Do you need to be super smart or an academic genius to get a great grade at college or university? Absolutely not! Many students fail to obtain the grade of which they are capable simply because they don’t realise that a student with an ‘average’ ability can do really well. All that is needed is a consistent approach, organisation, preparation and discovering what the examiner/assessor is looking for and delivering it.
Following my tips and advice will take a little extra time each week but will save a lot of time and stress come assessment time and, more importantly will help you to get that great grade.
Organisation Skills -The first thing you need to do is arrange a good filing system. No one system is right for all, so devise your own. The golden rule here is that whatever system you use must be something that will enable you to lay your hand on notes and work instantaneously. Precious time is lost and stress levels rise when students are unable to find a particular piece of paper, set of notes, article, reference etc.
Note Books-Get a separate book for each subject jot down essential lecture notes, ideas, lecturer’s comments and any other gems that you come across. Making a special note to add a reference when appropriate.
There is nothing more frustrating than to have a great quote, piece of information etc and then to lose marks because you are unable to add an accurate reference. Where appropriate transfer information from your notebook into your main subject file-but don’t dispose of the original-you never know if you may need it!
Plan Your Time Effectively/Time Management-Take ten minutes on Sunday evening to sit down and plan your week. Have you heard the saying “People don’t plan to fail-they fail to plan”? You will learn how true this is as you go through life; not having a plan is like bobbing about at sea, never reaching a destination.
The best and easiest way to achieve anything in life is to decide on your goal, set a date by which it needs to be completed and devise a plan of how you’re going to get there.
Be realistic, setting unachievable goals will lead to regular failure which in turn will undermine your self-confidence.
Learn to prioritise- During your Sunday planning session look at the week a head rank your tasks in order of priority. If you have got a particular busy week look at ways that you can “steal” additional time e.g. missing a leisure activity or carrying over a non-urgent task to the following week.
The correct approach to lectures and tutorials/seminars is also vital to success.
Why do we need to consider the right approach? Simply because so many students get it wrong; they fail to capitalise on these golden opportunities by committing one of the following sins:
1. Non-attendance
2. Attend but fail to capitalise due to:
- boredom
-lack of understanding
- too busy note taking to understand the concepts that are being explained
Very few students bother to prepare for lectures why? Simply because they have nothing to do except sit and listen. This approach constitutes a massive waste of an important resource. Correct preparation can provide a solution to all three points under ‘2′ above, the result being that the student obtains greater value from the session by way of greater understanding which will ultimately lead to better marks.
OK so what is the correct approach?
Establish the subject matter of the lecture in advance. Read the relevant pages in your textbook, conduct some research in to the particular area/issue. Get an understanding of what will be discussed. Jot down some notes; involve yourself with the subject matter.
This is important as having a prior knowledge and understanding will enable you to follow what is being said alleviating confusion/boredom.
Rapidly trying to take note of everything the lecturer is saying is not a great idea. So many times I would look around the lecture theatre and see the majority of people scribbling away furiously. The fact is that unless the lecturer is specifically dictating information s/he wants you to know, it will be extremely difficult to simultaneously listen, write and understand.
By obtaining a prior understanding of the subject matter and having jotted down some relevant notes will free you up to give your undivided attention to the lecturer, perhaps making a few additional notes on info you can’t get elsewhere. Ask yourself why you would want to waste lecture time writing down information that can be easily obtained from textbook? Yes, sounds stupid doesn’t it? But look around at your next lecture and see how many people are doing it!
Post lecture you need to spend some time thinking about what has been said. Re-visit texts and add any new notes to those made earlier and check out any references made by the lecturer.
I am a huge advocate of typing up your notes, simply because it is easier to edit and add additional information as you go along. Furthermore they can be printed off as and when required for revision purposes.
- Please, please, please remember to save a copy all notes, essays, projects, data etc to a removable storage device that you keep in a safe place as computers crash and laptops get stolen.
Tutorials/seminars
Preparation here is vital. I know of a couple of tutors who dismiss from the class, any student who has failed to prepare.
Typically the group will have prepared answers to a set of questions or may be asked to present information on a particular issue. The whole point of a tutorial is to encourage independent study. To get students to think, research; formulate ideas and present/discuss their findings.
Failure to prepare and contribute rather defeats the object, at the very least you’ll be passing up on a golden opportunity at worst you may end up looking foolish.
So, prepare properly. Read your lecture note’s, texts’ or other relevant material and formulate your answers. Sometimes tutorial sets are required to do a group project. If so, make sure you meet regularly and allocate tasks and ensure that everyone pulls their weight.
Use the experience to develop your ‘team working’ skills.
Tutorials/seminars present an excellent opportunity because you are in the company of an expert. As such are presented with an opportunity to ask questions or gain clarity on a particular point, use it! Think about how you can expand those notes, gain more insight/better understanding that you can use in coursework/exams to get those extra marks
Following a tutorial you need to add your answers and any additional information to the relevant section of your file and update your notes.
At the end of each module you should have a complete set of ‘revision notes’ comprising information obtained from all your sources. Make sure that you keep up to date, expand your notes, a relevant quote a new development. The more comprehensive your notes and the better you knowledge base the more confident and less stressed you will be come exam time
Make sure that you print off a copy of your latest notes and review them on a regular basis. This doesn’t have to take up any extra time, how do you get to university? Walk, take the bus? Thirty minutes each way? That’s an hour’s revision everyday, this equates to loads of ‘free’ revision time that hasn’t impinged on any other activity!
By going through your notes on a regular basis will get the information embedded in your memory making exam time far less stressful as you will already have an excellent knowledge which can then just ‘honed’.
Buy a set of index cards and jot down main points/important information. Always carry a set with you. When you’re standing in the supermarket queue, waiting at the dentist etc get them out and go through them. You’ll be amazed at how a couple of minutes here and there can really add up.
Don’t just read but test yourself, sometimes when we just read we can get distracted. Try writing the info’ down-make up a question and answer it, this will force you to concentrate. It will also ensure that not only do you know it you also understand it and can apply it. Knowing and understanding are not necessarily the same thing! Preparing written answers will unveil areas of weakness. If possible ask you tutor to read through your answers-this will enable you to determine whether you are on the right track.
If writing out answers seems unappealing don’t forget that your going to have to do it in the exam, probably for up to 3 hours. There’s nothing worse than writer’s cramp-now is your chance to practise and strengthen those fingers’!
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