Study Skills – Essential skills and strategies for returning to study and online learningTo learn new information, skills and techniques, you need to study. In Australia, there are many ways that you can learn – from early learning centres and preschools through to PhD courses at Universities and specialist professional programs through Industry Associations and Private Corporate Companies. To make the most of your learning, you will need effective study skills – you will need to absorb new information and be able to complete assignments and exams. This process starts by identifying your own particular learning style – once you understand this, you will know how to utilize your time in the most effective way. You may also decide that you need some extra coaching to help increase your abilities in this area, especially if you have not completed any formal study for some years.
Essential Skills. A clean desk, computer and some space - somewhere you can do your study comfortably . Allocated time - put your study as a priority and if necessary, reduce time watching television, do some study whilst commuting on public transport, find times you can program in your study. Also, improve your overall time management skills by allocating your other daily activities and including some extra time if you need it to complete tasks . Ask questions – of your training supervisor, tutor, mentor, coach etc so that you can use your time doing the most productive tasks . Ask for help – you may need to pay someone to clean your house, do your gardening, complete home repairs, look after your children . Study techniques – note taking, mind mapping, summarizing, essay writing, report writing, survey analysis, research skills . Specific research skills – utilize the services of librarians, searchable databases, journal articles and publications and good quality internet references but choose a variety of these to substantiate your arguments . Specific workplace skills – gain as much experience as you can in a real workplace so that you can put what you learn into practice as soon as possible . Specific computer skills – as a minimum, you will need to be able to send and reply to emails, browse the internet and use a word processing package. However, some courses require you to use other software programs and you may need to purchase these and use them frequently to complete your studies . Specific technical skills – there may be particular technical skills you will be required to learn – how to communicate, how to present your information, how to complete particular tasks covered in your course. Give yourself time to learn the skill and practice it so that you can comfortably move onto the next step . Internal motivation – remember, starting studying is YOUR choice, not someone else’s so do not rely on someone else to motivate you, it has to come from you. Is this important to you? Is passing enough or do you want to aim for high marks? Be realistic and enjoy the learning process. Imagine and visualize yourself completing all of the steps and then watch it all come together – there is a saying by William Johnsen – If it is to be, it is up to me. . Learn how to type with all of your fingers - Whilst this is an extra skill that takes time to develop, if you start at just 10 words per minute, you will increase in speed over time. But if you ‘hunt and peck’ searching for letters around the keyboard, you are wasting important brain power finding the keys rather than concentrating on your writing. There are many free typing tutor downloads available over the internet . Clear any major issues – if you have important matters to attend to, do so. If you have a medical condition that needs treatment, financial reports that must be done on time, personal commitments that you must attend to, complete these tasks so that your thoughts about them do not interfere with your studies. Do not carry ‘obstacles’ with you during your study – if you cannot attend to these matters and they are not important, then put them to one side and focus on your study efforts (like cleaning your garage for instance).
Returning to StudyLet’s start by asking the most obvious question. Why are you returning to study?
. To gain a new qualification? . Because your employer is paying? . To move in a new career direction? . Because you did not do well at school? . Because you had a hard time with teachers and lecturers? . Because you love learning? . Because you have always been interested in this course/industry? . Because you want to have a fresh start and meet new people? . Some other reason?
Perhaps you have several reasons for starting study again – but it is important to prepare yourself with some effective study techniques as you probably have many other personal commitments that are vying for your time. If you are starting a new course with some negative thoughts in the back of your mind, you will need to address these to make the most of your study time. If isolated comments have been made to you by one or two people, are they really valid? Do you have the determination to rise above those comments? Do you know some supportive people who will encourage you in the future? To cope with some of these issues, you may decide that instead of attending formal lectures on specific days at specific times in specific locations, you may want to study in a more flexible format – where you are not mixing with other students or only occasionally mixing with other students. This will require more self discipline but it may suit your personal circumstances and be a great way to start. Courses that offer direct contact with your trainer/lecturer may be better for you than those that are fully self directed. Start by attending seminars, workshops and introductory information sessions as a way of finding out more information. Keep in mind how good you will feel when you have completed a formal qualification – but understand that it takes work and effort to get there – your work and effort. Once you have started studying again, give yourself some small rewards – after your first assignment is handed in, when you complete your first subject, once you are half way through etc. These are important occasions and if you plan to celebrate them, it may give you more motivation and encouragement to complete these milestones. Study strategies for online learning
If you completed your secondary schooling with books and a pen, starting online learning via your computer will seem very strange. On the one hand, you will not have to sit down and write so much material, but on the other hand, having so much information available all at the same time may be overwhelming. . become familiar with your online tools – email, internet, toolboxes, videos etc – get some help to learn how to use these on your own so that you do not have to ask someone each time you want to use the resource . keep a printed record of all of your website addresses (URL’s), usernames, passwords etc because you should not use the same password for each and it is easy to forget these. Also keep a printed list of contact details of everyone you may need to contact including their email address and telephone numbers . copy and paste information into working files when you find it, with the reference details as well – going through and relocating the reference information at the end of your assignment is very time consuming . develop routines – like always finishing an exercise, or completing the quiz, doing the exercise in the same way so that you can always remember where you up to. Working online is not like turning a page in the book so you know where you have been although some resources will show you where you are up to in the course . sit correctly – position your chair, screen etc ergonomically and take regular rests – get up and move around, have a drink of water – do not remain seated for more than one hour without moving, having a stretch and looking away from your screen . watch the clock and remember to eat regularly. It is easy when working on a computer to lose track of time and then go to bed too late and be exhausted for one or more days afterwards – set yourself some rules – like not checking your emails or Facebook whilst studying . see if you can find a study partner to talk to on a semi-regular basis. Prepare in advance for your meeting with some questions you would like to discuss with them – for instance, did you get stuck on Question 4? What themes have you chosen for your essay? What references have you found most helpful? . if your online course is to learn a new computer program, see if you can make a time to sit down with an expert on that computer program and get them to show you some good tips and tricks that they use on an every day basis. This will make your learning more relevant. If you have to pay for this time, make sure you bring a list of questions to ask as well to get the most benefit from your time together. Consider looking at some online tutorials on YouTube or borrowing books like ‘Excel for Dummies.’ . if you are struggling, consider paying for some additional tutoring. It is no fun to battle on your own and some extra assistance may be all you need to get past a difficult step. Other students may also be having difficulty – so if you are in regular contact, you may be able to share the cost and have a small private session . do an internet search – it is amazing how many times you can find an answer to some of the most complex questions by typing in a detailed search query using as many specific words as you need to get some relevant results Asking for helpNaturally your first port of call for assistance with your course is via your subject coordinator/trainer/lecturer. However, there are many other places where you can get support: . other students . a selected mentor (do your research and approach someone for this special role) . a counselor (either academic or personal) . your local council (they are a good referral place) . online forums that you may subscribe to (either free or paid) . friends and family members in the industry who may be able to answer your questions . professional associations (membership often entitles you to all kinds of research and personal assistance including attendance at professional development functions) . support groups (you may already be part of a spiritual/faith group or have people you meet with regularly who can support you in a variety of ways) Whilst the study must be completed by you (you cannot plagiarise and use someone else’s work as your own), you can receive assistance with other aspects of your daily life. Can you imagine famous and wealthy musicians spending time cleaning their house when they have a live concert series starting soon?) Finally, learning and study are gateways to new opportunities and new experiences. Once you have specific study skills, you can learn anything you desire. To gain a qualification, you are investing in your own future. If you would like to meet other intending students and find out more information about studying through Adcom Training Solutions, please join us at one of our Study Skills seminars.
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