How does one study effectively at Uni? (1 Viewer)

[noneother]

Hi. I'm at ANU and currently finding it completely different to what I imagined. Firstly its been 3 days since uni officially started but already I'm behind in my readings. ANU seems very stingy when it comes to providing course outlines and lecture notes, everything has to be printed off from the internet! This is time consuming especially when the server is overloaded. The lectures seem to cover a lot of the txtbk material which means reading over the textbook doesn't really provide much additional info (imo). The lecture notes are almost condensed versions of the chapters. How do we know what is important and what should we focus on? How are we supposed to study? Any tips, suggestions which will maximize marks?

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Listen in lectures, write stuff down and review everything before the exams.

 

[matt#1]

How does one study effectively in uni?

not drinking too much could help

 

[Survivor39]

There is no single way to study effective at uni. but the commonality for all people that succeed is consistency.

I think for "How do we know what is important and what should we focus on?", you have already answered your own question. "The lecture notes are almost condensed versions of the chapters." That means you should focus on these area, as they are the most important and the focus of everything in that particular chapter.

As to " How are we supposed to study?", you should know better. Study it as you did in the HSC, which was what brought you success.

 

[mattyg87]

lol what if we didnt study during the HSC and fluked our way into uni?

 

[Survivor39]

lol what if we didnt study during the HSC and fluked our way into uni?

then you're dead!!

 

[klh]

it depends on people...everbody has different ways to undestand get things into your head.
i write summaries of whatever i have learnt in my own words so i can understand and by examples. if i need help, i ask the lecturer/tutorer what i should know and what is important.

 

[SashatheMan]

then you're dead!!

thanks for the encouragement

 

[SashatheMan]

what happens at tutorial? do we get notes there too?

 

[matt#1]

lol what if we didnt study during the HSC and fluked our way into uni?

haha...that makes two of us

 

[Cape]

A tutorial is basically a discussion of the previous weeks lecture, however, you have easier contact with the tutor as there are less people in the class. I find it useful to take notes in tutorials as they expand on what was said in lectures, also you get many more examples and other students input into the topics.

 

[SashatheMan]

A tutorial is basically a discussion of the previous weeks lecture, however, you have easier contact with the tutor as there are less people in the class. I find it useful to take notes in tutorials as they expand on what was said in lectures, also you get many more examples and other students input into the topics.

so usually tutorials are much less stresful when it comes to taking notes, and just made to help out if u have any probs with last work

 

[Cape]

Sometimes, but sometimes you might also have readings to do. A subject last semester I had to read 200 pages for a one hour tutorial and I hate reading

 

[Vangineer]

BUY TEXTBOOK

READ IT, DO ALL THE PROBLEMS!!!!!!

lectures, most of them are useless
BUT, go to ur tutorials, most of them are very helpful plus u can ask the tutor personal questions.

Balance uni with going out / work. If u try to lock urself in a cold room trying to study like hell, ud end up depressed, wanting to quit uni.

 

[IamaFloorMat]

Hmm well im still not used to studying for uni

reading through the text book seems to take a long time, can u guys read up on the chapters of your current lecture properly in an hour? lol i certainly cant ... i guess thats okay but i feel stupid after its all there in a summarised version from the lecture notes..

Maybe next time i should read up on just the things i dont understand , because ive heard alot of people say textbooks are backup for things not understood.

Also memorizing stuff is obviously pretty stupid to do now , so I guess the best way to test understanding and memory is through doing questions right?

 

[Cape]

One of my subjects - I have an exam every week of uni, which at first bothered me, but when I thought about it, its only going to help studying for the final exam. I just read through my textbook and make notes from the textbook which further from the lecture. Also, hopefully the weekend will give me time to get ahead of my readings, so I'm prepared for the next lecture, so I know whats going on.

 

[IamaFloorMat]

It depends on how much reading you actually get assigned. I know I have to do heaps in my advertising unit. We have to summaries each weeks readings in a 1300 response, and hand it in everyweek Thats only 1 part of the home work we get assigned. We kinda get like a mini assignment everyweek.
The best thing to do this early, is just keep up with your readings and the work you cover in lectures, and make sure you understand everything. When it comes up to a few weeks before an exam, then you have to revise it. I wouldent hurt to revise things as you go along, but its too early personally for me to start revising. I just get by, by reading the stuff we have to, and doing homework.

Well yea for my business degree we are recommended to read certain chapters before going into the lecture, i think its just this week im a bit screwed since with our first lectures we were just given the syllabus outline and introduced to new concepts , so i couldnt have read the textbook before going into the lecture really.

But still reading wouldnt be a problem but i really feel the need to ensure that i have learnt what was said in the lecture or what was read, sure i could summarize notes for myself ... but i dont see the point of this if there are lecture notes... the only thing it might be good for is if i retype the lecture notes with additional stuff i pick up from the textbook...

 

[IamaFloorMat]

Another thing some of my lectuers say that we are expected to read chapters before attendign the lectures , but if i do this i find myself not having enough time to go over the previous lectures and attempt questions. I wouldve thought it would be better to attend the lecture listen to it , then go home go through notes , make some more with the textbook.... and worry about next week lecture later.. instead of reading up on it before..

 

[Cape]

Your lecturer is right. They tend to ask you to read the chapters before the lecture, so that you have some understanding of what is spoken about during the lecture. Even if you just skim read the chapters before the lecture, then rad them in detail after the lecture, you should be fine.

 

[IamaFloorMat]

well i guess, but that would take off time understanding and doing questions from the previous lectuer

skimming or not , must admit , takes time to read this thing :O !!