School of Electronics and Physical Sciences
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
"Help Yourself to Learning"
Study Skills for Mathematical Studies Students
Prepared by Hilary Kimber
Based on Development Work by Sheila Dickens
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‘Help Yourself to Learning’
Study Skills for Mathematics Students
Introduction
Objectives
To find the ways of studying which suit you best, so that
 you can be in charge of your own learning
 you can use your brain effectively
 you can achieve your full potential
 you still have plenty of time to socialise!
Lecture(r)s and Learning
University lecturers are not primarily teachers (although many are very good teachers). They
are usually appointed because of their excellence in research, and the try to transmit to you
their enthusiasm and insight into their specialist areas as well as the more standard
mathematical knowledge common to many syllabuses.
Thus, although attending lectures and tutorials is a fundamental first step in gathering
information towards understanding, you will find that you also need to use textbooks, library
resources, laboratory sessions, etc. in order actually to build up your knowledge. Also, never
underestimate the value of informal discussions with staff (if you really don’t understand
something, you could always try going to see the lecturer), and discussing work with other
students on your course.
To summarise:
Lecturers stimulate students to learn, but learning is a student
responsibility and student activity is the key. Nobody can learn on your
behalf, so the emphasis is on YOU!
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1. Making the most of your time
Finding Time to Study
At university you will find that you are totally in control of your own time discipline. It may
be the first time that you have been in this position. In order to help, you may like to think of
time in the day being divided into



essential work time (lectures, tutorials, computing labs etc)
essential living time (eating, sleeping, shopping, laundry etc)
flexible time (studying, music, socialising, sport etc)
A good first step is to identify what you regard as your flexible time, and to estimate how
much of this you will need to use for private study. Although we refer to this as ‘private’
study, it could perhaps include brainstorming sessions with other students about difficult
coursework, unsupervised time using computing facilities etc, so don’t think of it as time
spent cooped up alone with pencil and paper or hunched over a computer terminal.
Despite what you may think, nobody (not even the lecturer!) expects you to spend all your
flexible time studying. Socialising is a very important aspect of university life, but to
maximise your leisure time you will need to make efficient use of your private study time.
A Student’s Rough Guide to Study Time
Roughly speaking, for 10 credits you should in all spend approximately 100 hours of effort.
At level one about 36 hours of this would be contact time (lectures, tutorials etc.), leaving 64
hours of private study. By level 3 you might only have 20 contact hours, thereby requiring 80
hours of private study.
You may like to use the timetable provided at the end of this chapter to plan out how you time
may be spent. You could, perhaps, fill in your timetable first (the essential work time) and try
to plan your weekly schedule around this. You will, however, need to be flexible so that if
this scheme doesn’t work well you can make the necessary changes. However, if you make
changes, make sure that you are not swapping study time for more leisure time! Above all, be
realistic!
To Summarise
Socialising is an important part of university life. In order to socialise and
succeed you need to plan your study time effectively. Too much leisure
time instead of study time could lead to a rather short one year course!
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When Would be the Best Time for me to Study?
Only you can answer this question, as we all have different work patterns. The following
questions may help you to divide up the flexible time on your timetable in the most effective
way:
1. What time of day do I work best?
Are you an early bird or do you work best with black coffee at midnight? By choosing
your best working times, you may be able to get a piece of coursework done in half the
time!
2. How long should I work at a time?
Some people find that several half-hour sessions with 5 minute breaks work best, some
work better in “lecture slots” of 50 minutes with 10 minute breaks, others get absorbed for
2 or 3 hours at a time. You may need to plan a mixture of longer and shorter sessions. If
you are not sure, then experiment to find what you are most comfortable with. It is a good
idea, at least for the first few weeks, to keep a record of your weekly study times to that
you can see if you are working for about the right amount of time overall.
3. What about short time slots?
Using the odd 15 minutes here and there for organising or looking through notes can pay
dividends for future longer study sessions.
