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Help with studying

I'm someone who never really had to revise during school and I never intended to go to university. However two years after alevels ill be entering the 24/25 academic year and im worried because I have no study skills and dont know how to focus.

Any help would be appreciated

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post by helpaguyout

It would help you if you could start getting yourself into a reading habit now - there's lots of reading to do at university! So just pick a few books relating to your subject and start reading them.

Most universities should run workshops on effective studying so it'd be a good idea to go to those once you're at university.

Other than this, I think you just have to wait to start and figure it out as you go along. Even school leavers struggle with finding the right revision techniques at uni, so you won't be alone either. As long as you make an effort and you minimise distractions (phone out of reach!), you should be able to figure it out. Being in a "studious" space, like the library, helps a lot of people. Similarly, studying with people helps people too. And if you struggle with your revision at uni, do seek help! Plenty of help available at unis if only you ask :smile:

Reply 2

ARUStudents

Official Rep

Original post by helpaguyout

Hi there!

It’s totally normal to feel out of your depth with revision techniques when transitioning to higher education whatever your education background.

I’ve found that different assignments require different techniques. For exams, I use the pomodoro technique of 25 mins work, 5 minutes rest when making notes on a textbook, a mindmap from a YouTube video or going through flashcards. For presentations, making it as early as possible and then learning the content in advance helps me to calm my nerves as well as thinking about potential questions- maybe ask a friend to hear your presentation and ask you potential questions.

There are many useful resources online and I think the best way to know what works for you is to try things out from now until you start in September.

ARU have a study skills plus service to help with academic writing and revision as well as other things. They run workshops as well as having online resources. All of our courses have a subject librarian for 1-1 support.

I hope that was helpful! All the best in starting your studies.

Best wishes,

Chloe
Medical Science undergraduate
ARU student rep

Reply 3

Heriot-Watt Uni

Official Rep

Original post by helpaguyout

Hi!

Honestly, asking now shows dedication and the willingness to adapt and learn which are some great skills for university that you seem to have already! My top tip would be to set good habits right at the start. At the very start of the year the work will be a lot less and a lot easier than later on but if you let yourself leave it to the night before or put only a little bit of effort in it'll get very hard to break that later in the year.

Some of my other top tips are:

•

Trying when possible to stay a week ahead on things - depending on your course this may be impossible but even if you can stay 2 days ahead it'll give you a little bit of breathing room and time incase something turns out to be harder than you thought.

•

Find your spot, depending on how you work dead silence may be good for you or maybe somewhere with some noise. When you get to uni I'd recommend grabbing some friends and going exploring for some good study spots where you can feel focused.

•

Try out some revision techniques now, maybe you want to learn a language or music theory or a programming language. You can use these interests to nail down how you best learn. Personally I'm a flashcards forever kind of person but maybe you like mindmaps or creating little songs with all the information in. Nothing is too dumb if it gets you to remember it

•

My last tip would be when needing to start a project just start it. I find a lot of people sit staring at a blank page or empty questions and can't get past that. Just start writing, it may be horrendous, you'll probably delete some of it at the end but it gets a lot less intimidating to add things when there's something already there.

I hope this helps! If you have anymore questions please feel free to ask!

- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)

Reply 4

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Hello,

My name is Haya, and I’m a final year medical student.

First off, I would say find out your study style. Some students are visual learners, some learn by making notes, others by making questions.

The more you learn your study style the more it will become easier for you to study.

Other people like flashcards, but I found them too difficult to make.

Also you can use different methods like Pomodoro method to time yourself to yield productivity.

The two most important tips I learned are:

1) Active Recall: taking a topic you wish to learn, creating questions based on that topic, and then repeatedly testing yourself on those questions.
2) Spatial Repetition: an evidence-based learning technique that is usually performed with flashcards. Newly introduced and more difficult flashcards are shown more frequently, while older and less difficult flashcards are shown less frequently in order to exploit the psychological spacing effect.

Best of luck and don’t give up,
Haya - MBBS V

Reply 5

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Hey 👋

I think in my mind it was important to remember that everyone learns and studies differently; I like to listen to music when I'm writing an essay as I like ambient noise, however some of my friends preferred to work in silence. Libraries are great spaces to get in the work and study mindset, and many libraries have dedicated quiet spaces or rooms you can book out if you prefer to have your own space or for study groups. I know at my library too they ran workshops and sessions around studying and revision methods which can be really helpful, so I'd definitely look into whether there's any support on offer like that for you!

Try different methods of revising and find the right one for you; it might be just re reading over lecture and seminar notes, or writing flash cards with bits of information on. I know one of my flatmates used to record herself reading her notes and would listen back to that, almost like a podcast style!

Find what is comfortable for you and remember what works for some people doesn't work for others so there's no right or wrong way to study and revise 🙂

Good luck with the future and I hope you enjoy your university experience :smile:

Jennie

(edited 2 months ago)