Trinity In Twelve Weeks

Time Management Strategies

1. Prioritise: You probably have a lot of things to do, so assess how important and how urgent the tasks are, then make sure high priority tasks get done first and are not put off on a regular basis - avoid time-wasting busy-work!
2. Be specific: Make the task as specific as possible - we tend to follow through then, especially if we write it down. For example, instead of telling yourself “I’ll do some statistics this week,” try “I’ll work through 3 descriptive statistics problems on Tuesday at 7pm.”
3. Small bite-size pieces: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, so try breaking tasks down into smaller sub-tasks. Once you’ve started, it’s easier to keep going.
4. Use all available time: This is an especially good strategy if you are pressed for time. You don’t necessarily need a block of time in order to study. Students often have time between classes, spent on public transport, etc. There are lots of study tasks that can be accomplished in short periods, such as reviewing the main points of a reading or a lecture.
5. Structure the environment: Find a place to study, preferably one you can use regularly and with limited distractions. Make sure you have all the essentials you need to study there so that you have no excuses not to work.
6. Establish a routine: We are creatures of habit. If you always study at a certain time or on a particular day, then it will be easier to get into concentration mode. Also, it is better to study briefly and regularly than to work for hours on end once every couple of weeks.

These are just the basics, find out more on the Academic Skills Blackboard Module

Academic Skills Blackboard Module

Organising Your Materials

It is easier to manage your time when your materials are organised, as you won't have to waste time figuring out where you put 'x' notes or your lucky pen each time you want to get some work done. Here are some top tips to help:

1. Once a week clear and sort out loose papers and handouts, etc. into colour-coded or labelled files and folders. If possible, use a different colour for each module or subject to make it easier for you to tell your materials apart.
2. File lecture notes, etc. in the correct file as soon as you get home. Or, if taking notes electronically, take twenty seconds at the end of each class to make sure you know where you're saving your files!
3. Label file folders, boxes, notebooks, etc. accurately, and using colour codes or pictures if helpful.
4. Use a pin board or whiteboard near your desk or computer to display important information.
5. Use a wall planner in addition to a diary, or put all your of diary and timetable into a digital calendar, such as the Google calendar included in your MyZone account.
6. Set up different folders for different modules on your computer desktop rather than having lots of individual documents cluttering up the space.

Planning

You will often find that you have multiple deadlines for different modules at the end of semesters or around Reading Weeks. It is important to plan your time in order to stay on top of your workload.

1. Create a master schedule that indicates on a semester- or yearly- basis when holidays, exams, reports, essays, etc. are or will be due. Post it in a prominent spot!
   
   
2. Create a weekly schedule.
• At a regular time, e.g. Sunday evenings at 6pm, plan your week ahead, taking into account your master schedule, any recent developments, and your study goals for that week.
• Mark out commitments such as classes, labs, work, sport, meals, etc.
• Make a list of your study tasks - be specific and prioritise.
• Schedule these study tasks into available time slots.
• Consider the purpose of the study task - if it’s working on an essay, more time will be needed, and so schedule an hour or two, rather than 15 minutes. If the purpose is for review, say to scan a text, then make use of the odd half hours you have available.
• Schedule tasks that may require maximum concentration during your daily “peaks” or periods of maximum alertness – these will vary from person to person.
Allot times for relaxation, exercise, etc., and be sure to include a “Cease Study” time that gives you time to unwind before you sleep (and it gives you something to look forward to!).
• Monitor and Evaluate: review what has been accomplished at the end of a day and decide if the schedule for the next day needs to be changed as a result.
  
  
3. Some students work better using a detailed daily 'To Do' list. Again, at a regular time (for example, last thing at night or first thing in the morning), plan out your day, taking into account your master schedule and study goals for the week.
   
   
4. When you have finished a study task, cross it off your timetable or list.
   
   
5. Avoid too much detail - a schedule has to remain flexible or it becomes a dinosaur! Everyone has different needs; perhaps start with just organising study tasks for certain classes. Or, only list your priorities.


6. Schedule in rewards - for example, time watching your favourite TV programme after doing a task you were dreading.

You'll find downloadable weekly, monthly and annual planners in the Academic Skills Blackboard module.

Note-Taking Methods

• Prose or linear: Many students use this format (basically written paragraphs) and they are familiar with it. While this type of note-taking can provide a useful summary, the disadvantages are that it encourages verbatim copying and doesn't allow for organisational strategy use.
  

  

• Outline: The advantage of this method is that it is more visual and allows for the imposition of structure. It forces the note taker to create main points. A disadvantage is that sometimes the material is not conducive or provided in such a format that lends itself to outlining.
  

  

• Mind maps or patterened [Buzan]: Sometimes referred to as spider diagrams. The notes start in the middle of a page and 'explode' out towards the edge of the page. The advantage is that these notes are very visual, allow for structure and display relationships. They are very useful for review and recall, brainstorming and revision purposes. Also, they work on both a verbal and a non-verbal level. Another advantage is that a lot of information can be condensed into a small area. Disadvantages include that they are hard to produce, especially from lectures, and that they require practice.
  

  

• Cornell or split page: This method involves drawing a line down the page, about 1/3 from left side of page. The right side is used to record notes. The left side is reserved for key words and main points. These can be done after the lecture, when trying to condense the information. The advantage of this method is that it forces the note taker to select main points. It also provides a basis for self-examination (by covering over the right-hand side and quizzing using points on left-hand side). However, it needs practice.
  

  

Taking Notes in Lectures

Attending lectures offers the best chance to learn about material that may not be covered in the textbook, to become aware of links between topics, and possibly to discover what may be on the exams.

