Question

What is the most important consideration that should be made in planning a study?

Answer 1

Creating a study plan is a good way to manage your time effectively to make sure you are able to complete all the work for your modules or topics before assessment deadlines and exams. Below is an example of a study planning method you can use to plan your time by month and make sure you’re using different study strategies to space out your learning.

Types of study strategies

Here’s a compilation of different techniques that you can use as part of a spaced revision plan to make your revision more effective:

Reading

Reading: Reading academic texts relevant to your topic is an important, but time-consuming, part of many degrees. Make sure you read the texts well in advance to leave enough time to revise or recap them during revision.

Note-taking

Note-taking: Effective note-taking is key to starting off any good project and using time to make useful notes will help you in the long run of your assessment. The key to making good notes is to make sure you are not just re-writing what the author is saying! The Cornell note system is one great method to use when making notes but if you’d like to brush up on your note-taking technique have a look at this My Learning Essentials resource on Note-making.

Reflection

Reflection: Reflecting upon what knowledge you already know, want to know and what you have learnt (also known as the KWL technique) is a good way to review what stage you are at with learning a topic. Putting in some time to do this when tackling revision will help you to ensure that your time is spent appropriately.

Group study

Group study: Studying as a group is a great way to support your peers and get clarification on anything you may struggle with. It’s easy to forget exactly how much we can learn from each other! My Learning Essentials have a brilliant online resource explores the skills involved in working collaboratively to help you to maximise the success of your project. If you want some quick top tips you can listen to a podcast on group work here.

I hope it helps you