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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development pp 1454–1456 Cite as

Study Skills

  • Carrie R. Ball 3  
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Study strategies ; Study tactics

Study Skills comprise an integrated repertoire of tactics and strategies, which facilitates acquisition, organization, retention, and application of new information.

Description

Study skills encompass a broad range of tactics and strategies that ultimately allow students to effectively learn, organize, and recall new information. Although children are often expected to develop study skills naturally, research indicates that many students exhibit study skill deficits and require explicit instruction to acquire and appropriately use study skills [ 5 ]. Additionally, the degree to which students are able to study effectively is a strong predictor of academic achievement [ 1 ].

An important distinction must be drawn between study tactics and study strategies, both of which are often used interchangeably with study skills. Study tactics, or the specific techniques involved in studying, form the building blocks for effective study skill...

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DiPerna, J. C. (2006). Academic enablers and student achievement: Implications for assessment and intervention services in the schools. Psychology in the Schools, 43 , 7–17.

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Gettinger, M., & Ball, C. (2006). Study skills. In G. G. Bear & K. M. Minke (Eds.), Children’s needs III: Development, prevention, and intervention (pp. 459–472). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Harvey, V. S., & Chickie-Wolfe, L. A. (2007a). Best practices in teaching study skills. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp. 1121–1136). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Harvey, V. S., & Chickie-Wolfe, L. A. (2007b). Fostering independent learning: Practical strategies to promote student success . New York: Guilford.

Scanlon, D. J., Deshler, D. D., & Schumaker, J. B. (1996). Can a strategy be taught and learned in secondary inclusive classrooms?. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 7 , 142–146.

Wood, E., Woloshyn, V. E., & Willoughby, T. (Eds.). (1995). Cognitive strategy instruction for middle and high school . Cambridge, MA: Brookline.

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Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Teachers College 524, Muncie, IN, USA

Carrie R. Ball

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Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

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Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. ( Professor of Psychology ) ( Professor of Psychology )

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Ball, C.R. (2011). Study Skills. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2826

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Initial Thoughts

Perspectives & resources, is it the responsibility of teachers to teach study skills strategies (opinion question: no resources), which study skills strategies can improve students’ academic performance, page 1: introduction to study skills.

  • Page 2: Graphic Organizers
  • Page 3: Comprehension Strategies
  • Page 4: Mnemonics
  • Page 5: Note-taking
  • Page 6: Materials Organization
  • Page 7: Time Management
  • Page 8: Self-Regulation
  • Page 9: References & Additional Resources
  • Page 10: Credits

Did You Know?

As early as in the fourth grade, teachers begin to present many of their lessons in the form of lectures, something that is different from how their students have previously received classroom instruction. This type of content delivery requires students to quickly process information, to identify important details, to take good notes, and later to retrieve this information for tests. As students move into middle and high school, the demands placed upon them continue to increase. More and more, they are expected to independently read and glean information from content-area textbooks, complete multi-step assignments, and select and use appropriate study strategies. It’s largely due to these increasing expectations and more difficult content, however, that secondary students with learning difficulties—particularly those with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—are more at risk of academic failure than are their peers without disabilities. One reason that these students struggle is because they have deficits in executive functions , the mental processes that control and coordinate activities related to learning, such as:

  • Processing information
  • Retaining and recalling information
  • Organizing materials and time
  • Using effective learning and study strategies

As Ms. Flemming pointed out in her classroom reflection, her students Erin and Kyra are struggling in a few of these areas this year. Erin seems to have great difficulty organizing her materials, and Kyra has trouble remembering information. To get a better idea of the challenges these students face, view their profiles below.

  • Able to Adequately Process Information
  • Some Difficulty Retaining & Recalling Information
  • Difficulty Organizing Materials & Managing Time
  • Difficulty Selecting, Monitoring & Using Strategies
  • Difficulty Processing Information
  • Difficulty Retaining & Recalling Information
  • Some Difficulty Organizing Materials

Click here for more information about the executive function processes of Hannah, Kyra, and Erin, the three students introduced in the Challenge video .

Student Profiles

Although the Challenge video to this module was simulated, the three students you met were portraying themselves. Their profiles reflect their actual abilities, just as their interview responses throughout this module capture their own experiences. Additionally, all work samples and questionnaire responses are genuine.

  • Strong Processing Skills
  • Good at Retaining & Recalling Information
  • Good Organizational & Time Management Skills
  • Employs Effective Study Skills Strategies
  • Adequately Processes Information
  • Difficulty Selecting, Monitoring, & Using Strategies

(Close this panel)

If they are to learn how to gain and use information effectively, students with executive function deficits must be explicitly taught how to strategically approach academic tasks. That is, they need to be taught effective study strategies, often referred to as study skills . As can be seen in the table below, individual strategies can be used to address problems students might be experiencing with four critical activities related to learning.

To make sure that students learn to use study skills strategies in an automatic or fluent manner, teachers need to use a research-validated strategy instruction model. When teachers do not make use of a validated approach, students often do not learn how, when, or where to use the strategies. Before teaching any of these strategies, it is recommended that you complete the following IRIS Module:

  • Study Skills Strategies (Part 1): Foundations for Effectively Teaching Study Skills
  • Grades 6-12
  • School Leaders

Black History Month for Kids: Google Slides, Resources, and More!

Ultimate Study Skills Guide: Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Every Grade

Because they really do need to learn how to learn.

WeAreTeachers study skills guide.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that study skills are life skills. Taking good notes, creating a focused workspace, managing distractions, making plans—any and all of these are skills people of all ages use every single day. Taking time to teach good study skills up front can equip students to succeed in school and beyond.

We’ve broken down many of the top study skills students need, including examples by grade level. Remember that there are a lot of different ways to study successfully. Offer students options and help them find the strategies that work best for them.

Study Spaces

Organization and time management study skills, learning styles, taking and using notes, effective reading study skills, completing assignments, test taking, finding help.

Study spaces.

Choosing the right place to study is the first step to good study skills. Teach students to consider these elements.