Taking good notes from lectures involves being an active listener. Some hints for improving your lecture notes are:

• Sit in an appropriate spot to avoid distractions
• Focus on the content not the speaker
• Review previous notes ahead of class for better continuity and comprehension
• Note examples and information provided on the board/overhead if you will not have access to this after class
• Listen for key words: because, two reasons, however, etc.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues (eg. information that is repeated, amount of time spent on topic, change in lecturer's tone) to identify particularly useful information

Another useful idea is to discuss the ideas in the lecture as soon as possible to consolidate the information. For example, when leaving lecture halls, take a moment or two with fellow students to cover main points or questions; or possibly go up to the lecturer at the end of class if there's something you're struggling to understand.

Taking Notes While Reading

When taking notes from books, it is a good idea to use summarising strategies to differentiate between arguments, main points, and evidence or details. It is all too easy to fall into a habit of copying large chunks of a text word-for-word, essentially producing a second edition of the material, rather than a meaningful set of notes which you can use effectively.

Tips on summarising:

• Skim the text and gain the general impression of the information, its content, and its relevance to your work; underline/highlight the main points as you read
• Re-read the text, making notes of the main points
• Cover the text and rewrite your notes in your own words
• Begin your summary
• Restate the main idea at the beginning of your summary, indicating where your information is from, mention other major points, and change the order of the points if necessary to make the construction more logical
• Re-read the work to check that you have included all of the important information clearly

You should also check out the Library's guides and tutorials on how to find, evaluate, and apply information, and recordings of their study skills classes.

It is wise to keep track of exactly where you're noting information from in case you want to refer to the material in any submitted work - you'll typically be asked to reference the exact page of a work you took the information from when quoting a source. This may be a good time to review your Department's preferred referencing system and the College policy on plagiarism.

Referencing

The task of writing will become a lot easier if you record the complete publication details of sources (e.g. book, journal article, video or website, etc.) during your note-taking and research periods, as it will make referencing much more efficient. Make sure to file your notes and source records so that you can easily access them!

The purpose of citing references is to enable a reader of your essay or paper to look up additional material informing or related to the information you provided. References are also an important way of acknowledging ideas, information and quotations that are not your own. By not acknowledging the work of others you may seem to be presenting the work as your own and thereby committing plagiarism. For a refresher on plagiarism, go back to Week 2!

The information you need to gather about a source might include:

• Author
• Year of publication
• City of publication
• Publisher
• Page numbers
• Date you access the material
• URL

Here is an example of citing in a piece of written work using elements of the information gathered about a source:
Referring to an item in your text is known as citing. You then need a list of references at the end of your work to indicate where the citation can be found. (Drew & Bingham, 1997, p.47)

The full reference is then listed in a bibliography (sometimes called a reference list) at the end of the assignment in alphabetical order as follows:

Drew, S, and Bingham R. (1997) The Student Skills Guide. Aldershot: Gower Publishing Ltd.

The referencing method used above is known as the Harvard System of citing references. Please check what style of referencing your Department uses prior to starting to write your assignments, as some prefer footnotes or endnotes rather than citing in the text. Also punctuation and other details may vary from Departmental guidelines.It is always best to check ahead of time to save yourself having to redo work.

More Resources on Referencing

Essay Writing Strategy

When asked to write an essay, it may be useful to break the process down into smaller tasks to keep you on track. We recommend adopting a strategy like the below:

• Schedule your tasks
• Make sure you understand the question
• Do initial research
• Create an outline based on your own understanding and initial research findings
• Do further research
• Review research findings and adapt outline as required
• Write your first draft (make sure to turn on autosave!)
• Revise your draft
• Proofread
• Submit!
• Take time to review feedback

Guidance on Essay Writing

Scientific Report Writing

This video, made by the University of Hull, offers excellent advice on how to approach scientific report writing:

What Is It?

Procrastination is when we delay or put off something we know we have to do or that will ultimately benefit us. The key to combating procrastination is to stop making excuses and do something. Most people practice procrastination in some form: maybe you clean your room when you're supposed to be studying, or maybe you watched 8 seasons of a TV show last week in a state of panicky guilt over an impending assignment. What is important is to know when it is time to stop making excuses and do something.

How to Combat It

Here are a few different methods you can try to combat procrastination when you catch yourself putting something off:

• Take Action: Sometimes just doing something creates the mood and momentum to continue, so decide to just do something - anything - to get you working!
• Salami Technique: Slice a task or goal down by function and time, getting down to smallest unit. This is useful if your excuse for putting a task off is that it's so big or you have so much to do that you feel like you can't start. For example, a long reading assignment on a difficult subject can seem intimidating and easy to put off, so divide it into parts.
• Five Minutes: Spend 5 minutes on a task and see what progress you make.
• Related Tasks: Do something related - the back door approach. For example, if you have to start a project that's intimidating, maybe decide to just go and talk to someone about it, and this in turn may lead you to the library because they suggest a reference you should use. Often it can be easier to talk to someone about something you find stressful then having to sit down and think about it alone.
• Worst First: That particularly boring or difficult task is often the easiest to put off - in fact you'll do anything not to get it done. But, it's normally better to get it out of the way; Mark Twain said something to the effect of: "It's best to eat a live frog first thing in the morning, that way nothing worse can happen all day."
• Make Commitments: An oft-used excuse is "I work better under pressure," so create pressure. Tell people you plan to get something done, and then they'll ask if you got it done.

Procrastination Resources

Procrastination Exercise

You might find this exercise useful in helping you combat procrastination:

Think about one problem that might develop [or has already developed for you] and that leads to procrastination.

1. Describe the problem:
2. What is the source of the problem?
3. What is the reason for the problem?
4. Can you set a goal for a solution? (Be specific!)
5. With your goal in mind what options do you have? (Be practical in deciding your options).
6. What are the advantages of each of your options?
7. What are the disadvantages of each of your options?