10 top tips to manage your essay
• Start early
• Find out marking criteria
• Keep one idea per
paragraph
• Understand the question
• Use the correct
referencing style
• Organise your thoughts,
ideas and information
• Acknowledge the ideas of
others
• Create outline structure
• Draft and redraft
• Edit and proof read
10 top tips to manage your time
• Get a diary
• Get going
• Get organised
• Get to know yourself
• Get your priorities right
• Get focused
• Get informed
• Get a life
• Get motivated
• Get a disaster plan
10 top tips to manage your exam
• Start early
• Stay focused
• Plan your revision
schedule
• Practice relaxation
techniques
• Prioritise your topics
• Arrive early to exam hall
• Schedule in breaks
• Attempt all required
questions
• Practice past exam
questions
• Stay until the end of the
exam
10 top tips to avoid procrastination
• Start early
• Cross tasks off lists when
completed
• Break down
responsibilities into
smaller tasks.
• Reward yourself for tasks
completed
• Do hardest tasks first
• Get support from others
• Focus on effort not
results
• Build on past successes
• Just do 5 minutes work
now!
10 top tips for your presentation
• Plan in advance
• Engage the audience
• Create an outline
• Know your audience
• Practice breathing and stress
management techniques to
manage nerves
• Practice and time your
presentation
• Be aware of eye contact, voice
and body language
• Keep slides clear and simple
• Practice using the technology
and equipment
• Predict and prepare answers
to questions from audience
10 top tips for taking notes
• Be brief
• Be legible
• Use abbreviations
• Listen for key points
• Use your own words
• Summarise information
• Review notes before and
after lectures
• Look for links and
patterns
• Keep notes tidy and
organised
• Compare note taking
style and content with
friends
10 top tips for critical thinking
• Analyse information rather
than accepting it on face value
• Give evidence to back up your
position
• Ask questions: Who? What?
Where? Why? When?
• Present information clearly
• Start with a strong introduction
• Look at alternative arguments
or perspectives
• Think of the topic from all
angles
• Check for any flaws or bias in
research
• Link your points
• End on a strong conclusion
10 top tips for citing and referencing
• Check which referencing style
your department uses
•
Use the correct format (e.g.
author, date, title and publisher)
• Keep records of information
sources on index cards
•
Check your sources for accuracy
•
Proof read your references before
submitting an assignment
•
Make use of automated
referencing systems (e.g.
Endnote)
•
•
For further information refer to
http://www.tcd.ie/library/support/ref
erencing.php
• Always acknowledge the work
and ideas of others
• Use exact page number for
quotations
• Translate ideas into your own
words
10 top tips literature reviews
• Understand what you want
from the review
• Define your key questions
• Define the scope and direction
of the review
• Prepare a draft outline of key
concepts
• Keep a record of the sources
and information you gather
• Critically evaluate the literature
and the extent to which it
answers your question
• Refine your search for recent
and relevant information
• Check your sources for
accuracy
• Link points clearly
• Evaluate the clarity and
structure of your argument
10 top tips for your memory
• Create meaning to improve
storage and recall of
information
• Test yourself to see if you can
recall information
• Ask questions
• Summarise information in
bullet points
• Create strong images, mind
maps or patterns
• Learn new information when
your mind is freshest
• Teach someone else
• Use memory aids such as
mnemonics (e.g. making up
words or sentences to
remember facts.)
• Draw on practical examples
where possible (e.g. lab
demonstrations)
• Practice past exam questions