Undergraduate workshop on improving study skills and strategies.

1. Understanding change, setting goals,
managing your time, SAC resources.

2. During this workshop we will:
Identify the differences between university and high school
Consider what makes a good study aim
Look at how to improve your language skills
Highlight some study resources
SAC Guided Independent Learning

3. Discuss the differences between high school and
university.
Management
Time with Use and type
of your time:
teachers of resources
who and how?
Learning Types of
activities Assessment
SAC Guided Independent Learning

4. High school University
All the day is taken up with Fewer taught hours/hours in a
timetabled classes. class.
The classes are teacher led. The classes are student centred.
The students have to become
The students are told exactly
autonomous and manage their
what to do by the teacher.
time.
The teacher allows the students The teacher tries to make the
to be dependent on the teacher. students less teacher dependent.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

5. At school your teacher was at the centre of everything and
managed your time and studies.
Do this Do that for
exercise. homework.
Read that
part of the Study this
book. for the test.
A good student does what the teacher tells them to do.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

6. At university YOU are responsible for how you spend your time.
Completes all
work on time
Explores ideas Understands
how to learn
Good
learner
Identifies own Plans own
strengths and time
weaknesses effectively
Asks questions in
class and to their
tutor
SAC Guided Independent Learning

7. Your university experience is made up of more than your
studies and your grades.
A successful university
life is a result of the Personal
combination of your
studies, activities and
the relationships you
make. Social
Academic
SAC Guided Independent Learning

8. Study groups have many advantages.
You practice You get different
You get, and give,
teamwork and perspectives on a
support
communication topic
You form relationships You practise skills you
that are useful for will need in your
university and beyond working life
SAC Guided Independent Learning

9. A comfort zone is a situation in which your ability and
determination are not being tested.
This is true for study as well.
When someone suggests
We have ways we like
trying something new,
to do things.
we resist it…
…and
But if you …and decide to
sometimes
consider it… try it…
get angry.
…you might realise the new way of doing things can
work for you even better than your original way.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

10. What time of What aspect of
What is your preferred
day can you your studies are
study style? (groups /
work at your you most
alone / quiet / music)
best? interested in?
What aspect of
What do you What aspect of your
your language
find difficult language learning do
learning do you
about time you feel you are
feel you are
management? strong in?
weak in?
Which aspects of language are most important for your
degree?
SAC Guided Independent Learning

11. Is has been said that the most successful students are the ones who set
long-term aims for themselves (Byram 2004).
You also need to set short-term achievable goals.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

12. Is has been said that the most successful students are the ones who set
long-term aims for themselves (Byram 2004).
You also need to set short-term achievable goals.
Aims for the year
SAC Guided Independent Learning

13. Is has been said that the most successful students are the ones who set
long-term aims for themselves (Byram 2004).
You also need to set short-term achievable goals.
Aims for the year
Aims for the semester
SAC Guided Independent Learning

14. Is has been said that the most successful students are the ones who set
long-term aims for themselves (Byram 2004).
You also need to set short-term achievable goals.
Aims for the year
Aims for the semester
Aims for the week
SAC Guided Independent Learning

15. Is has been said that the most successful students are the ones who set
long-term aims for themselves (Byram 2004).
You also need to set short-term achievable goals.
Aims for the year
Aims for the semester
Aims for the week
Aims for the day
SAC Guided Independent Learning

16. Is has been said that the most successful students are the ones who set
long-term aims for themselves (Byram 2004).
You also need to set short-term achievable goals.
Aims for the year
How does what you are
Aims for the semester
doing today lead towards
your future? the week
Aims for
Aims for the day
SAC Guided Independent Learning

17. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

18. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
Aims should be:
S
M
A
R
T
SAC Guided Independent Learning

19. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
Aims should be:
S pecific
Is it clear
M exactly what
you want to
A do?
R
T
SAC Guided Independent Learning

20. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
Aims should be:
S pecific
How will you
M easurable know you
have
A finished?
R
T
SAC Guided Independent Learning

21. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
Aims should be:
S pecific
Are you able
M easurable to do what
you want to
Achievable do?
R
T
SAC Guided Independent Learning

22. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
Aims should be:
S pecific
Is it directly
M easurable related to
your learning
Achievable goal?
R elevant
T
SAC Guided Independent Learning

23. When you are writing a learning aim, make sure it is useful.
Aims should be:
S pecific
M easurable Is there a
time limit?
Achievable
R elevant
T imebound
SAC Guided Independent Learning

24. What are the problems with these aims?
S pecific
M easurable
“I want to learn 30
Achievable new words a day.”
R elevant
T imebound
SAC Guided Independent Learning

25. What are the problems with these aims?
Is it…
S pecific
M easurable
“I want to learn 30
Achievable new words a day.”
R elevant
T imebound
SAC Guided Independent Learning

26. What are the problems with these aims?
S pecific
M easurable
“I want to improve
Achievable my listening.”
R elevant
T imebound
SAC Guided Independent Learning

27. What are the problems with these aims?
Is it…
S pecific
M easurable
“I want to improve
Achievable my listening.”
R elevant
T imebound
SAC Guided Independent Learning

28. Write study aims for some aspects of your studies.
Example: “Practice note taking from lectures during the
4 weeks until the listening exam.”
Prioritize your study tasks according to your personal
goals.They could be by the day, week, semester or year.
What is most important for you?
When do you need to finish things?
Are your study aims SMART?
SAC Guided Independent Learning