Choose Your Space

For some students, this means a dedicated study space like a desk in their room. Others may prefer to curl up in a chair with a lap desk or work at a table in a common space. Whichever they choose, it should be an area that’s dedicated to study while they’re using it.

Homework desk in child's bedroom with supplies they can use to build study skills

Source: organizeandarrangeit/Instagram

  • Elementary School: Many students begin doing homework on the dining room or kitchen table, where parents can supervise. As students get older, encourage them to explore other spaces too, especially those where they can work independently.
  • Middle School: By this age, kids will probably need a dedicated study space of their own, where they can keep supplies and works-in-progress. If that’s not possible, create a bin or box where they can store stuff while they’re not using it, then pull it out when it’s time to study.
  • High School: Older students should be able to carve out a study space pretty much anywhere, since that’s something they’ll need to be able to do in the working world too. As long as they’re able to concentrate and get their work done, don’t be too picky about where they choose to do it.

Make Yourself Comfortable

“Comfortable” looks different for every person, so don’t assume all kids need to be sitting at a desk to work well. At the same time, they shouldn’t be so comfortable that they’ll fall asleep!

  • Elementary School: When kids are doing independent reading, let them choose any spot they like. For other work, make sure they have a sturdy writing surface, like a table or lap desk. Ensure they have enough light to see what they’re doing, and teach them good posture if they’re sitting in a chair so they don’t develop stiff muscles.
  • Middle and High School: Show them how to adjust the font size on screens so they’re not squinting to read. Encourage them to use blue light filters if they’re spending a lot of time on computers.

Manage Distractions

Learning to concentrate while ignoring distractions is a key life skill, and one that we all need to develop. Some students will have no trouble tuning things out, while others are going to need a lot of help with this one.

  • Elementary School: Kids at this age are very easily distracted, so their study space should be as calm as possible. If a quiet room isn’t available, they might need noise-canceling headphones or even a white-noise machine to help them concentrate. Muting the TV isn’t enough—be sure it’s off completely. Remind friends and siblings to leave kids alone while they’re working.
  • Middle School: These kids are old enough to recognize distractions but might still have trouble handling them. Encourage them to turn off phones and electronics (although some students are fine listening to music while they work). Students at this age are old enough to politely ask friends or family not to interrupt them while they work.
  • High School: By this time, students know that the world is full of distractions and you can’t quiet them all. But you can teach them to mute their phone and messaging notifications, close all unnecessary windows on their laptops, and be firm about letting others know they need to be left alone to study.

Gather Your Supplies

One way to eliminate distractions is to ensure you have everything you need in place before you start. This includes books, notes, office supplies, and more. All kids should have water and some healthy snacks on hand too.

Study skills supplies caddy

Source: jugglingactmama/Instagram

  • Elementary School: Having a dedicated, well-stocked study space makes it much easier for kids to settle down to their work. Keep a supply of sharpened pencils, glue sticks, scissors, markers, and other items in a nearby drawer or a bin they can grab when they’re ready to get started.
  • Middle School: Students this age likely keep just about everything they need in their backpacks, so they’ll want it nearby when they study. Remind them to restock their supplies once a week (including sharpening pencils in advance).
  • High School: Depending on the assignment, these students may not need a lot of physical supplies, but they should still gather any books, notes, laptops, pens and highlighters, etc., they need before they settle in for a study session.

Organization and time management study skills.

These two study skills are also vital life skills, so the sooner kids learn them, the better. They’ll be grateful later in life!

Use a Homework Planner

As soon as kids starting having any kind of homework, they need a planner. For younger students, this could be a daily take-home folder, while older kids will need a more sophisticated system. Either way, use it consistently so it becomes a habit.

  • Elementary School: Take-home folders are perfect for organizing worksheets and other assignments. Put unfinished work on the left and finished work on the right. Use sticky notes on the worksheets or the front of the folder to write reminders about what needs to be done, including any due dates. Parents of younger students can review these folders each day, while upper elementary kids should mostly be able to keep track of things on their own.

Green homework folder with cutout hand that says Left at Home and Right Back to School

Source: Busy Classroom

  • Middle School: Use a planner notebook that includes calendars to help keep track of long-term assignments, with pages for daily notes and to-do lists. Teach students to make notes in them during class or immediately after, and start every study session by reviewing any current assignments and their due dates.

Example of a weekly middle school planner filled out by a student to build their study skills

Source: Starts at Eight

  • High School: Kids can continue using paper planners, or transition to online calendars or apps. Show them how to set useful reminders online, so things don’t slip through the cracks.

Example of high school planner filled out on a wooden table with pen and sticky notes

Source: LP Tutoring

Create a Daily Study Plan

When kids sit down to tackle the day’s work, encourage them to begin by making a plan. Assess what needs to be done, estimate the amount of time it will take, and decide what to do first.

Sample homework study plan with times.

Source: Beyond Booksmart

  • Elementary School: Parents and young kids should sit down together to look over the day’s assignments and talk about what to work on first. Some students might like to get easy tasks out of the way before settling in to harder ones, while others prefer to handle more difficult things first. Help them find the method that works best for them.
  • Middle School and High School: This age brings a higher amount of homework, so students should always start by determining how much time they’ll need to complete it. Let them experiment a bit—do they work best by completely finishing one assignment before moving on to the next, or do they like to do a little bit of each and take some breaks in between? Over time, they’ll find the methods they like best.

Chose the Best Study Time

Kids’ days are often jam-packed with activities, leaving homework and studying to get squeezed in whenever it fits. Take time to find out what time of day kids are at their best, and prioritize that time for study. For instance, if a student seems to learn better if they do their homework right after school, try to choose extracurriculars that meet in the evenings or weekends instead. Some students might even prefer to get up early in the morning and work, and that’s OK too as long as they’re getting enough sleep.

