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Choose an effective study strategy

At university, you are expected to be an independent learner. This means you will need to actively engage with unit materials outside of class, as well as prepare for assessments, and make connections across the different concepts in your units. Across the semester, you will be expected to identify what you need to review, select and use strategies to learn unit materials, and where needed, seek support. Reflecting on what techniques you have used in the past, how these did or did not work for you, and what you may need to change will help you determine what strategies to use.

Tips for effective study View

Active study strategies

When selecting study strategies and techniques, you want the strategies that you use to be active. This means that you are not passively looking at information (such as rereading notes), but are consciously engaging in your revision and the knowledge you are creating. The aim of any strategy you select is for you to take an engaged approach to your studies. You should not just be receiving information, but rather trying to summarise it, recall it, and apply it.

Evolution of study

As you learn new content, your approach to study needs to evolve. Firstly, you want to ensure you know your unit content, and what you will be assessed on (foundations). Then, use techniques to help you understand and remember the content (consolidation), before starting to apply this knowledge in practice (application).

Flow chart depicting the stages of study: foundations, consolidation and application. Foundations involve knowing unit objectives and task requirements, as well as keeping up with weekly unit content. Consolidation is starting to identify what you need to learn, and beginning to memorise this content (if required). Finally, application is starting to use this knowledge, such as through using practice questions and synthesising unit content.

This process will take place across the teaching period, and also week to week as you learn new content. You will still need to consolidate concepts learned at the end of a unit before applying them. By the end of the unit, consolidating your understanding should be faster as you have your foundations from across the semester to build on.

The key to starting effective study is ensuring you know what your unit is teaching, and what you will be assessed on. Firstly, make sure that you are keeping up to date with weekly content, and taking high quality notes. This will help with revising and consolidating your learning.
You also need to ensure you know the assessment requirements and expectations. This will help you determine what you need to know, and when you need to know it. Ask yourself if you know the following:
- When is the assessment due, or will take place?
- What is the type of assessment (e.g., exam, essay, presentation)?
- Do I know what the question is asking?
Looking at your unit's learning objectives, which can be found in the handbook, will also greatly assist you. These outline not only what information you will be taught, but also what knowledge and skills you will develop. These will help you identify what you need to know, and what skills you will need to demonstrate.
Now that you have your notes, and an understanding of what your unit will be assessing you on, you can start to revise materials and consolidate your understanding. This is where you want to be using active revision techniques to help you retain the information, so you can recall it when you are writing your assessments, or taking your exams and tests. Remember to use your knowledge of assessment requirements and learning outcomes to help determine what to focus on.
Finally, you want to use strategies that help you apply the knowledge and skills you have developed across the semester. When you are working at this stage, you want to be drawing connections between different unit concepts, and critically evaluating these. You also want to practise using the knowledge you have developed. This can involve writing and answering practice questions, using case studies, or testing your own understanding of topics.

	Use active strategies When selecting study strategies you want to use techniques that engage you in the process of learning and applying unit content.
	Utilise different study strategies There are plenty of study strategies you can use. Try different techniques to find ones that suit your learning preferences, and provide variety to your study sessions.
	Evolve your strategies Across semester, you will move from learning information in your study sessions to applying it. As your knowledge grows, you can adapt your study strategies. For example, at the beginning of a unit, the focus may be on learning information, which then moves to the application of this information. This adaptability is key to using your full potential to perform well in your assessments.
	Plan your study You want to plan when you study and what you want to be revising. Study is more effective when it is undertaken regularly for short periods of time, rather than in large blocks. As you learn more about your assessment requirements you can tailor your session to focus on unit content.

Student Academic Success

Student Academic Success

Choose an effective study strategy

Tips for effective study View

Active study strategies

Evolution of study