29. An evaluation of essay writing ability
Use the self-evaluation table to help determine how
well you you are able to plan, research, write and edit
an essay.
Decide how weak (1) or strong (5) you are at each of
the Features of writing academic essays.
Then think of different strategies that you could use to
improve your weak areas
SAC Guided Independent Learning

30. SAC Guided Independent Learning

31. Follow the same procedure for all your language and study
skills. Use your course notes and tutors’ advice to help.
Make sure that your study strategies are SMART!
SAC Guided Independent Learning

32. How much time do you think a university student spends
In
In lectures Reading
seminars
It can sometimes be difficult to find the time to do things.
But you may actually have more time than you think.
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/TMInteractive.html
If you use your time effectively you will be able to do all
the things you need to do to be successful in your studies.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

33. Passive Active
knowledge
knowledge (e.g. ability to
use a word) is
(e.g. word comparatively
recognition) small
is very large
SAC Guided Independent Learning

34. There are numerous self study sites on the internet,
resources in the SAC, on WebCT, etc which you could use for
listening practice.
No matter which resources you choose to use, it is important
to remember to be an active listener:
• have a purpose when you are listening
• stop thinking about outside distractions
• having a listening plan that addresses the problems with
listening that you have previously identified
SAC Guided Independent Learning

35. In addition to the reading you do for your degree, you should
be reading something every day.
What you read mostly depends on you. Try to select reading
material that you are interested in, or could become
interested in. If you like computer games, read a magazine
about the latest developments in the gaming world, or if you
like fashion, find websites or magazines that look at different
fashion houses, etc.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

36. At UNNC there are numerous reading resources in the
library, SAC, on webCT, etc.
* Graded readers * The Internet
- SAC
* Magazines * Novels
- National Geographic - SAC
* Newspapers
- China Daily
- library collection
SAC Guided Independent Learning

37. Although some studies show that good writers do more
writing than poor writers, increasing the amount of writing
that students do does not increase their writing proficiency.
Language acquisition comes from input, not output, from
comprehension, not production.
Thus, if you write a page a day, your writing style or your
command of mechanics will not improve. However, other
good things may result from your writing, such as improved
communication and improved clarity of and stimulation of
thinking.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

38. It is very likely that increasing the amount of reading you do
will lead to you have a better understanding and experience
of different styles of writing and will eventually help you
improve your writing. For example, reading novels will
provide at least some of the features of essay style, and
reading lots of essays will develop essay-type style.
Furthermore, you need to identify your weaknesses in
writing (if you have any) and concentrate on improving your
writing in those areas.
For example, if your problem is grammar accuracy, get a
good grammar practice book and work your way through it
as well as doing the exercises on WebCT.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

39. Improving your speaking is not difficult.
It does involve work from you, but the results of targeted
practice should become apparent within a fairly short period.
What you have to do first is identify the areas where you
have difficulty and concentrate on improving them.
Working with a partner or a small group outside class to have
discussions and to present information about books read,
tasks completed, lectures attended, etc and receiving
feedback from your peers will help.
Also, speaking English in all situations, academic and social
will help improve your English.
SAC Guided Independent Learning

40. What else?
Passport to Autonomy in
Collaboration with Tutors
SAC Guided Independent Learning

41.  Improve your English.
 Develop your independent study skills.
 Get guidance from a senior student.
 Meet people & make friends.
 Develop social, organisational and time
management skills.
Why not become a Mentor next year?
SAC Guided Independent Learning

42. Tutor
Mentor Mentor Mentor Mentor
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
SAC Guided Independent Learning

43. Academic Support Self Access Centre
Clinic – SSB118 – AB308
Drop in Language
Advisory
Resource
Consultation
Library
SAC Guided Independent Learning

44. Academic Support Self Access Centre
Clinic – SSB118 – AB308
Academic Language
advice advice
10:00-12:00 Mon to Thu 10:00-12:00 Mon to Thu
3:00-5:00 Mon & Thu 3:00-5:00 Mon & Thu
SAC Guided Independent Learning

45. AV Suite EASE GILS
Use DVDs and The
Use EASE to
CDs to improve workshops
practice
your listening help develop a
listening to
and start range of skills
lectures
discussions
SAC Guided Independent Learning

46. Study Skills Pronunciation
Speaking Presentations
ListeningReading Writing Reading
and Writing Listening and Speaking
Fiction
Non-fiction Graded readers Dictionaries
Grammar Vocabulary General English
Careers Scientific English
Engineering English and more…
SAC Guided Independent Learning

47. HOW TO STUDY AT UNIVERSITY BLOG
www.eapworld.net
 Practical advice on how to study – what to do next
 Get an email for each new post or subscribe by
reader
 Search for past posts
 Ask questions and get replies
 Created and maintained by a UNNC Tutor
SAC Guided Independent Learning

48.  Cottrell, S (2008) The study skills handbook. Palgrave
Macmillan Ltd
 Byram, M (2004) Routledge encyclopedia of language
teaching and learning. London: Routledge
Self study
 http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/errordetector.htm#egessay
 Use the British National Corpus to discover how words
collocate and if they are appropriate for academic writing
http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/
SAC Guided Independent Learning