  • Elementary School: Let kids try doing their homework at different times throughout the day, and see if there are times when they’re better at concentrating. If so, teach them to schedule their schoolwork during those times, and make extracurricular choices for them accordingly.
  • Middle and High School: Students probably know by now when they work best, but busy schedules can make that more difficult to accommodate. Remind them to try to make smart choices and to tackle schoolwork when they’re feeling as fresh and alert as possible.

Keep Materials Neat and Organized

Some adults thrive in messy work spaces, and that’s OK. But kids should make an effort to keep their spaces and materials organized so they have fewer excuses for not getting things done.

Teen boy practicing study skills on computer at his organized desk.

Source: mywallpro/Instagram

  • Elementary School: In early grades, parents should help kids go through their backpack each night, cleaning out trash and restocking supplies. Help them set up an organization system using the different pockets. Show them how to use different-color folders and notebooks for each subject, and clean out every folder regularly. Set the backpack by the front door each night so it’s ready to go in the morning. Upper grade students should gradually do some or all of these things on their own.
  • Middle School: Transition to entirely managing backpacks and study spaces on their own. Parents might check in once a week or at the beginning of a school quarter to see if students need some assistance getting organized.
  • High School: In addition to managing their physical study materials, ensure kids at this age know how to keep things organized online. Show them how to use files and folders, where to back things up, and how to manage their email and message inboxes. Encourage them to set aside a regular time to make sure everything is in order, and make improvements as needed.

Take Breaks

Students need both physical and mental brain breaks while they study! Remind kids to get up and move around regularly, rest their eyes, and give their brain a break for a few minutes every so often.

  • Elementary School: Younger students should be able to work for about 15-20 minutes before taking a break, with upper grades going as long as 30 minutes. They usually won’t need reminders to take breaks, but they might need some help keeping those breaks to no more than 10 minutes or so.
  • Middle School: These kids can work 30-45 minutes at a time and should learn to recognize the signs of needing a break on their own. When they start to get very fidgety, feel a headache coming on, squint while they’re reading, or feel hungry or thirsty, it’s time for a short break. Teach them to set a timer to know when the break is over and they need to get back to work.
  • High School: By now, students can work an hour at a time but should be encouraged to take regular breaks all the same. In fact, just like adults, they should aim to get up and move for at least 5 minutes every hour. Physical activity like stretching, yoga, or even dancing to music will help refresh them so they can get back down to it. If they have trouble remembering to take breaks, have them set a timer to remind them.

Learning styles.

All students use different learning methods to retain and understand the same information. Some like written words, some prefer to hear it and talk about it. Others need to do something with their hands or see images and diagrams. These are known as learning styles. While it’s important not to pigeonhole students into any one style, kids should be aware of any strengths they have and use them to create strong study skills.

Visual-See It Auditory-Hear/Say It Read/Write-It Kinesthetic-Do It (Learning Styles)

Source:  Nnenna Walters

Know Your Style

There are four generally accepted styles: visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic (movement). You can learn more about them here. It’s worth taking time to understand which (if any) style appeals to a student more.

  • Elementary School: Most kids are exposed to a wide array of learning activities, strategies, and methods here and will slowly form preferences. If parents or teachers notice that kids aren’t learning well using one method (e.g., flash cards to learn math facts), have students try activities from different styles instead (like videos or songs).
  • Middle School: At this age, students should have some idea of which study methods fit their learning styles. They should continue to experiment, especially in subjects where they struggle to master the material.
  • High School: Kids in these grades who still don’t understand how they learn best may benefit from taking the VARK questionnaire . It will point them in the right direction and help them find the best study methods.

Choose Appropriate Study Materials

Here are some examples of study materials and activities that appeal to different learning styles, no matter the age or grade level.

nonfiction anchor charts

Source: Elementary Shenanigans

  • Visual: Diagrams; charts; graphs; maps; videos with or without sound; photos and other images; graphic organizers and sketchnotes
  • Auditory: Lectures; audiobooks; videos with sound; music and songs; text-to-speech translation; discussion and debate; teaching others
  • Read/Write: Reading textbooks, articles, and handouts; watching video with subtitles turned on; using speech-to-text translation and transcripts; making lists; writing answers to questions
  • Kinesthetic: Hands-on practice; educational craft projects; experiments and demonstrations; trial and error; moving and playing games while learning

Taking and using notes.

Study after study have shown the importance of actively taking notes rather than passively reading a handout later on. The act of writing engages different parts of the brain, forging new pathways that help students retain information in long-term memory. Taking good notes and using them properly are study skills every student needs to master.

Learn Different Note-Taking Strategies

There are a variety of good strategies, like outlines, the Cornell Method, sketchnotes, and more. There’s no one best method; it often depends on the material and the learner.

Page demonstrating the Cornell method of note taking (Note Taking Strategies)

Source:  Think Insights

  • Elementary School: Actively teach kids how to take notes in a variety of styles. Learn about seven top note-taking strategies here , and share them with your students. Teachers can start with handouts and graphic organizers but should slowly transition to more independent methods.
  • Middle School: Students should be mastering the skill of taking their own notes, choosing a style that works best for them. They may need reminders of key points to capture but should now be able to isolate the important info.
  • High School: Note-taking should be automatic by now, and many students will have developed preferred styles. Teachers should not insist on a specific note-taking strategy, but should ensure kids are capturing the information they need.

Organize and Review

Taking notes is just one part of the process. Students with good study skills also know how to use them effectively.

Example of how to use colored tabs or flags to organize notes and build study skills.

Source: The Mad Scientist

  • Elementary School: Help students keep all notes from one subject or project in one notebook or folder. Show them how to place them in an order that makes sense, and use tabs, tables of contents, or other organizational methods. Encourage them to review each day’s notes when they go home at night, to reinforce the learning.
  • Middle School: Students in these grades might want to reorganize their notes on their own when they get home, re-copying them or even typing them into a computer. They should be able to use effective organization strategies, to find the notes they need later on during a study session.
  • High School: Students should plan to spend time after every class going over that day’s notes, reviewing and reinforcing what they learned. They should be able to rely heavily on their own notes when reviewing for a test or completing a project.

