This is the second in our series of blog posts sharing study tips from UoC students. These tips were gathered during library pop-up events in 2024, particularly the popular Library Loves Feedback Valentine pop-up. We hope you find these tips helpful and please share your own tips via this Live Well Learn Well Study Tips padlet.
Plan ahead
Planning is key; take it seriously.
Keep note of when work is due. Think ahead and plan as much as possible. To do lists are my life.
Plan everything in advance to make starting the task easier and less daunting.
Plan ahead! Make a vision board. Keep it real.
Chunk up your time: organise time so you’re treating your day like work, including designated breaks
Break large assignments down into stages & turn each stage into a separate task. Set yourself weekly goals. Little and often: don’t panic!
Write up notes after the lesson & develop a plan for the week.
See the Planning Your Assignments section on the Writing at University page for more guidance and planning templates.
Research and reading
You cannot research enough!
Skim read literature – sometimes you may not need to read the whole paper so read the abstract and then put useful ones aside in your own personal reading list.
Go to the Finding Information page for more resources and guidance on searching and evaluating information.
Notetaking and active learning
Start making notes for your assignment ASAP. This way you prepare without rushing and spending lots of energy trying to do in all in one sit.
Use mindmaps to lay out/organise references.
Write actual notes; don’t just study from computer screen.
Mindmaps. Bullet points. Colour codes. Write them and say them out loud.
Highlight as you’re reading academic articles to make picking out key points and annotating easier.
Highlighters are a must: different colours for different things.
Use whiteboards and videos to visualise and consolidate knowledge.
Visit the Reading and Notetaking page for more hints and tips from UoC students.
Related webinars
November 2024 is a bumper month for webinars when the skills@cumbria team will be offering related webinars such as Searching, Planning Research, the Reading Process and Organising Notes, and much more. Visit the Webinars page for information and booking details.