4. What about a reward?
Socialising after a good study session is often more enjoyable that leisure time taken
before going off the study. Most people also find it more difficult to tear themselves
away from leisure activities than from study sessions! A useful ploy may be to promise
yourself “I’ll just finish off this piece of coursework, then I’ll go down to the Union.”
Beware! the following entries in a student (anon) diary:
I’ve got loads of work to do so I’ll work through to midnight tonight
prepare desk for work
I’ve just remembered I didn’t finish that report for the Film Sock that I started in the
Maths lecture this morning
6.30 Found the TV mag. I’ll take a break at 8.30 as a reward. However, there is something
interesting on at 7pm ....
7.45 Back at desk. Whoops - should have rung Don, it’ll only take 5 mins
8.00 Back at desk again. Feel hungry, “time for a little something” as Pooh would say
9.00 Feel drowsy with a full stomach. First few sentences are difficult to concentrate on.
I’ll just watch TV while it goes down - I’ll feel less sleepy then.
10.00 I’m really ready to start now. Perhaps I’ll just see first if Emma wants a coffee ...
6pm
6.15
6.20
We can be incredibly inventive when it comes to finding reasons for not doing things!
Government Health Warning
Too many sessions like that above can seriously damage your self-esteem.
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‘Getting Started’ timetable
Time
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
12-1am
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10-11
11-12
12-1pm
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10-11
11-12
Your private study time per week estimate
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Fri
Sat
Sun
2. Studying Effectively
Conditions and Concentration
Having decided when you are going to study, you now need to consider where to study.
Obvious possibilities are your study bedroom or the library. On the other hand, if you want to
complete some coursework while it is fresh in your mind you might be able to find an empty
classroom in the department or use the departmental library.
Whatever your choice, ideally you should have





a chair and desk or table
comfortable temperature
quiet
good light
fresh air
Some students like to work with music in the background. However, this can act a built-in
distraction, as your brain has extra work to do in screening out the noise. Whatever
conditions you have worked in previously, you are now starting afresh in a new environment,
so it may be a good idea to review what works best for you. Bear in mind also that when you
leave university and get a job, you may need to concentrate under a whole variety of
conditions.
‘Concentration’ means focusing all your attention on the task in hand. You need to practise it
so that you can concentrate whatever the conditions. Effective concentration may be the key
to getting the job done better and in a shorter time.
Setting Objectives
Setting achievable goals for your study sessions can make the sessions more effective and
satisfying and promote a ‘feels good’ factor.
1. Set yourself a list of achievable objectives for the session. You will feel more motivated
as you gradually cross them off
2. Write down a time allocation for each item at the beginning
3. Record the actual time taken for each item
You can use the information in steps 2 and 3 to adjust future timetables, so that your session
objectives are always achievable. There is nothing more demoralising than never getting to
the end of what you hoped to achieve, so be realistic and keep reviewing.
You have to find a balance between your best performance at a particular task and spending a
reasonable amount of time on that task. If one particular task is taking too long, leave it and
perhaps come back to it at the end if you have time (or discuss it with another student first to
get a different perspective on it). Beware of unproductive time where you are going round in
mental circles: leave yourself enough time to keep up with everything else.
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Being Organised
There is often social pressure in schools, colleges and halls of residence to give an outward
appearance of incompetence and total disorganisation. Yet the people giving this impression
will usually have worked very hard to get where they are, and some will even end up with
first class degrees! Below you will find a list of typical statements which you may hear. 17
of them are negative in outlook, and only 3 are positive. Which do you identify with?
To Summarise
Work to improve your concentration so that you can achieve the objectives
of your study sessions, but be realistic in setting those objectives.
Statements: you may like to tick those that you think apply to you
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
I bet everyone here is cleverer than me
I don’t think I work as hard as I could
I couldn’t tell you how many hours I put in last week
I often seem to leave things like coursework till the last minute
I find it hard to get down to work and really ‘get going’
I don’t seem to be able to stick at a task for very long
I think that others do more than me
I don’t find it easy to talk to others openly about how much work I am doing
I’m never quite sure what I’ve got to do next
I’m not sure whether I’m doing enough or not
I tend to flit from one task to the other
I seem to work in some places better than others
I work rather irregularly, putting in lots of work one week and practically nothing the
next
I’m generally behind, sometimes several weeks behind schedule
There is no way I could do all the work I’m expected to
I’m not sure I do the most important things first
I’m not sure I can keep going right to the end of this course
And now for the positive ones:
18.
