OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE: Life After TY Study Skills

1. OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE:Life After TYStudy Skills Mr Foster Coláiste Choilm C.B.S. Swords

2. Agenda • Preparation • Studying: a goal oriented process • Control: Planning and organising • Action • Learning and Recall • Exam Technique • Performance • Stress Management and Self Management

3. Studying: a Goal Oriented Process • Before you start walking, you must choose where it is you want to go…. • What do YOU want to achieve in the next 2 years? • How do I set goals • SPECIFIC • MEASUREABLE • ACTIVE • REALISTIC • TIME FRAME

4. SMART GOALS 1 • Specific • The goal should refer to an event. It should have a quantity of work attached • “I shall do all the Question 2’s in Maths” • Measurable • It should be possible to see how far you have got with your goal. “I have half of the Question 2’s done” When you reach the target, reward yourself with doing something you enjoy • Action Orientated • A target should be an action statement:- something that you will do • By Friday I will have a chapter in Science finished”

5. SMART GOALS 2 • Realistic • The goal should be doable. If not, you will feel unmotivated and become discouraged • Time Limited • The plan should have a time limit. Generally plans should have a short time limit. By breaking up topics in to weeks, you will find it easier to learn material. • Working smarter, rather than harder is the key to success.

6. Activity • Outline the 3 goals you want to achieve by: • Christmas • Summer • By end of 6th year • Check to see if these goals are what SMART

7. Planning and Controlling THE GOLDEN RULE: YOU CONTROL THE SITUATION, NOT THE SITUATION CONTROL YOU Time Management • Average concentration time 20-45 minutes so necessary to include short breaks • Divide task by time and function • E.g. 20 page chapter can be divided up into 4 blocks of 5 pages … • Do boring tasks first or work related to it first • Be specific in what you allocate

8. TIME PLAN 1 Tips for Creating a Time Plan • Create a master schedule or diary that indicates on a year basis when holidays, exams, homework, essays etc are due: • At a regular time e.g. Sunday evening, plan your week taking into account your master schedule and your study goals for that week • Mark out commitments such as meals, classes, sport etc • Make out a lists of tasks to do • Schedule these tasks into the available time slots

9. TIME PLAN 2 • Review what has been done at the end of the day- see if the schedule has to be changed • Allot times for relaxation • When you have finished a task cross it off the timetable • Avoid too much detail. There should be some free slots in case things go wrong • Schedule in rewards e.g. training or TV programmes

10. ACTIVITY • Look at your time per day: • Write in all fixed events (such as classes, breaks, holidays etc) • 2. Make an allocation for Homework • 3. You should have about of your day allocated to non-academic tasks such as sport • 4. Leave one day a week totally free of all academic work

11. Activity 2 • 5. Include a period of flexitime….time that is spare just in case something unexpected occurs • 6. Now, you can allocate your time for study. • Make a list of Topics Covered • 7. Now you allocate items on the list to your spaces.

12. BIG PROBLEM!! • After TY Students suffer from PROCRASTINATION • Put Things off…again, again, and again • 1. Identify a specific task you are putting off that you need to do • 2. Why are you putting it off? • 3. What or who supports you in putting this task off • 4. How will you change the components that support this procrastination?

13. Agenda • Preparation • Studying: a goal oriented process  • Control: Planning and organising  • Action • Learning and Recall • Exam Technique • Performance • Stress Management and Self Management

14. ACTION: EXAM TECHNIQUE AND LEARNING • LEARNING • How to Read Text Books • SQ3R: • Survey • Question • Read • Recite • Review

15. REVISION 1 • Its Never too late to Start • (a) look at your course material and note the topics you must cover for each subject • (b) plan around these, working back from the exam date to give you a starting date for your revision. • (c) allow 1-2 weeks before the exam for overall revision of topics already revised in depth and within this allow 1-2 days per subject. • (d) make a timetable – realistically, allocating time to each topic.

16. EXAM SKILL, NOT EXAM KILL • Have a finishing time for each question :- write it down beside the question • Write the Number of the question at the top of the page do not waste time copying out the wording of the question • Answer the question asked…not the question you would like to have been asked. Look at the marks allocated. The more marks given, the deeper or longer the answer required

17. Exam Q’s: What they mean • Compare and Contrast: show the similarities and the differences between two or more things • Define:explain the precise meaning of a topic • Describe:give a detailed account of • Discusslook at the different aspects of the topic. Present arguments for and against the topic

18. Exam Q’s what they mean 2 • Evaluate:Stress the strengths and weaknesses of a topic • Explain Give an account of a topic with reasons • IllustrateExplain using diagrams and examples • Outline Give the main features/facts of a topic • StatePresent a clear and brief and clear account • SummariseProvide a short account of the main points

19. Agenda • Preparation • Studying: a goal oriented process  • Control: Planning and organising  • Action • Learning  • Exam Technique  • Performance • Stress Management and Self Management

20. STRESS • Demands on us > our ability to meet them • What is a Crisis • A crisis is an emotional and physical response to an event that disrupts our normal day-to-day functioning. They are a normal part of life. • How to deal with a Crisis • Define what has happened • Seek help. • Routine. – Stay in Control • Be open-minded • Make a plan and stick to it • Exercise

21. SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY AND NOT A DESTINATION It only takes a single candle to light an entire room