Effective reading study skills.

“Read chapter three for homework tonight.” Sounds simple enough, right? But there’s a big difference between skimming the material and actually learning from it. Here are the study skills students need to learn while they read.

Highlighting

Everybody loves a handful of colorful highlighters, but using them effectively is a study skill all on its own. Kids can highlight both texts and their own notes.

Notebook page highlighted in yellow and green

Source: cozmic_mae/Instagram

  • Elementary School: Read material with students, showing them how to highlight key words and phrases instead of whole blocks of text. Show them color-coding strategies for organizing the information. Give them practice passages specifically for learning these skills.
  • Middle School: Introduce students to online highlighting tools, since many of the texts they’ll be reading are digital. If necessary, they can print out reading material to highlight physically instead.
  • High School: Kids should be pretty expert at highlighting by now, but watch for students who are still highlighting whole blocks without really knowing why, and show them the fundamentals.

Rereading and Taking Notes

In a lot of cases, reading something once simply isn’t enough. All students should learn to reread materials, using that time to highlight and take notes.

Sample pages in student notebook with notes about volcanos to use to develop study skills

Source: SERC

  • Elementary School: Reread passages together, pointing out key words, phrases, and ideas. Make notes while reading, both in the text and on separate paper. Try to complete review questions without referring to the text.
  • Middle School: Students will know they’ve read thoroughly when they can complete review questions without looking back. Show students how to write their own review questions as they study (the Cornell Method of Note-Taking is perfect for this) so they’ll know they truly understand the material.
  • High School: Continue to reinforce good reading study skills by giving students review questions to complete or asking them to make an outline or sketchnotes to sum up what they’ve learned.

Kids need to learn how to thoroughly complete an assignment, whether it’s a worksheet, an essay, or a term-long research project. These are the study skills they should know.

Understand the Assignment

Having a clear understanding of what’s being asked is so important. Otherwise, kids might wind up doing the wrong work, then having to tackle it all over again.

  • Elementary School: Show kids how to carefully read directions at the beginning. Have them repeat back what they’re expected to do, and make notes if they need reminders. Teachers should provide instructions in writing whenever possible and make them clear and simple.
  • Middle School: Encourage students to ask questions about assignments up front, or throughout if necessary. Continue to ensure they fully understand the directions before they start, especially when there are multiple steps.
  • High School: By now, students should be able to make their own notes about expectations and can handle a series of more complicated steps. They should make a habit of reviewing all that information before they begin work.

Make a Plan

Once they know the expectations, students should plan how they’ll do the work.

  • Elementary School: Help students evaluate the assignment and decide which parts they’ll do first. This is also a good time to estimate how long the work will take.
  • Middle School: Encourage kids to think about how they like to approach assignments. Do they like doing easy problems first, then circling back around to harder stuff? Do they sometimes get stuck and frustrated? If so, how can they get “unstuck” and continue to make progress?
  • High School: Many high school assignments are more complex, and students will need to lay out the steps to take. For instance, a research project might require choosing a topic, getting approval, starting research, planning a presentation, and giving the presentation, with multiple sub-steps in each. This all feels more manageable when you have a plan in place first.

Save Your Work

Such a basic study skill, and so extremely important!

  • Elementary School: Help students ensure all assignments go back into the appropriate folders and all folders make it into their backpack when they’re done. Don’t leave things lying around where they can get lost.
  • Middle and High School: In addition to keeping physical papers in order, be sure kids know how to save files online, including backing up their work. Many programs save automatically, but that’s not always the case. Show them how to keep backed-up files on an external drive or in the cloud, in case their hardware fails.

Review and Revise

Finishing the last problem on the page or typing the final word on a paper doesn’t mean you’re done. Good study skills means going back to review your work and make revisions.

English essay with revisions in colored pen made by student.

Source: EnglishWritingTeacher.com

  • Elementary School: Parents and younger kids should go back over completed homework together to make sure it’s complete and correct. Perform math problems “backwards” to see if the answers make sense. As kids get older, parents should remind them to review and check their answers on their own.
  • Middle School: Students should regularly remember to check their answers before turning in an assignment. Advise them to make sure they’ve done everything they’ve been asked to, to the best of their ability.
  • High School: Reviewing and revising should be automatic now. Writing assignments should include plans for multiple revisions. Teach students to use spell-check and grammar-check programs as needed, and encourage them to read their writing out loud to hear how it sounds.

Test taking.

Some kids naturally do well on tests, but others freeze up and forget everything they’ve learned . Fortunately, test-taking study skills are something kids can learn over time.

Test taking skills anchor chart to build study skills.

Source: Tammy DeShaw/The Owl Teacher

Review the Material

Kids should develop a variety of strategies for reviewing for a test, including review questions, flash cards, discussions, looking over notes, and more. It’s also important to follow a regular study schedule on any subject, instead of leaving all the review to the last minute.

  • Elementary School: Whenever possible, adults should work with kids to help them study. Make flash cards, talk over the material together, sing spelling word songs—model good study skills for them to help them learn.
  • Middle School: Help students continue to use a variety of review strategies. Teachers can provide review questions, set up study groups, and create online materials for them to use, just to name a few.
  • High School: Kids should be coordinating their own review by now, whether independently or in groups. Make sure they know how to contact you if they have questions while they’re studying.

Get Rest and Eat Well

At any age, feeling your best is key to acing a test. Discourage students from staying up late to cram, and see that they have healthy meals and snacks on the day of the test. If they’re allowed, be sure they have bottled water on hand to stay hydrated before and during the test itself.

Tackle Easy Questions First

This one is especially important for students who have difficulty managing their time, or those who get incredibly nervous about tests. Focus on showing what you know, and build confidence as you go along.