19.
20.
Deadlines help me to get down things
I get a real kick out of finishing things
I’m determined to get the best degree I can
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3. Lectures and Lecture Notes
Lectures
You will find outline syllabuses for each of the modules you are taking this year in the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics “Level 1 Handbook.”
For most modules, lectures are the most important guide and source of information. Most
will cover the syllabus pretty closely, and the depth of study will be directly relevant to any
end-of-module examinations.
There is a lot of ground to cover in most modules. The lecturers know this, and you need to
appreciate that the lecturers’ aims are to cover the material so that you understand it and can
complete your course successfully. Yes, lecturers actually want you to succeed! It reflects
well on both you and them if you do, so lectures are conducted with this in mind. But you are
most likely to succeed if you are actively involved in the lecture.
To make the best use of a lecture session you need to:







get there on time
take writing equipment, calculator and notes from the last lecture
listen
concentrate
take notes
don’t expect to understand everything straight away
ask questions
Lecturing Methods
Mathematics lecturers can adopt different methods of lecturing:
Lecturer A:
lectures and writes up the odd phrase on the board. The lecturer does not give
lecture notes so you have to decide how much to write. Assume that if
something is included, then the lecturer considers it important. So your only
real option is to take notes and use them with other resources to make your
own course notes in your private study time.
Lecturer B:
lectures broadly on the topic, but writes well-prepared, concise notes on the
board. You need to take these down and add any extra notes you require. If
the lecturer expresses and idea in an alternative way which immediately
‘clicks’, write it down before you forget!
Lecturer C:
provides complete course notes. The lecturer sometimes expects the student to
read through work in preparation for the next session. Are you mature enough
to cope with this?
Lecturer D:
gives references for material to be studied before the next session then
discusses and expands the topic in the lecture, hopefully with student input.
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This is not an exhaustive list: there will be Lecturers E, F, G .... all with their own variations.
You will probably meet them all. Some will lecture with style, others will just lecture. You
need the CONTENT, so go and get it!
Lecture Notes
It is useful to begin here by identifying WHY you are taking notes. What are your objectives
when you take lecture notes?
For most students, the answer is to provide a summary of the module content to refer to when
doing coursework or to use for examination revision. So your lecture notes are intended for
your own use only. Most people seem to work best from well structured notes with headings
and subheadings, so develop a structure that suits you. Consider leaving spaces to add your
own additional notes here and there.
Taking Lecture Notes for a Particular Module
Most students use A4 paper in ring binders or lever-arch files. It can work well, but needs
discipline to prevent it becoming a heap of illegible notes in a disordered muddle. If you
know that you are disorganised, you might like to think about using separate exercise books
for each course instead. These have advantages that they are smaller to carry around, pages
cannot get into a muddle and you have previous lecture notes on hand to refer to.
If you are going to use an A4 paper/ring binder system, here are some suggestions:
1. Put a photocopy of the module syllabus in the front of the file
2. To avoid muddled sheets always date your notes, number the pages for each module and
identify the module (with your own abbreviation) on each page.
3. Find the writing implements that suit you best. You will generally have time to underline
using a ruler but highlighting, etc can use up precious seconds when you could be
listening. Perhaps do this after the lecture (see also the section on ‘Making Revision
Notes’)
Storing Lecture Notes - Some Suggestions
1. Most of your notes are likely to be stored in ordered files in your room. They will become
too heavy and are far too valuable to carry around with you all day.
2. If you opt for exercise books for your notes, you must ensure that these are kept safe.
Nobody else can replace your own notes if they are lost.
