Study habits and skills
Time management
West Preston University has a web-based self-assessment questionnaire on time management.
0#.&r~ ~ ~     *k r~~"
Time management: Rate your ability to organise your time.
5> 11
o/ten    sometimes never
1 Do you begin working on end-of-semester assignments early in the semester?
2 Do you meet deadlines' for submitting work? ^
3 Do you ever have to request an extension2 for your work? ^
4 Do you spend hours cramming3 just before an exam? ^
5 Do you make a to-do list4 each week? ^
6 Do you include extra-curricular5 activities when you ^ plan your study time?
■-Tjim-'-'-Vrf-.*---
1 complete your work by the official final day or time 2 ask for more time beyond the 3 try to learn a lot very quickly before an exam 4 make a list of things you should do
deadline 5 outside
of the subjects one is studying
Study habits and problems studying
Here are some students' comments about study habits and problems associated with studying.
'I try to prioritise' the most difficult or urgent task first, when I feel more motivated.' 'I'm a slow reader. I need to improve my reading speed. I find revision before exams really difficult. I can only revise for about two hours at a time. My mind starts to wander2.' 'I always try to review3 my lecture notes within 24 hours of the time I took them. I do need to improve my note-taking,'
'I use tricks to memorise things, like mnemonics4 and visualising5. I try to brainstorm6 the topic and draw mind maps7 before I write a first draft8 of an essay.' 'I know rote learning9 isn't very fashionable nowadays, but I find it useful to learn some things by heart'0, especially lists of things.'
'I try to make a study plan each semester - but I never manage to keep to it!'
'I always try to get the books I need from the library on long-term loan. Short-term loan is
never long enough, even though you can sometimes extend it for 24 hours.'
'In an exam I make rough" notes for each question, otherwise my mind just goes blank'2.'
' decide which things are the most important so that you can deal with them first 2 I start thinking of things not connected to my studies 3 read or study again 4 e.g. a very short poem
or a special word used to help you remember something 5 forming an image in your mind
6 think of a lot of ideas very quickly before considering some of them more carefulty
7 diagram or drawing showing how different
ideas on a topic are related 8 text containing all the main ideas but not in a fully developed form 9 (often used with a negative association) learning something so you can repeat it from memory, rather than understand it 10 in such   : ■ a way that you can say it from memory '' not , exact or detailed; approximate 12 you cannot remember a particular thing, or you cannot remember anything
50   Academic Vocabulary in Use
Exercises
21.1    Match the first part of the word combination on the left with the second part on the right.
meet      to-do        extra-curricular   study activities      an extension
time       long-term   lecture note- deadlines learning
request   first rote draw mind maps list
loan draft
plan management
taking notes
21.2    Complete each sentence with a word combination from 21.1.
1 I always try to.........................................................but this time I'm afraid I'm going to have to
. If only I could stick to the.........................................................1 make at the
beginning of every semester!
2 You should show the.........................................................of your essay to your tutor before you do any
more work on it.
3 Helena missed the class but she borrowed the.........................................................from a friend.
4 Some people find it more helpful to.........................................................when they are studying than to
take traditional notes.
5 This is an incredibly useful book. Fortunately, I've been able to take it out of the library on.............................................._..........
6 Students who are working part-time as well as studying have to be particularly good at
21.3
21.4
7
Some students get distracted from their studies by all the.........................................................which most
universities offer.
8 I always make a.........................................................when I'm getting ready to go on a trip.
9.......................................................is often considered a very old-fashioned way of learning nowadays.
10 ........................................................is very important during lectures; you can't remember everything.
Answer these questions about study habits.
1 Can you think of an example of a mnemonic?
2 If you were brainstorming some good study habits, what would you write down?
3 In your opinion, what sorts of things are useful to learn by heart?
4 When do you start cramming before an exam?
5 Does your mind ever wander when you are studying? If so, what do you start thinking about?
6 Have you ever experienced your mind going blank during an exam?
7 Do you try to prioritise certain types of work? Which types?
8 Why is it a good idea to make rough notes before answering an exam question?
Here are some more useful words relating to study habits. Say in your own words what each expression in bold means. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.
University Library: Notice to all undergraduates
Undergraduates are reminded that all books on loan must be returned by noon on June 30th, 2008. Overdue items will incur a fine of 50 cents per day. Failure to clear fines and overdue books may result in loss of borrowing rights. Additional regulations apply to inter-library loans (see the University Library web pages).
University Librarian
Ask some of your fellow students about their study habits using the questions from the questionnaire on the opposite page.
Academic Vocabulary in Use   51