Hope you guys are doing great! The university have just released the semester 1 results and I am quite happy with it!:) Apart from all the great activities you do at university such as socialising with friends or getting skills from work experiences- I still think that study hard is my main responsibly as a student.
Let me talk about things I find special for studying at university and study tips that I find useful*. (*Different people works differently but I find these ways work best for me, please feel free to trail and error until you achieve your goals!)
1) Active learning
Studying at higher education, in general, is so much different than studying at high school. At university, there’s often a lecture and tutor session for each module. It is important for you to work on your own instead of just relying on what the teachers spoon-fed you with. As I am doing sociology, it is particularly important for you to show what you THINK instead of what you KNOW. While you might get good grades by remembering model answers in high schools, the university will require you to understand the subject and be critical towards the literature.
Tips: Always read the materials before class and the lecture will help you to clarify what you understood from the materials. You should also be active in tutor sessions and discussions, which will help you to think from another perspective while you listen from your peers. Don’t be a passive learner and assume you can learn everything just by going to class!
2) Plan and action- Coursework & Assignment
You have more freedom at university and therefore, you should manage your own time and find out your work style. I am a night person and often works better at night. I am also quite laid back so I am often only motivated by the deadlines.
(Again, this is just MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and I am definitely not a good example!) If I have to write up an essay, I usually start working in the evening, sleep late, wake up late and start again in the evening. (Note: I have NEVER skipped one single class this year!) I will also set mini-deadlines for myself so I don’t have to do everything the night before the deadline.
*Example* 3000 words essay (Deadline: 10/3)
1/3 Essay plan
3/3 Readings and references
5/3 1000 words
7/3 2000 words
9/3 3000 words
In this case, I can make sure I finish one day before the deadline and allow buffering time for proof-reading and to avoid any accidents.
3) Plan and action- Examinations
That’s another story! I usually sleep and wake up early during the exam period to make sure my brain can perform well during the exam time. Ways for preparing the exam is different for different subjects but always remember, you are REVISING for the exam, not LEARNING the exam. Therefore, study regularly is always the key (I know it’s obvious… but it really will make your life so much easier when it comes to exams where you need to revise for everything taught throughout the year, trust me!)
Hope it helps and congratulations to those who good results in semester 1. If not, try harder in the next semester!:)