  • Elementary School: Teach kids to look over the entire test first so they can see what they’ll be expected to do. Tell them to ask questions right away if they have any. On the second run-through, they should answer any questions or problems they’re certain about. Finally, they can go back and handle more challenging questions, one at a time. In younger grades, practice this skill by using guided test-taking sessions.
  • Middle School: Before a test, remind students of the process. Have them look the whole thing over first, and ask if anyone has any general questions before they begin. Monitor kids as they complete the test, and nudge along any who seem stuck on one particular question or section.
  • High School: By now, kids should have the process down pat, but teachers should be aware of nervous test-takers and quietly remind them to focus on what they know.

Watch the Time

It’s a simple skill but a valuable one. Get kids used to glancing at the clock, but not obsessing over how much time is left.

  • Elementary School: Tell kids how much time they have up front. Offer reminders several times, especially toward the end, but don’t do it in a way that amps up anxiety.
  • Middle School: Make time expectations clear up front, and remind students once or twice of the remaining time as they work. Students should be glancing at the clock occasionally as they work; at the end of every page or section is a good rule of thumb. If they feel like they’re running out of time, remind them to use the “easy questions first” strategy.
  • High School: Older students should be able to look over a test and compare it to the amount of time they have, so they know they’re working at the right pace. Teachers can offer a reminder halfway through and five minutes before the end.

Review Before Submitting

Just like with assignments, students should try to make time to review test answers before they turn it in. (And to make sure they put their names on their paper!)

  • Elementary School: Actively ask students who are turning in their papers to go back to their seats and review their answers first. Build in a little extra test time so every student has a chance to review their work.
  • Middle School: Remind students to review their work before submitting it when you pass out the tests. Offer additional reminders to those who regularly turn in work that needed another look.
  • High School: Students should remember to build in time to look things over at the end as they start taking the test. The five-minute reminder toward the end is their cue to look over what they’ve done.

Finding help.

Even when you have terrific study skills, sometimes you need some assistance. Asking for help when you need it is something everyone needs to be able to do. While kids can’t expect adults to walk them through every step of the process, they should feel free to reach out for guidance when they need it.

Know How and When To Contact Teachers

Help students keep contact information handy and know the appropriate ways to contact their teachers as needed.

Teacher contact cards on desk with name, email, phone, etc.

Source: StudentSavvy/Teachers Pay Teachers

  • Elementary School: Most outside-school communication is between parents and teachers at this point, but kids should be encouraged to ask their own questions during the school day whenever possible. As they get older, parents should do their best to let kids take the lead.
  • Middle School: Students should be almost entirely independent of parents when communicating with teachers now. They should know when teachers are available to chat in person (including before and after school, if possible). Adults can also show them how to write respectful emails or texts if teachers have made that contact information available.
  • High School: At this point, students should be nearly 100% responsible for talking to their teachers when they need to. They should keep a contact list of email addresses, phone numbers, or other info. Additionally, they should recognize and respect preferred methods of contact.

Create Study Groups

While some kids work best on their own, many others thrive working with others to keep them on track and motivated. Setting up study buddies or groups enhances everyone’s study skills.

Group of middle school students in a study group

Source: MiddleWeb

  • Elementary School: Parents will likely have to coordinate any in-person or online study sessions. Teachers can help by pairing students together as partners or for tutoring, and providing virtual study spaces when necessary.
  • Middle School: As students get older, they should learn to seek out strong study partners. Help them recognize that their best friends may not always be the best choices when it comes to studying. Encourage them to have peers over to study, or to meet in public places like libraries.
  • High School: Kids should be independently forming their own study support systems. However, they might ask teachers for help when they need one-on-one tutor recommendations. They may work together at school, at home, at the library, or online.

Use Resource Tools

There are more ways to learn and study than ever before. Help students find the right options to support their studies.

  • Elementary School: Encourage students to look up answers in the right places: What does a word mean? Check the dictionary. When did the Civil War start? Here’s how to Google that. Help younger students use the resources to ensure they’re finding the information they need.
  • Middle School: “Hey Google, how many moons does Jupiter have?” Kids this age know how to ask questions on the web. However, they need to learn how to make sure the answers are reliable. Teach them about primary sources (like following Wikipedia info back to its original source) and how to verify information in several different places.
  • High School: A huge number of resources are online these days, so be sure students know where to find them and how to use them. Provide trusted online dictionaries and encyclopedias, show them how to seek out a thesaurus or rhyming dictionary, and guide them to video sites beyond YouTube, just to name a few.

How do you teach study skills in your classroom? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, check out 15 life skills every teen should learn ..

We rarely teach students study skills, but they're key to success. Show kids how to set up a study space, take and use good notes, and more.

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24 Life Skills Every Teen Should Learn

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Education Corner

Study Skills for Students

Proven tips and techniques for studying smarter… not harder.

Study Skills Checklist Use our study skills checklist to identify study skills areas where you should improve and focus.

Habits of Highly Effective Students Learn how to develop and apply effective study habits that will help you become a highly effective student.

Discover Your Learning Style Discover which learning styles and preferences will enhance your study skills and improve the rate and quality of your learning.

Effective Time Management Learn how to optimize your studying and get more accomplished with effective time management.

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Finding a Place to Study Let’s say it one more time, Location! If you’re constantly being bombarded by distractions, it can be difficult to study. Finding a location that suits your method of learning is key to effective studying. Learn More

Study Skills Guides

Struggling to be a successful student? Don’t get discouraged, it isn’t magic! But it does require desire, dedication and a lot of work. If you want to learn how to become a successful student, then you’ve come to the right place.

Our study skills guides for students will provide you everything you need in order to learn how to learn more effectively.

Active listening, reading comprehension, note taking, stress management, time management, testing taking, and memorization are only a few of the topics addressed in our study skills guides for students. If you’ll take the time to learn and apply the study skills concepts and principles taught in our guides you’ll not only improve your performance in school but also your ability to learn in general — and that will benefit you the rest of your life!

Whether you’re a freshman in college looking to get ahead, a teacher seeking study skills resources for your pupils, or a high school student just trying to survive, you’ll find the study skills guides, tutorials, and resources you need right below.

