STUDY SKILLS
Fail to prepare
Prepare to Fail!
Why study?
IT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED – IT’S THAT SIMPLE!
• Make a commitment. What is the point of spending all the
time in school to end up with poor results at the end of
the day? Time is precious – use it wisely – take a small
piece of time to study what you have learned – then time
is school was not wasted time.
• Believe in yourself –your teachers believe
that you can do well – you need to believe it too!
• Try your best – that’s all we ask. Not trying at all is a
waste of time.
BE ORGANISED
• Have all course content unit notes / text books /
jotters / revision exercise to hand.
• Find a suitable place to study – with NO distractions.
• Find appropriate times to study.
• Use a study timetable.
• Allocate 45-60 minute blocks per subject.
• Try to study no more than 4 subjects per study
session.
• You may feel it useful to do intensive study on one
subject on one evening per week – to test how much
you have retained.
SAMPLE TIMETABLE
SESSION 1
6-6.45 pm
SESSION 2
7-7.45 pm
SESSION 3
8-8.45 pm
MONDAY
English
Topic:
French
Topic:
Music
Topic:
TUESDAY
Chemistry
Topic:
Graph Comm
Topic:
BM
Topic: Unit 1
English
Topic:
French
Topic:
Music
Topic:
Chemistry
Topic:
Graph Comm
Topic:
BM
Topic: Unit 2
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
SESSION 1
10-10.45 am
English
Topic:
Chemistry
Topic:
SESSION 2
11-11.45 am
French
Topic:
Graph Comm
Topic:
SESSION 3
3-3.45pm
BM
Topic: Unit 3
Music
Topic:
SESSION 4
9-9.45 pm
Maths
Topic:
Art
Topic:
Maths
Topic:
Art
Topic:
SESSION 4
4-4.45 pm
Maths
Topic:
Art
Topic:
SESSION 5
6-6.45 pm
How to organise study sessions
• Target a unit/topic per session.
• Find the key elements of the topic
(it may be in a list on your text/notes).
• Create your own brief lists/maps on each point at the start
of the session to focus on what you will study.
• Now read the text/notes you have been given by your
teacher. Do you remember this content?
• Finally, access sample questions and test yourself on
these questions.
Train your brain - Visuals
• Use visual aids – pictures, diagrams, make
wordles.
Train your brain – Mind Maps
• Use Mind Maps to keep all the key elements of a topic on
one page.
Train your brain - Mnemonics
• Use mnemonics to remember key words & order.
Train your brain - Quiz
• Make up a quick quiz to test whether you know the
answers to key questions.
Healthy body, Healthy Mind
• Take regular breaks, stop every 45-60 mins for a break.
(Don’t take longer than a 15 min break – you may lose your motivation to study.)
• Drink plenty of water – to hydrate your brain.
• Eat healthy foods, not junk.
• Get plenty of sleep. A well rested brain absorbs more
information and processes information more quickly.
• Seek help. If you need help – ask! Your teachers are
paid to help you succeed – they will help you. Attend
supported study sessions that are offered.
• Be confident. A confident and relaxed brain works
much better than a worried brain!
The Exam – Techniques for Success
• Tip 1 – Read ALL questions on the paper before you start.
• Tip 2 – You could use a ‘confidence code’ to identify strengths
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and weaknesses.
√ - know this and can answer the question.
? – I think I know this/could get 2/4 marks.
X – I don’t know the answer to this.
Tip 3 - Do the √ Qs first, then those marked ?. In an exam –
you could leave space for those questions you are unsure of
and come back to those.
Tip 4 - Attempt ALL Questions. Never leave a blank you have a
50% chance of gaining a mark if there is something written
down and 100% chance of losing the mark if not.
Tip 5 - Never leave the exam hall early. Review all your
questions and if necessary add to or change questions.
Useful Links
The following is a list of websites that are useful in suporting your
study;
• Subject Content - BBC Bitesize –
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/education
SQA – Specimen Papers and 2014 Past Papers http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/69284.html
http://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm
SQA Exam Timetable 2015 –
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/ExamTimetable2015.pdf
Text Books http://www.brightredbooks.net/subjects
http://www.leckieandleckie.co.uk/index.html
Ask your teachers to give you links to websites that are relevant to your
subjects.