3. A single ‘Current lecture note file’ with dividers can be taken to lecturers with a good
supply of A4 paper. You will probably find that it helps to have the last one or two
lectures in this file to refer to, so that you will be ready if the lecturer refers back. Some
students find it useful to move notes from this file to the storage file(s) each week.
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Making Revision Notes
Reviewing your notes to make revision notes can be done at any time. Some students prefer
to highlight lecture notes as they go along, if not in the lecture then very soon afterwards
while they can remember the most important points. Others prefer to wait until the end of a
complete module before reviewing and condensing. Whichever option you choose, you need
to ensure that your revision notes are in a form which helps you revise.
Beware other people’s lecture notes! Copying up someone else’s notes is never as good as
making your own. They are written in a manner which (hopefully!) makes sense to the writer,
but will not necessarily do so to other readers.
To Summarise:
Lecturers are there to help you to succeed. You are much more likely to be
successful if you can become actively involved in the lecture process, and
take effective, well-organised notes of your own. Try to remember this
when you are tempted to stay in bed rather than get up for a 9 o’clock
lecture!
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4. How to Get the Most Out of Tutorials
To be successful in learning mathematics you need to understand the subject matter. You can
continually test your understanding by applying what you have learnt to the example sheets
and/or coursework assignments.
The tutorial provides vital support to lectures. It gives you a chance to work on problems
with direct access to help in the form of a lecturer. The tutorial could be:


a large group tutorial run by the lecturer. Some modules are scheduled as (say) two
lectures (each 50 minutes) and one tutorial (50 minutes) per week, whilst other modules
may fit in tutorials at appropriate points at the lecturer’s discretion.
a small group tutorial with about four students working with their personal tutor
Be Prepared!
To get the maximum benefit from a tutorial you need to go prepared. Many students
undervalue tutorials. They feel that they do not get much out of them, and it is certainly true
that if you want to get the maximum benefit, you need to put in some preparatory work.
Before you go to a tutorial try to do at least some of the following:
1. Go through your lecture notes and identify the bits you do not understand
2. Try and sort out the problem yourself using textbooks or possibly by discussing with other
students on your course. You will often find that they are having trouble with the same
material as you, which will make you feel less dim!
3. Be clear about what you do not know so that you can go to the tutorial ready to get help.
4. Do all that you can of the relevant exercises BEFORE you go to the tutorial, so that you
can start immediately on the bits you can’t do while help is available.
5. A partially successful attempt on a problem is often followed by subconscious thinking
time, and this can be useful when you get to the tutorial in giving you new ideas of your
own. So don’t leave the problems until the last minute.
You are unlikely to be an ideal student all of the time. If you haven’t done some of the above,
then still go to the tutorial, because at the very least it will give you time to attempt the
outstanding problems and you will hear the lecturer’s ‘pearls of wisdom’ on the problems!
There is nothing a lecturer likes more than being busy helping students in a tutorial, as it
means that the students have been motivated enough to prepare for the tutorial well in
advance.
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To Summarise:
If you really want to succeed on a mathematics course then attending
lectures and tutorials has to be given top priority.
A recent graduate made the following comments:
1. Go to the lectures and take your own lecture notes
2. Make good use of the tutorials and example classes by going and actively
participating in them and use them to sort out your problems
3. Getting a degree will be many times harder than it need be if you don’t!
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5. Playing the Coursework Game to Win
Student performance in a course module is assessed by coursework assessment and/or
examination. Most modules involve some coursework component, which may count
anything from 25% to 100% of the overall module mark. More details are available for
particular modules in your Level 1 Handbook.
An Opportunity!
As student performance in continuous assessment tends to be better than in examinations, you
have a real opportunity to accumulate marks through the module. This may be specially
important to you if you already know that you find taking examinations difficult.
Continuous Assessment of Coursework
For any piece of assessed coursework you must clearly know/understand:



who has set the work and will mark it - this gives you a target audience
what is required - topic, depth, length
the completion date ie your deadline
It can be very difficult to judge how much time and effort should be given to a particular
piece of coursework, so if you are not sure it is very important that you get this information
from the lecturer. It is not a good idea to try and guess!