To get started select a category link below.

  • General Study Skills

Test Taking Guides

  • Study Skills by Subject

Or scroll down to browse all our study skills resources and tutorials.

General Study Skills Guides

The following are general study skills guides, tutorials and articles for students, parents and teachers that offer proven tips and strategies for improving study skills habits, effectiveness and learning ability. Topics covered include time management, learning style, note taking, reading, math, vocabulary, writing, and listening, among others.

  • Study Skills Checklist
  • Discover Your Learning Style
  • 10 Habits of Highly Successful Students
  • 16 Study Motivation Tips, Tricks, and Hacks
  • Improving Reading Comprehension
  • Study and Learning Skills for Online Classes
  • The Cornell System for Taking Notes
  • Improving Your Note Taking
  • Improving Your Memory
  • Active Listening Skills Guide
  • Critical Thinking Skills
  • Critical Reading Guide
  • Using Effective Time Management To Optimize Your Studying
  • Finding a Good Study Location
  • Using Studying Groups
  • Strategies for Reading Textbooks
  • SQ3R Strategy for Reading Textbooks
  • Vocabulary Building Strategies
  • Basics of Writing An Essay
  • Writing Research Papers
  • Setting and Achieving Goals
  • The Forgetting Curve
  • The Study Cycle
  • The Learning Pyramid Explored

Test taking is a skill in and of itself. Even some of the brightest students struggle when it comes to test taking. Learning how to take tests is an important aspect of educational performance, development and progression. Below we’ll explore both general and specific tips and strategies for taking and enhancing performance on various types of tests, including short answer, multiple choice, essay, oral, openbook, and standardized.

  • Test Preparation Tips
  • Coping With Test Anxiety
  • Simple Strategies for Improving Test Performance
  • Test Taking Strategies
  • Short Answer Tests
  • Taking Essay Tests
  • Multiple Choice Test Taking Tips
  • True/False Tests
  • Solving Math Word Problems
  • Quantitative and Math Test Preparation Strategies
  • Openbook Tests
  • Oral Test Taking
  • ACT Test Taking Strategies
  • SAT Test Taking Tips and Techniques
  • LSAT Strategies
  • How To Study for the MCAT
  • Test Taking Strategies for Nursing Students
  • NCLEX Test Preparation Guide
  • The ACCUPLACER Test Guide
  • GED Study Guide
  • GRE Study Guide

Study Skills Resources by Subject

Understanding general, yet proven, strategies for studying and test taking is the first step to becoming an effective learner and student. However, each subject you study is unique and requires a slightly different learning approach. For example, learning how to do calculus is very different from studying American heritage. While both subjects require good study habits, effective listening, and reading comprehension skills, each requires a different approach to learning. Below we’ll explore specific study skills and strategies as they relate to performance within individual subject areas.

  • Anthropology
  • Compu t er Science
  • Engineering
  • Foreign Language
  • Political Science

Learning Center

Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder

Do you ever feel like your study habits simply aren’t cutting it? Do you wonder what you could be doing to perform better in class and on exams? Many students realize that their high school study habits aren’t very effective in college. This is understandable, as college is quite different from high school. The professors are less personally involved, classes are bigger, exams are worth more, reading is more intense, and classes are much more rigorous. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you; it just means you need to learn some more effective study skills. Fortunately, there are many active, effective study strategies that are shown to be effective in college classes.

This handout offers several tips on effective studying. Implementing these tips into your regular study routine will help you to efficiently and effectively learn course material. Experiment with them and find some that work for you.

Reading is not studying

Simply reading and re-reading texts or notes is not actively engaging in the material. It is simply re-reading your notes. Only ‘doing’ the readings for class is not studying. It is simply doing the reading for class. Re-reading leads to quick forgetting.

Think of reading as an important part of pre-studying, but learning information requires actively engaging in the material (Edwards, 2014). Active engagement is the process of constructing meaning from text that involves making connections to lectures, forming examples, and regulating your own learning (Davis, 2007). Active studying does not mean highlighting or underlining text, re-reading, or rote memorization. Though these activities may help to keep you engaged in the task, they are not considered active studying techniques and are weakly related to improved learning (Mackenzie, 1994).

Ideas for active studying include:

  • Create a study guide by topic. Formulate questions and problems and write complete answers. Create your own quiz.
  • Become a teacher. Say the information aloud in your own words as if you are the instructor and teaching the concepts to a class.
  • Derive examples that relate to your own experiences.
  • Create concept maps or diagrams that explain the material.
  • Develop symbols that represent concepts.
  • For non-technical classes (e.g., English, History, Psychology), figure out the big ideas so you can explain, contrast, and re-evaluate them.
  • For technical classes, work the problems and explain the steps and why they work.
  • Study in terms of question, evidence, and conclusion: What is the question posed by the instructor/author? What is the evidence that they present? What is the conclusion?

Organization and planning will help you to actively study for your courses. When studying for a test, organize your materials first and then begin your active reviewing by topic (Newport, 2007). Often professors provide subtopics on the syllabi. Use them as a guide to help organize your materials. For example, gather all of the materials for one topic (e.g., PowerPoint notes, text book notes, articles, homework, etc.) and put them together in a pile. Label each pile with the topic and study by topics.

For more information on the principle behind active studying, check out our tipsheet on metacognition .

Understand the Study Cycle

The Study Cycle , developed by Frank Christ, breaks down the different parts of studying: previewing, attending class, reviewing, studying, and checking your understanding. Although each step may seem obvious at a glance, all too often students try to take shortcuts and miss opportunities for good learning. For example, you may skip a reading before class because the professor covers the same material in class; doing so misses a key opportunity to learn in different modes (reading and listening) and to benefit from the repetition and distributed practice (see #3 below) that you’ll get from both reading ahead and attending class. Understanding the importance of all stages of this cycle will help make sure you don’t miss opportunities to learn effectively.

