who relate towards a growth mindset see intelligence as something that can change over time while those with a fixed mindset do not. The study shows no matter how hard a student tries fundamentally the mindset needs to change to see significant results. Henceforth, a growth mindset is beneficial for studying.

Switching from a fixed mindset can be as simple as thinking to yourself, “I don’t know calculus” to “I haven’t learnt calculus yet”. The first thought suggests that you do not know calculus now and that you will not know calculus in the future. However, the second thought implies that calculus is not known because you have not been taught and further implies the possibility to learn calculus.

Use a growth mindset to your advantage it’s a powerful tool.

Goals

While tackling your mindset and changing you attitude is great there needs to be a direction for your attention. This is where goals are needed. Goals, in accordance with a growth mindset are dynamic however, there also needs to be rigidity too. For example, rigidity (in a Uni scenario) the degree you are studying, but flexibility as to what subjects you choose to make up your degree.

It is important to recognise that goals come in three different areas, each just as important as the other:

1.     Long term – years in length, example, what direction you want to go in after you graduate.

2.     Mid term – a period comprising of a semester or the length of your degree.

3.     Sort term – a period of a week long to a month long at a time

Each type of goal is as important as the other. Each type of goal has flexibility and rigidity and I will lay using my own goals:

1.     Long Term: Rigidity - I want to be a geologist. Flexibility I am not sure if I want to go into industry or research yet.

2.     Mid Term: Rigidity – I want to finish this semester with no grades under a distinction to ultimately graduate my Science/Arts degree with a good GPA. Flexibility – I want my degree average to be a distinction, the occasions credit will not jeopardise this.

3.     Short Term: Rigidity – I need to start assignments this week that are due next week or in a few weeks. I need to revise what I have already covered this semester to start studying for final exams. Flexibility – Allowing to go to the gym, spend to with my girlfriend and friends. Oh and time to work. Yuck.

As you can see with my example I started with an ultimate long-term goal and everything else cascades into something constructive to build upon and to help myself grow into this goal. It is important to have structured goals in this way.

Study Execution

Now you have worked out your mindset and why you want to apply it through goals, the next step is to actually apply yourself. The first barrier you encounter when studying is motivation. To help combat this surround yourself with like minded people with similar goals. This will create a positive environment with people encouraging good work ethics to fully exploit your brainpower. This method is very useful and whenever I can I try to surround myself with people who are smarter than me to learn for them.

Moving forward, I like to think of studying as a three-part process, part one being attending Uni, part two completing assignments and part three is revising.

Part One – Attendance

Attendance – Attend everything! The ONLY exception is if you need extra time to finish assignments. If you are sick, watch lectures at home, do not attend pracs or tuts but get special consideration if your attendance is recorded.

While attending lectures I have devised my own way of note taking. This topic seems to divide Uni students, so why not talk about? There are two types of people, those who copy everything down and those who choose to listen in lectures and write hardly anything down. I am the latter. I feel as though notes of about lectures should be whatever is not on lecture slides. You can print off lecture slides but I do not. I write the title of the lecture at the top of the page, anything that isn’t on the slides and for anything that I want to revise I make note of it along with any slide titles that will help. Lecturers normally will point out what to study for an exam/assessment or go on important tangents that are to help you with assessments. Record these!! This method allows you to focus on what the lecturer is explain and for you to concentrate on learning concepts from an expert before you go home and revise it.

Part Two – Assignments

Firstly, time allocation for me goes something like this… Research should take at least 60% of your time, writing and constructing your arguments should take 30% while re-reading and referencing take up the remaining 10%.

Secondly, and most importantly finish assignments at least two days before they are due! To help plan for this, make your short-term goals steps towards completing your assignments. Create a mental plan and make this a priority.

Finally, my most efficient method is to do all of my research at night just before I go to bed, then immediately when I wake up I type out a plan (sometimes in bed before I gut up) then I have a shower, breakfast and then write my assignment. I have found this to be the most efficient way to write an assignment. Especially at the last minute, not like I would know but yeah… Trust me.

To wrap this part up I suggest aiming for 2-3hours before you go to sleep, do your research or revise. Then when you go to sleep your brain will process this information and committed it to memory. When you wake up, then either revise the material from the previous night or write the assignment you researched the night before. Repeat this over a few days and you will have a well-polished assignment or well-memorised notes.

Part Three – Revising

Okay, I am aware guys. This is this boring part. It takes the most time and nobody enjoys it, unless you have some sick twisted Uni fetish, then seek help. Anyway, I am a strong believer in a process I call ‘who, what, where and when.’ The name is self-explanatory and I have greatly maximised my studying efficiency using this method. I am now passing this method onto you. Pick it apart and take from it what you want but please you it wisely.

Who. Who you study with is very simple. So I won’t spend much time covering it. Do not study in groups often. Studying in groups is fun, so this should ring alarm bells because it seems makes studying fun and for that reason it means it does not work. It is nature’s way of balancing the universe. However, to break a dry pattern of revising by yourself, maybe organise a study group. It is also a great way to trade notes. Case in point, study by yourself, not only do you stay on topic a lot easier your grades will thank you in the long term.

What. Try to only study material that you will be assessed on. This is much like an arts student trying to find direction in life, so make assumptions, just like arts students with employment. When you attend lectures, try to pick up on what lectures spend the most time on, this will most likely be assessed at some stage during the semester. Most importantly, gather as much information as you can on the assessment or exam as you can. This should give you the best idea of how to revise for it. These sources come in the form of past papers, talking to past students who have sat the exam or finished the assessment (try to only talk to people who went well), lecture slide, tutorial and prac notes and finally one last tip, ask your tutors they are much easier to get information out of.

Where. Choosing a study location is probably the hardest to give advice on. Everybody is different in this facet and you will need to find an environment that suits you the best. However, I can tell you what not to do. Do not revise in bed, do not revise all the time with friends and not revise in an environment with a lot of white noise. I like to revise to music.

When. The time of day does impact on your performance so identify it wisely. I recommend studying for a few hours before you go to bed or just after you wake up. I try to study for an absolute maximum of 2hrs at once. This two hours includes a food/drink after 1hr. When you revise something just before you go to bed, try to revise either the same material or very similar material. This method has boosted my marks dramatically. It may not work for you so I advise you manipulate it for how you operate.

It is important to keep your options open when setting goals, try to keep as many open as possible during this process. It is not life and death if you mindset slips occasionally, all you can do is stay positive and get back on track. I hope these tips and explanations on what method I use. These skills are like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly to grow and develop. Your time at Uni is short, it may seem long now but it will be over before you know it. Get studying!

and that is how this uni student do studying...