Time Management and Deadlines
Students seem to have a love/hate relationship with assessment deadlines.
On the one hand:
“Deadlines help me get down to work”
but on the other hand:
“Help! It’s Monday and this assessment has to be in tomorrow!”
When you eventually get a job you will be expected to meet deadlines all the time, so NOW
is a good time to get in some practice.
Make sure that you record deadline dates (and possibly even times) carefully. Then try to
start work on the assignment as soon as possible. This way, you will have time to sort out
any problems you may encounter in a less frantic manner, and if you require special facilities
such as computing you will not be queuing up for these and missing other lectures as a result.
If you leave the coursework until the last minute you will be too busy panicking to be able to
think problems through clearly, and you may find yourself having to get up literally in the
middle of the night to get access to the facilities you require.
In general, the students who achieve the highest coursework marks are those who get
organised.
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Discussion or Collusion?
If you get started on your coursework in good time and encounter problems, then you will
probably find it useful to talk to other students on your course about these, and you may be
able to solve the problems together. Most lecturers would regard such discussions as being
valuable, and certainly teamwork is much prized in the working environment. However, once
you have solved the problem together, it is a good idea to go away and write up the work in
your own words. This will have the benefit that you can ensure that you really do understand
what you discussed. Also many lecturers do not take kindly to marking several identical
pieces of work; they may decide that as you shared the work you should also share the marks
(or even you may get no marks at all!). So beware! See the Student Handbook for a
discussion of plagiarism.
What to do if you get Behind
If you begin to miss deadlines it will not go unnoticed for long. The lecturer of your module,
and probably also your personal tutor and director of undergraduate studies will be aware of
assignments which have not been given in. It would be best to go and find them before they
find you!
If you are behind because of illness, etc then it is best to go and see the lecturer(s) concerned,
apologise and either take the work with you or ask if an extension would be possible. It is
better, although not essential for short illnesses, if you can produce some medical evidence.
See the Student Handbook for details of what to do if you are ill.
If you are behind for other reasons you could try the same tactics as above, but preferably
before the submission date which you are going to miss. You may or may not find the
lecturer sympathetic!
To Summarise:
 Remember that coursework marks really do count.
 Make sure that you know exactly when coursework deadlines are, and
do not leave all the work until the last possible moment.
 Ensure that you are giving in your work and not somebody else’s!
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6. Help, I’m Still Having Problems!
Few students will sail through their degree course without ever having study problems. The
reasons underlying individual problems can be simple but quite often they are numerous and
complex.
If you think you have a study problem, ask yourself the following questions:


can I get by without addressing the problem?
Am I going to achieve my potential if I ignore the problem?
If you answer NO to either of the above questions then the problem needs to be addressed.
What can you do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Recognise a problem exists
Identify the problem
Think about the reasons underlying the problem
Try to solve the problem yourself by producing a list of options or alternatives
TALK TO SOMEONE BEFORE IT ALL GETS OUT OF HAND
If the problems is already out of hand, then it is even more urgent that you talk it through
with someone.
Who will Listen?
Talking through problems with friends or other students on your course can be helpful but if
your work is being seriously affected you need to discuss the problem with someone in the
department. You can raise a study problem with:




your personal tutor
the director of undergraduate studies
one of the module lecturers
anyone else in the department who you feel you can talk to
The undergraduate office staff will help you contact your personal tutor etc. if you have
problems finding them.
YOU MUST GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO LISTEN AND SEE IF THEY
CAN HELP YOU RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
The Student Counselling Service
Personal or emotional problems can affect your ability to study effectively. Talking through
problems with one of the student counsellors is another option. It is a confidential service.
Appointments can be made via the Health Centre Reception, phone extension 9498.
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While at University you might have the following
objectives:
 to have an interesting and enjoyable time
 to get a (good) degree
 to get a (good) job
We hope that this booklet has been useful
and
wish you every success!
If you have any comments about this booklet, please give
them to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
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