“By creating we think, by living we learn” Patrick Geddes
There are a range of skills you will need to develop to be successful in your studies. We will of course help you develop these academic skills. For further advice about academic skills, please visit the Academic Achievement Teaching Unit website.
Alongside developing these new skills you need to think about how you study.
The sooner you can implement a regular routine for study the better. Take responsibility for your own learning.
Chose a place to study that is suitable, well lit, equipped and free from distractions. Sitting reading a book in front of the television is not active learning.
Invest in the equipment, tools and books you need.
Work at the same times each day to get you into the habit of studying regularly. Routines work. Decide how long you can productively work each day. Working in short bursts is generally more effective than working for hours. Think about which times you study best at and organise your routine accordingly.
Make a list each day of what you what to achieve to keep you on track. You may wish to have a small reward system in place for achieving your goals e.g. call a friend, listen to a favourite track, or grab a hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Make sure you have the tools you need with you at the start of each day. Prepare yourself by assembling notes, equipment and handbooks and keep them to hand.
Before you arrive at a tutorial or lab review the theory or background and read through any relevant material. You will be able to participate more effectively in the activity and benefit more from the activity.
Always make clear notes for every learning situation so that you have a complete bank of information you can refer to and use for assignments, revision and examinations.
Review your notes at the end of each day and follow up with reading or research to expand your knowledge and understanding. Organise your notes logically in dedicated files for each subject or module.
Mind maps and diagrams can be very helpful for pulling ideas together and understanding the links.
Practise scanning material to check whether it is useful rather than wasting time reading unhelpful material. Make more use of content and index pages.
Every time you learn about a new concept, viewpoint or school of thought think about whether you agree or disagree, what the strengths and weaknesses of the concept are and whether you think there is a better alternative and why. Write your thoughts down next to your notes.
Consider whether your computing and IT skills are fully working for you. IT awareness@Dundee is there to help you.
Make a detailed plan before starting to write an essay, that is, plan your introduction, content and conclusion. Decide on your argument and the main topic for each section. You will find it much easier to write if you have a structure. The reader of your work needs a clear structure to follow too. Signpost where you are going and give the reader all the information they need.
Give yourself enough time to undertake the task. Rushing inevitably leads to mistakes.
State your thoughts clearly and explain how and why you have arrived at your conclusions.
Leave enough time to check your work before submission. Errors and mistakes will not impress the marker.
Accurately and methodically cite all the sources you have used. Do not try to pass another's work off as your own as plagiarism is taken very seriously. Once you begin your studies, you will have access to a Module on My Dundee which will help you with this. The module is called 'Write Attributes'.
Ensure you carefully save all your work.
Remember ask if you are not sure. Staff are here to help you and understand.
Remember there are academic skills sessions available throughout the year to help with assessments, essay writing and passing exams. Visit the Academic Achievement Teaching Unit website for more information.
Review the feedback you receive after every task so that you learn from the process and improve in future.
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