The Mature Student Returning to Study cont...
What Are Study Skills?
There are many different aspects to learning how to study, all of which tend to be gathered under the general heading of 'study skills'. This is slightly misleading as it implies that they are all the same kind of thing. It also implies that that they can be learned in the same way that you learn a physical skill, such as catching a ball. With that kind of learning you don't have to think a lot about what you are doing; you just keep doing it until you get the results that you want. Yet many of the skills you need to develop as a student are not skills of that kind.
Some of the capabilities you need for studying are habits of work, such as how you set out your study table, where you sit and when you take your breaks. You do not need to become skilled at these kinds of things, you just need to establish certain routines.
Other capabilities you need for studying are techniques for accomplishing particular tasks, such as the way you set out your notes on a page, how to file your notes, and so on. Another set of capabilities you need are better understood as strategies. These may include such things as; the way you allocate your study time, or the approach you take in essay preparation. Capabilities are not produced by routine practice but by thinking, imagining and planning.
Also, to enable you to be effective in reflecting, predicting and analysing, you need some understanding of the processes of study. That is learning in the realm of ideas rather than skills.
Where the concept of skill is useful is in connection with the larger scale activities such as; writing an essay, finding relevant articles in the library, or preparing for an exam. These distinctions between the different uses of the word skill, is so that you are not presented with a range of activities to practice mindlessly, and that when finally mastered you will become a 'skilled student'. Instead it is suggested that there are resources (such as these series of brochures ) to help you think about the different aspects of studying. Also they help develop a range of strategies for approaching your studies. There are resources that suggest various techniques you can try and habits you might need to develop.
Studying With Other Commitments
Probably the main thing to sort out is your immediate family and your relationships within it. You may have obligations, especially if you have partners, children or fulltime employment. If you have a supportive partner, then they can take a lot of the burden off your shoulders.
You will certainly need to make some changes in your family life. A family does place some obligations on its members. Those with children and partners are prone to feel guilty about not spending the same amount of time with them the way they once did, or for delegating responsibilities. If you are aware in advance of the possibility of such problems, it helps to avoid some of them and cope with others. Keep reminding yourself that you are not the first person, nor will you be the last, to face these issues. Others have managed, and so can you, but it might need family discussion and joint effort.
Your job may be directly related to the subjects you are studying. Even if your employment isn't directly connected with the subjects you study, it may require you to use your mind imaginatively to solve problems and to grapple with new ideas. In this case, your brain won't feel rusty when you tackle formal study. Useful connections between your employment and your study can be particularly important if you are an external or part-time student with little opportunity to discuss your learning with teachers or other students. However, close connections between your work and study can sometimes create problems if, for example, you read a book which criticises teaching methods you use, or if courses you take for further job qualifications seem irrelevant.
The amount of energy you put into your job affects your energy for studying. The high level of energy and creativity which you devote to a satisfying job can carry over to your studies. If your studies are less stimulating than your work, you may rapidly lose interest in them.
The overall time that your work requires, the particular hours that you work and the travelling time from home to work, all influence your study. They affect your choice of courses, how much time you can spend on private study, and sometimes make studying difficult.
Allow yourself time to discover what university is like for you. Expect to feel both confused and excited in the first six to twelve months while you settle in, while you begin to understand what is expected of you and to define some of your own objectives. During this time, as well as trying to pass courses, put some energy into learning how to learn and to making contact with staff and other students.
Without wishing to re-invent the wheel in compiling this brochure, we have drawn on material from Australian universities and other sources for advice and examples. Particular mention must be made of the following: Bucknall, K..B . (1995) How to succeed as a student . Griffith University : http : / / www.gu .edu .au / gwis / stubod / stuadv / stu_advice.html Marshall, L.and Rowland, F. (1993) A guide to learning independently Longman Cheshire: Murdoch University. Northedge, A. (1990) The good study guide The Open University : Milton Keynes. U. K.