Many students are worried about their study skills. Some adults who are returning to education feel that their ‘brains have gone stale’ and that it is impossible to teach ‘old dogs new tricks’. Younger students are concerned about developing effective study skills for the next stage of education at college or university.

The following points will help you to think about developing effective study skills.

• •Understand how you learn. Learning includes the development of skills, knowledge, critical thinking and powers of argument. Through evaluating your previous learning it becomes clear that you learn more effectively when you are interested and motivated and when you are able to think, develop and work at your own pace. Once you understand how you learn you will find that you can develop effective studying skills.
• •Improve your concentration and memory. This is easier to do when you have a thorough understanding of what is to be remembered and when your study time is free from distractions. Study skills success can be achieved through training your mind to learn.
• •Maintain health and well-being as this helps you to learn. Don’t neglect diet, exercise and sleep. Students’ study skills can be badly affected by late nights, alcohol and drug misuse.
• •Time-management and personal organisational skills are an essential part of successful study. Anybody interested in developing their university study skills must learn effective time management skills. For study to be successful you need to reduce demands on your time and create an environment conducive to learning.
• •Learn how to read properly, effectively and quickly as these are essential study skills. To be able to read academic texts you will need to have well developed linguistic, visual and auditory skills. These skills develop with practice: the more you read the more effective your reading will become.
• •One of the most important study skills for students is being able to write well. Practice writing and seek expert advice if you feel you have problems with grammar, punctuation and spelling. The secret to good writing is rewriting.  Always produce a draft, rewrite and then rewrite. Make sure you answer the question and keep your work free from irrelevant material.
• •Prepare well for lectures, seminars and classes. Review your notes. Read more about the topic and begin to form questions. Predict what you think will be included in the lecture, seminar or class, based on your background reading and knowledge of the subject.
• •Improve your listening skills. Listen for the main points and listen willingly. Listen for clues about material to include in examinations and assignments.

If you are concerned about student study skills, help is at hand. Many universities and colleges have a Study Support Unit where staff will be able to help you with study skills. Also, there are a number of study skills books available that will help you to develop your skills and abilities.