Spacing out is good

One of the most impactful learning strategies is “distributed practice”—spacing out your studying over several short periods of time over several days and weeks (Newport, 2007). The most effective practice is to work a short time on each class every day. The total amount of time spent studying will be the same (or less) than one or two marathon library sessions, but you will learn the information more deeply and retain much more for the long term—which will help get you an A on the final. The important thing is how you use your study time, not how long you study. Long study sessions lead to a lack of concentration and thus a lack of learning and retention.

In order to spread out studying over short periods of time across several days and weeks, you need control over your schedule . Keeping a list of tasks to complete on a daily basis will help you to include regular active studying sessions for each class. Try to do something for each class each day. Be specific and realistic regarding how long you plan to spend on each task—you should not have more tasks on your list than you can reasonably complete during the day.

For example, you may do a few problems per day in math rather than all of them the hour before class. In history, you can spend 15-20 minutes each day actively studying your class notes. Thus, your studying time may still be the same length, but rather than only preparing for one class, you will be preparing for all of your classes in short stretches. This will help focus, stay on top of your work, and retain information.

In addition to learning the material more deeply, spacing out your work helps stave off procrastination. Rather than having to face the dreaded project for four hours on Monday, you can face the dreaded project for 30 minutes each day. The shorter, more consistent time to work on a dreaded project is likely to be more acceptable and less likely to be delayed to the last minute. Finally, if you have to memorize material for class (names, dates, formulas), it is best to make flashcards for this material and review periodically throughout the day rather than one long, memorization session (Wissman and Rawson, 2012). See our handout on memorization strategies to learn more.

It’s good to be intense

Not all studying is equal. You will accomplish more if you study intensively. Intensive study sessions are short and will allow you to get work done with minimal wasted effort. Shorter, intensive study times are more effective than drawn out studying.

In fact, one of the most impactful study strategies is distributing studying over multiple sessions (Newport, 2007). Intensive study sessions can last 30 or 45-minute sessions and include active studying strategies. For example, self-testing is an active study strategy that improves the intensity of studying and efficiency of learning. However, planning to spend hours on end self-testing is likely to cause you to become distracted and lose your attention.

On the other hand, if you plan to quiz yourself on the course material for 45 minutes and then take a break, you are much more likely to maintain your attention and retain the information. Furthermore, the shorter, more intense sessions will likely put the pressure on that is needed to prevent procrastination.

Silence isn’t golden

Know where you study best. The silence of a library may not be the best place for you. It’s important to consider what noise environment works best for you. You might find that you concentrate better with some background noise. Some people find that listening to classical music while studying helps them concentrate, while others find this highly distracting. The point is that the silence of the library may be just as distracting (or more) than the noise of a gymnasium. Thus, if silence is distracting, but you prefer to study in the library, try the first or second floors where there is more background ‘buzz.’

Keep in mind that active studying is rarely silent as it often requires saying the material aloud.

Problems are your friend

Working and re-working problems is important for technical courses (e.g., math, economics). Be able to explain the steps of the problems and why they work.

In technical courses, it is usually more important to work problems than read the text (Newport, 2007). In class, write down in detail the practice problems demonstrated by the professor. Annotate each step and ask questions if you are confused. At the very least, record the question and the answer (even if you miss the steps).

When preparing for tests, put together a large list of problems from the course materials and lectures. Work the problems and explain the steps and why they work (Carrier, 2003).

Reconsider multitasking

A significant amount of research indicates that multi-tasking does not improve efficiency and actually negatively affects results (Junco, 2012).

In order to study smarter, not harder, you will need to eliminate distractions during your study sessions. Social media, web browsing, game playing, texting, etc. will severely affect the intensity of your study sessions if you allow them! Research is clear that multi-tasking (e.g., responding to texts, while studying), increases the amount of time needed to learn material and decreases the quality of the learning (Junco, 2012).

Eliminating the distractions will allow you to fully engage during your study sessions. If you don’t need your computer for homework, then don’t use it. Use apps to help you set limits on the amount of time you can spend at certain sites during the day. Turn your phone off. Reward intensive studying with a social-media break (but make sure you time your break!) See our handout on managing technology for more tips and strategies.

Switch up your setting

Find several places to study in and around campus and change up your space if you find that it is no longer a working space for you.

Know when and where you study best. It may be that your focus at 10:00 PM. is not as sharp as at 10:00 AM. Perhaps you are more productive at a coffee shop with background noise, or in the study lounge in your residence hall. Perhaps when you study on your bed, you fall asleep.

Have a variety of places in and around campus that are good study environments for you. That way wherever you are, you can find your perfect study spot. After a while, you might find that your spot is too comfortable and no longer is a good place to study, so it’s time to hop to a new spot!

Become a teacher

Try to explain the material in your own words, as if you are the teacher. You can do this in a study group, with a study partner, or on your own. Saying the material aloud will point out where you are confused and need more information and will help you retain the information. As you are explaining the material, use examples and make connections between concepts (just as a teacher does). It is okay (even encouraged) to do this with your notes in your hands. At first you may need to rely on your notes to explain the material, but eventually you’ll be able to teach it without your notes.

Creating a quiz for yourself will help you to think like your professor. What does your professor want you to know? Quizzing yourself is a highly effective study technique. Make a study guide and carry it with you so you can review the questions and answers periodically throughout the day and across several days. Identify the questions that you don’t know and quiz yourself on only those questions. Say your answers aloud. This will help you to retain the information and make corrections where they are needed. For technical courses, do the sample problems and explain how you got from the question to the answer. Re-do the problems that give you trouble. Learning the material in this way actively engages your brain and will significantly improve your memory (Craik, 1975).

Take control of your calendar

Controlling your schedule and your distractions will help you to accomplish your goals.

