Learning at University

If you are new to tertiary study or have not studied for a long time, you may be feeling uneasy about beginning your course. This is a natural reaction for anyone moving into a new situation.

It probably takes at least the first semester before students begin to feel comfortable with the tertiary learning process.

Firstly, as you begin to think of yourself as a university student, it is valuable to find out about yourself as a learner, that is your preferred Learning Style, and also about the Learning Expectations of the university.

As The Semester Begins, it will be a time for Decision Making to help you feel more in control of your study and Time Management to find the most effective and efficient ways to use the time you have available for study.

It is also a time for Getting to know the Library and for attending Academic Skills workshops.

Remember that there is an Academic Skills Unit on your campus to assist you with your individual learning needs.

Learning Styles

The first step is to recognise how you prefer to learn new information, how you study best.

How would you respond to the following?

1. When I am learning information for later recall, I like to:
   
   • Write notes
   • Talk about it
   • Draw diagrams or charts
   • Colour code the information
2. If someone asked me for directions to the University, I would most likely:
   
   • Draw them a map
   • Tell them street names
   • Describe the landmarks along the way
3. If I wanted to recall my ATM number, I would most likely:
   
   • Try to visualise the numbers
   • Say the numbers aloud to remember the sequence
   • Think about the pattern of my fingers on the key pad
4. If I was learning a computer game, I would be most likely to:
   
   • Sit down at the computer and try the game
   • Read the manual
   • Ask someone I know who plays the game

By thinking about your reactions to a range of situations, you can learn about your preferred ways of working with information.

If you would like information about your preferred learning style, try the detailed questionnaire at Vark site: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

Learning Expectations

As a university student, you will be expected to participate in a range of new and challenging learning activities.

Think about your past learning experiences as a student. Have you been involved in the following learning situations? Circle either YES or NO:

Students who have studied in Australian universities would probably answer "Yes" to all of the above questions.

For most students beginning tertiary study, the first semester is an important time to find out about the process of learning in the university as well as the content of their subject areas.

The Semester Begins

The first week of the semester is an important time to begin to develop an understanding of the scope and content of each subject you will be studying. You will receive a Unit Outline for each subject.

It will contain:

• aims and objectives of the subject
• a list of topics for each week of the semester
• assessment requirements for the subject
• assignment topics
• percentage weighting for each assessment item
• information on presenting assignments
• criteria for marking of assignments
• penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements
• a list of text books and reference materials

Lecturers in the first week's lectures usually go through the unit outlines in detail. Take time during the first week to read through the unit outlines several times. Although the assignment topics may not mean much to you at this stage, it is important to begin to develop a picture of the overall workload for the semester.

Information Overload

By the end of the first week you may be experiencing feelings of panic. Students can easily feel swamped, information overload, by the presentation of so much new information in such a short time frame.

There is also the process of personal and social adjustment to a new situation (changing roles and responsibilities) for you and your family / friends.

For many students the end of the first semester week is the time to sit down, take a few deep breaths, and think about planning study time for the semester.

It is a time to make some decisions that give you a sense of control of study.

Decision Making

• A Study Place.

Organise a place to study where you live. It may be a corner in a room or a computer table in the bedroom.

Physically setting up a study place is important because you are giving both yourself and the people you live with a message that you are serious about your decision to undertake university study.

It also helps to establish boundaries so that the people you live with know that when you are in your study area, you need to be left alone.

If you set these "boundaries" at the start of the semester, you will have less trouble having uninterrupted study time later in the semester.

Time Management

Decide on the types of study plans you need for success in study this semester. It is always beneficial at the beginning of the semester to make a review of your lifestyle, possible commitments during the semester, assessment tasks and deadlines, and allocation of time.

You may not follow your study plan rigidly, but it does allow you to think about your use of time and to make decisions about possible changes that may be needed to allow adequate study time.

An estimate of the amount of study time needed is 2 hours of independent study for every 1 hour of class time.

• Semester Study Planner

A Semester Study Planner allows you to see at a glance the following information:

• Subjects being studied
• Assessment items for the whole semester
• Weighting for each assessment task
• Due date for each task
• The number and dates of weeks in the semester
• The planning for completion of each task

The Semester Planner should be on view in your Study Place. This will give you a clear picture of where you are placed in your study at any time during the semester.

The Planner has a number of purposes. It allows you to:

1. Plan and prepare for the times in the semester when different assignments and / or exams may overlap.
2. Prioritise assignments, based on the percentage weighting assigned to each assignment. A student needs to give more time to an assignment worth 40% of the marks compared to an assignment worth 10%.
3. Block out times in the semester when you will need to do intensive study.
4. Block out dates when you know that non-study activities will take priority.
5. Plan the process of writing an assignment to ensure that it is completed by the due date.
6. Make better choices for optional dates of activities like tutorial presentations.

• Weekly Study Planner

A Weekly Study Planner allows you to organise your week so that you can allocate time to essential study and work activities but still enjoy rest and recreation. It is not meant to control your life, but to give you the flexibility to decide how to use the hours available to you most effectively.

• To fill out a Weekly Study Planner:

1. Make a list of the activities you do each week.
2. Look through your list and on the Planner fill in the activities that you must attend to each week. These are the activities that have set times. For example: lectures, tutorials, work
3. Look through the remaining activities on your list. On the Planner fill in the activites that are important but where there is some flexibility in time allocation. "I prefer to review the Economics lecture on Wednesday afternoon". Remember in this group to include:
   

   Study Planning -	A brief study session (30 minutes) to prepare for the next lecture in a subject. Check the subject outline and browse/skim the suggested textbook chapters to gain an overview of the lecture topic. Do not try to do intensive reading on a topic before the lecture.
   Review -	A study session to review the notes taken in the lecture and to prepare tutorial material. This is most effective if done within 24 hours of the lecture. Check any information not understood and add any additional notes required from the readings.
   Weekly Review -	A study session at the end of the week to organise notes on the topics covered for that week. It is also a time to check the subject outline, read assignment topics again and to organise material for the coming week.

4. It is now time to look at your Study Planner and block in times for more intensive study (for completion of assessment tasks/and specific subject study). These sessions should be planned to suit your lifestyle, study habits, and subject requirements. It is important to establish a routine of study at these times early in the semester.
5. You will now need to look at the remaining activities on your list. It is important to include some recreational activities on your Weekly Planner, but often this is a time for making "hard" decisions about your priorities for the semester. "I want to continue aerobics classes but now I can only go once a week".

Getting to know the Library

In the first week of the semester, it is also a good idea to visit the university library. If you are unsure of how to access the library catalogues electronically, ask the librarians for assistance.

Using the online catalogue, you can find out the call numbers of books and videos contained on the Recommended Reading List on one of the subject outlines. You can now begin to familiarise yourself with the library by finding the sections containing the Call Numbers of the books on your list.

Browse the shelves, as this will give you a good indication of the sections that contain the resources you are likely to need for assignments.

It would also be the ideal time to book a library workshop session on accessing of information using the online databases. This will allow you to access journal articles on particular topics and is a necessary skill for researching information for your assignments. The library staff will help you to develop these skills. See the ACU National Library site.

• Student Centre Contacts