As you approach the end of semester you may find that most of your work is due at the same time. Yikes! Not only that - you have exams approaching fast. This can be stressful, especially if this is your first time, or if you haven’t done so well in past semesters. It is always worth remembering that you’re not alone. Form a study group and try these approaches to make studying more fun! ...by Damian Gleeson and Romany Manuell.
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Study at uni can be a lonely business. Why not reach out to some people in your tutorial and form a study group? Ideally, a study group consists of 4 or 5 members… any more than that, and you’re looking at a party!
The DISC questionnaire can be a useful tool for determining your group members’ personalities and approaches to work. This can help you to identify the variety of strengths and areas that need work among your team mates. Once you’ve worked all this out, you may find something like this:
- Student A is quiet, but takes meticulous lecture notes. Student A is a useful resource for the group for this reason. He’s a top record-keeper of key lecture content.
- Student B is talkative and energetic. She is great at remembering conversations and important insights from your tutor. She’s both likeable and a natural leader. Combined with Student A’s lecture notes, you have the lecture and tute materials covered.
- Student C’s strength is research and reading. They got a HD for the first assignment and your tutor singled out their excellent research, citing and referencing skills. Someone with this much attention to detail is a great resource to ensure that your group is at its most effective when revising the semester’s content.
- Student D is also quiet and is not confident about her English language skills. However, she has work experience in the field you are studying, which allows her to clearly see and explain why the unit’s content is relevant to your group’s future professions.
Revision - turn a boring chore into clever fun
If this describes you and the way you like to work (left), take advantage of it (right). Why not take advantage of the way you like to work?
I like
setting and meeting goals
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Use a
to-do list
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I work
best against the clock
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Try the
Pomodoro technique
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I like to
draw or doodle
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Use mind
maps to outline how to solve a problem
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I like
music
|
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I’m a
night owl. I enjoy staying up late
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Study when
you are most alert and do mundane tasks when you are least alert
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Solve
questions from the textbook
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A no
brainer
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If there
are few questions, turn chapter titles into questions then practise answering
them.
For
example:
Chapter titles
●
Managing
in a global environment
●
Social
responsibility and managerial ethics
●
Managing
change and innovation
●
Motivating
employees
(Robbins,
Bergman, Stagg, & Coulter, 2012)
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Requires a
brain
Questions
●
What
issues arise for managers in a global environment?
●
What is
social responsibility and how do managerial ethics apply to it?
●
How are
change & innovation best managed?
●
Why & how do
managers motivate employees?
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If you remain uncertain about how to be efficient and take joy in your academic work, don’t forget a friendly Librarian or Learning Skills Adviser is available to speak with you at a drop in.
Damian Gleeson is a learning skills adviser and Romany Manuell is a subject librarian at Caulfield Library.
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