Tips for First Year Students: Study Skills
and Time Management
Presenter: Lucy Hearne
Department of Education and
Professional Studies
Key Points
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Inform yourself about the UL system,
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i.e. library, web, Student Academic Handbook, timetable, deadlines,
feedback, support systems
Moore et al (2010) advise:
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Set up good study habits from start of year
Identify skills you already have and those you may need to develop –
through feedback and critical reflection
Manage stress: Goal set, time manage and prioritise
Take care of yourself, physically and psychologically
Academic Skills at Third Level
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STUDY SKILLS
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NOTE-TAKING
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RESEARCHING
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CRITICAL READING SKILLS
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ANALYTICAL THINKING SKILLS
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WRITING
PRACTICAL STUDY SKILLS
(4 element model)
STUDY SKILLS
1. Planning & Goal
Setting
2. Time
Management
3. Organising &
Concentrating
4. Learning Techniques
1. Planning & Goal Setting

Planning involves setting SMART
study goals
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S Specific – is my reason for
doing the course clear and precise?
M Manageable - are the
resources and opportunities
available?
A Attainable – is it within my
ability?
R Realistic – will my
circumstances allow it?
T Time – how much time will it
involve?
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As a final word, remember –
Rome was not built in a day.
Goals are achieved in small steps…
2. Time Management
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Make a timetable
Plan most demanding activities for times when you work best
Fit short tasks into spare moments in the day
Be realistic - don’t try to achieve the impossible
Prioritise important and urgent tasks
2. Time Management
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Be flexible - allow extra time for emergencies
Decide where you study best and stick to it
Organise your notes
Time for Self-Care: fit in exercise, socialising and
rest
Learn to say ‘NO’
3. Organising and Concentrating
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Quiet, warm, private space
dedicated to study
Undisturbed – living areas not
ideal
University library facilities
Study in blocks of time - 40 to
60 minutes
Concentration levels only last for
so long – vary subjects or topics
Reward yourself
4. Learning Techniques

Identify your intelligence/learning style: e.g. linguistic,
visual/spatial, logical/mathematical (Gardner, 1999,2006)

Connect with your Senses:
Audio tapes, concept maps, diagrams, case studies, study
groups, study buddy, index cards
(from Moore et al, 2010)
Reading Techniques
The SQ3R Method:
preview or survey text,
ask yourself questions,
read text carefully
recall main points
review text again
Note-taking Techniques
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Taking Lecture Notes:
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Attend lectures – don’t depend on other students’ notes
Sit where you can hear and see lecturer
Use symbols, abbreviations and shortened words
Listen for tips and guides from lecturers
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For Revision Purposes- Use highlighting, underlining, boxing, ringing,
arrows for linking
Note-taking Techniques: from Published
Works
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Record title of book/journal; full name of author/s; publisher, date, edition & place
of publication of a book; volume number and page numbers of the journal article
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Chapter in book: follow rules of book but also title of chapter & author/s
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Note main topic areas and most important points in short form
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Read Introduction and Conclusion first to get an overview
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Check all headings to establish relevance
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Check index at back for specific topics
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Check reference list at end for further references to source
Critical Reading Skills
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Identify Line of Reasoning (angle; viewpoint; position held;
case made)
Critically Evaluate Line of Reasoning (logical progression;
relevant, contributing & sufficient propositions; flawed
reasoning)
Question Surface Appearances (sufficient evidence; other
explanations; biases; hidden agendas etc)
Identify Evidence in Text (statistics; case histories; real
experiences; anecdotal evidence)
Critical Reading Skills
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Evaluate the Evidence – Valid Criteria (date of
research; source; bias; allure of numbers; emotive
language; persuasive language)
Identify the Writer’s Conclusions (therefore; so;
hence; thus; must; should; need to; recommend)
Evaluate Whether the Evidence Supports the
Conclusions (are the conclusions supported by the
evidence and argument presented?)
Academic Words Used in Essay and
Assignment Titles
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Analyse: examine in very close detail, identify important points, pros and
cons
Evaluate: critically make an opinion of the worth of something, assessing
strength of the evidence on both sides with criteria (theory) to guide
argument
Define: give the exact meaning of
Describe: give a detailed account
Discuss: offer both opposing and supporting argument
Explore: examine from various standpoints, showing the implications
Identify: show your knowledge of a topic
Illustrate: make something clear and explicit, giving examples or
evidence
The Examination Process
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Used to check you understand the course
Ensures the work is entirely your own
Helps with balance for those who do better in
exams than continuous assessments through year
Involves high level of focus and adrenalin
Intensive learning for short period of time
Advantages of Exams
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Not expected to give long detailed answers
Do not involve research – only revision
Do not have to use references
Examiners sympathetic to minor grammatical errors,
handwriting, and forgotten details
(Cottrell, 2003)
Plus - they are over and done with in 2 or 3 hours!
Exams: Preparation and Performance
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Means of increasing your grades
Continuous assessment, have to be taken
Don’t reinvent wheel – concentrate on content of course completed
Use resources: essays, reports, lecture notes and reading lists
Exams vary depending on types of courses – i.e. practical based vs.
written – same principles apply regarding preparation, stress
management, timing and focus
Exams are all about ‘remembering’
Involves cramming – you cannot cover everything so have to be
strategic in approach
Manage Stress by…
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Keeping a positive mindset
Good time management
Prioritising daily and weekly activities around revision and exams
Asking for support from others if needed
Getting rest, exercise and eating well
Drinking lots of water
Avoiding people who are: under-confident or super-confident, and
those who panic
Not engaging in post-mortems after exams, move on to next one –
you cannot change the past
Rewarding yourself regularly
Memory Techniques
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Devise memory triggers such
mnemonics
e.g. C.R.E.A.M. (creative,
reflective, effective, active, motivated)
•
Repetition or over-learning from short
essays
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Writing things down, rewriting over
and over
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Auditory memorising – from tapes
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Visual memorising – from flashcards,
pyramids, patterns and mind-maps
Memory Techniques
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Mind Maps / Spider Plans
are a visual technique to
help you recall information
if you tend to be a visual
learner
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Create links on a topic by
drawing a map of it
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Check Tony Buzan on
Mind Map techniques
Memory Techniques
Chunking and Repetition
Chunking = grouping information into chunks and holding it in
your short-term memory
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Repetition = going back over information again and again to keep
it fresh in your memory
Use these techniques at end of every study session and end of
week
Memory Techniques
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Mnemonics
Memory aid for basic lists of items, concepts or important
sequences
e.g. My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas
This stands for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
(Moore et al, 2010)
References
Moore, S., Neville, C., Murphy, M., & Connolly, C. (2010) The Ultimate
Study Skills Handbook. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Northedge, A. (2007) The Good Study Guide. Milton Keynes: Oxford
University Press.
Rose, J. (2007) The Mature Student’s Guide to Writing (2nd ed.).
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Good Luck