MANAGING YOUR TIME & STUDIES

STUDY SKILLS WORKSHOP

Overview

• Managing your time

– Semester planning

– Weekly planning

• Managing your study

Managing your time

Semester planning

Plan ahead

Important dates and deadlines UC Principal dates

Assignment deadlines

Exams

Important social/family commitments

UC important dates

Other???

A planner to stick up on your wall

What if several assignments due at one time?

You need to plan well ahead!

• Preparing an academic assignment can take several weeks

• Develop a good filing system for your notes

• Think about how long it will take you to write an essay: • Select and analyze the topic, and work out a preliminary plan

• Locate the relevant articles, books, reviews etc.

• Read the materials and take notes

• Revise the essay plan and write a draft

• Take a break (and perhaps show it to the Academic Skills Staff)

• Rewrite it

• Edit your final draft

• Compile the reference list

Sample Semester Planner Week Unit Title & or number Unit Title & or number Unit Title & or number Unit Title & or number

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14-15

Sample Semester Planner Week GBR 6606 ITM 4207 Unit Title & or number Unit Title & or number

1

2

3 Research databases

4 Read, notes, draft

5 AS appointment

6 Essay 800 words 20%

7 Essay 2000 words 30%

8

9

10

11

12 Essay 1500 words 40% Group presentation 20%

13 Critical Reflection 10%

14-15 Moodle Quizzes 40%

Book AS appointments online up to 2

weeks in advance

Managing your weekly schedule

Lectures • Prepare for each lecture by

skimming the weekly topics and readings (10-15 minutes)

• Review your notes afterwards to make sure you’ve got a good understanding (15-20 minutes)

Tutorials

• Prepare for tutorials (~4 hours per tutorial) by doing readings, completing any tutorial questions or exercises and making a list of questions to ask

• Review your notes afterwards to make sure you’ve got a good understanding (15-20 minutes)

Managing your weekly schedule

• Face-to-face or online sessions;

• Prepare for assignments; use your semester planner to guide you each week;

• Attend Academic Skills workshops relevant to your units;

• Revise for end of semester exams by going over the main ideas for each unit.

Managing your weekly schedule

• Good hours! Respect your learning habit!

• An owl or a fowl?

• Study + Job + Social animal? Keep your studies a priority.

• Prioritise your tasks and avoid overload. Try the ‘Time Management Matrix’.

Managing your weekly schedule

Sample Planner

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

7:30

8:30

9:30

10:30 Bus Finance

11:30 Seminar (2B11)

12:30 Intro to Economics

13:30 Lecture (2B9)

14:30 Intro to IB Tutorial (5A41)

15:30 Lecture (14B1)

16:30 Workshop (2B2)

17:30 Marketing

18:30 Seminar (2B7)

19:30

20:30

21:30

Lectures, tutorials, workshops ~ 3 hours per week per unit

Other commitments??

+ Independent Study Time ~ 7 hours per week per unit

Activity What are your plans next week?

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

7:30

8:30

9:30

10:30

11:30

12:30

13:30

14:30

15:30

16:30

17:30

18:30

19:30

20:30

21:30

Managing your studies

Manage your study space

ASP: Managing your study 16

Understand the assessment tasks

• Lectures and tutorials

• Unit outlines

• Moodle

• Past exam papers

– www.canberra.edu.au/library

Unit Outlines

• Weekly topics • Assignment topics

– Word length – Due date – Help with understanding & organising the

assignment – Marking criteria

• How to pass the unit

ASP: Managing your study 18

LearnOnline (Moodle)

Are you connected?

• Lecture/tutorial notes

• Forum/ Messages

• E-reserve

• Any additional unit details, including Marking & Assessment Criteria

• Check each week at least!

Marking & assessment criteria

ALWAYS check this for:

• What your lecturer/tutor thinks is important

• What you need to include in your assignment

• What marks will be given for

• A checklist to use as you plan & edit

Try PASS - 45 minute sessions

Plan: ~1-2 minutes

Act: ~25-30 minutes

Summarise: ~5-10 minutes

Stop: ~ 5 minutes after 1 PASS 30 minutes after 3–4 sessions

Adapted from: Hastings, Elizabeth 1984 How to Study at Tertiary Level Nelson: Melbourne.

ASP: Managing your study 21

Study groups

• Get to know other students – helps you feel part of the University

• Saves you time – lightens the learning load

• Supports you settling in & in difficult times

• Look around for 2-4 as keen as you are

• Meet regularly to discuss & compare notes

• Library, labs, refectory, each other’s places

Need more help?

• Course convener, Unit convener, lecturers, tutors

• Academic Skills (Appointments, Drop-ins, Rovers, Workshops, Online resources, PALS, SmartThinking)

• Family, fellow students and friends

• Health & Counselling Centre

• UC Gym

• UC Life clubs and societies

• Student Central

• Managing time http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/help/time-management

• Support with time management https://student.unsw.edu.au/support-time-managemen t

• Study skills and time management http://students.rice.edu/Template_AcademicAdvising.aspx?id=4803

• Manage Your Work, Don't Let It Manage You: Tips for Managing Your Time and Getting Ahead http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/nellen_a/time_management.htm

Additional Resources

So, to manage your time and your study…

You need to know:

• What assessment to do

• How to do it

• You have the time to do it

• Where to get help to do it

STUDY SKILLS WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Day Start Duration Workshop Room

WEEK 3

26 – 29 August

Tuesday 12:30 1 hour Paraphrasing & summarising TR1

17:30 1 hour Paraphrasing & summarising TR1

Wednesday 12:30 1 hour Writing an essay TR1

17:30 1 hour Writing an essay TR1

Thursday 12:30 1 hour Reading with a purpose TR1

17:30 1 hour Reading with a purpose TR1

Friday 12:30 1 hour Oral presentations 1 TR1

17:30 1 hour Oral presentations 1 TR1

WEEK 4

2 – 5

September

Tuesday 12.30 1 hour Managing your time & your studies TR1

17.30 1 hour Managing your time & your studies TR1

Wednesday 12.30 1 hour Critical thinking TR1

17.30 1 hour Critical thinking TR1

Thursday 12.30 1 hour Report writing TR4

17.30 1 hour Report writing TR4

Friday 12.30 1 hour Oral presentations 2 TR4

ACADEMIC SKILLS

( | 02 6201 2205

8 | asc@canberra.edu.au

*| Building 8, Library

www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills

WORKSHOPS For details and registration, http://www.canberra.edu.au/library/research-gateway/research-skills-training INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE Individual consultations: 30 minute consultations, Monday to Friday Drop-in Sessions: 20 minute consultations 11:30 am-12:30 pm, 2:30 pm-3:30 pm: Library Building 8, Level B: Online Tutoring Service: Smarthinking Access Smarthinking from LearnOnline (Moodle) site Academic Skills Rovers 20 minute sessions with senior students Rovers wear red polo shirts 9:30 am – 8 pm Monday to Friday; 1-6 pm Saturday: UC Library, Level B ONLINE RESOURCES For more information visit, http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=2101