If you are in control of your calendar, you will be able to complete your assignments and stay on top of your coursework. The following are steps to getting control of your calendar:

  • On the same day each week, (perhaps Sunday nights or Saturday mornings) plan out your schedule for the week.
  • Go through each class and write down what you’d like to get completed for each class that week.
  • Look at your calendar and determine how many hours you have to complete your work.
  • Determine whether your list can be completed in the amount of time that you have available. (You may want to put the amount of time expected to complete each assignment.) Make adjustments as needed. For example, if you find that it will take more hours to complete your work than you have available, you will likely need to triage your readings. Completing all of the readings is a luxury. You will need to make decisions about your readings based on what is covered in class. You should read and take notes on all of the assignments from the favored class source (the one that is used a lot in the class). This may be the textbook or a reading that directly addresses the topic for the day. You can likely skim supplemental readings.
  • Pencil into your calendar when you plan to get assignments completed.
  • Before going to bed each night, make your plan for the next day. Waking up with a plan will make you more productive.

See our handout on calendars and college for more tips on using calendars as time management.

Use downtime to your advantage

Beware of ‘easy’ weeks. This is the calm before the storm. Lighter work weeks are a great time to get ahead on work or to start long projects. Use the extra hours to get ahead on assignments or start big projects or papers. You should plan to work on every class every week even if you don’t have anything due. In fact, it is preferable to do some work for each of your classes every day. Spending 30 minutes per class each day will add up to three hours per week, but spreading this time out over six days is more effective than cramming it all in during one long three-hour session. If you have completed all of the work for a particular class, then use the 30 minutes to get ahead or start a longer project.

Use all your resources

Remember that you can make an appointment with an academic coach to work on implementing any of the strategies suggested in this handout.

Works consulted

Carrier, L. M. (2003). College students’ choices of study strategies. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 96 (1), 54-56.

Craik, F. I., & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104 (3), 268.

Davis, S. G., & Gray, E. S. (2007). Going beyond test-taking strategies: Building self-regulated students and teachers. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 1 (1), 31-47.

Edwards, A. J., Weinstein, C. E., Goetz, E. T., & Alexander, P. A. (2014). Learning and study strategies: Issues in assessment, instruction, and evaluation. Elsevier.

Junco, R., & Cotten, S. R. (2012). No A 4 U: The relationship between multitasking and academic performance. Computers & Education, 59 (2), 505-514.

Mackenzie, A. M. (1994). Examination preparation, anxiety and examination performance in a group of adult students. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 13 (5), 373-388.

McGuire, S.Y. & McGuire, S. (2016). Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate in Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation. Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Newport, C. (2006). How to become a straight-a student: the unconventional strategies real college students use to score high while studying less. Three Rivers Press.

Paul, K. (1996). Study smarter, not harder. Self Counsel Press.

Robinson, A. (1993). What smart students know: maximum grades, optimum learning, minimum time. Crown trade paperbacks.

Wissman, K. T., Rawson, K. A., & Pyc, M. A. (2012). How and when do students use flashcards? Memory, 20, 568-579.

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Study skills for students

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Support for students

Whether you are studying for pleasure, to further your career, to increase your knowledge of a subject, to acquire new skills, or to gain a qualification, we hope that you will take advantage of the study skills support we offer at the Department for Continuing Education. Reviewing and developing your study skills will not only boost your confidence and help you succeed, but will also enable you to work more effectively in the time available to you for study.

Developing and improving study skills is a gradual and long-term process. It is also an individual process. If you are new to higher education or have not studied for some time, you may feel worried about tackling your first assignment; taking an exam; or juggling study, family, and work commitments. If you are part- way through a course, or are progressing to a new course, you may feel that it would be useful to brush up your note-taking or writing skills, to acquire some tips on spelling or grammar, or to acquire and practise presentation skills. Whatever your study skills needs, we hope that you will find the support and guidance we provide helpful and that you will enjoy the opportunity to get to know and work with students with similar goals and concerns.

Study Skills Programme

The Study Skills Programme provides guidance across the range of study skills needed at undergraduate level including:

  • Managing your time and developing learning strategies
  • Reading academic texts critically and effectively
  • Taking notes in lectures and from hard or electronic copy
  • Planning and writing essays and reports
  • Constructing and presenting bibliographies and references
  • Developing an academic writing style
  • Improving spelling and grammar
  • Preparing and delivering presentations
  • Revising and sitting examinations

Guidance on using and searching Oxford University’s online library catalogue OLIS and electronic research resources OxLIP using the search and discovery tool SOLO is provided by Rewley House Library .

Workshops and courses

The programme is delivered through:

  • A range of half or full day study skills workshops. See our course listings for available education and study skills workshops and courses. 
  • Academic Literacy , a ten-week online introductory study skills course. 

Both the study skills workshops and the online introductory academic literacy course are fully supported with handouts and practice exercises. Students are encouraged to discuss study skills problems and solutions and to practise new skills with fellow participants. There is no single formula for successful study. What works for other students may not necessarily work for you. It is important to build upon your own existing skills and abilities but you also need to experiment with tried and tested strategies and techniques in order to find your own preferred and successful methods of study.

Postgraduate students are welcome to attend the workshops or undertake the introductory academic literacy course if they want to refresh their general study skills, but guidance on general and subject-specific postgraduate study skills is provided on individual postgraduate courses.

Further ways to obtain study skills guidance

If you are unable to attend the workshops or register for the online programme, or if you prefer to read about study techniques or merely want to find out about a particular aspect of study, you might like to consult one of our study skills guides, borrow a book from the library or access study skills material online.

Continuing Education study skills guides

The Department has developed a range of study skills guides for students offering advice on tried and tested ways to study effectively.

A copy of our Weekly Classes student handbook, which includes a mini-guide to preparing and writing a range of assignments for our open access courses, can be downloaded as a PDF document by following the link below (please see pages 5-6 ):

  • Guide to Producing Coursework  (PDF)

We use the following bespoke guides to support our workshops:

  • Introduction to Study Skills
  • Building Assignment Writing Skills
  • Developing Further Assignment Writing Skills
  • Revision and Examination Skills

These are available to current students, either on request from your tutor or from the Rewley House Library reception desk.

There are a large number of books you can consult to find out more about study skills at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Some cover a range of study skills; others focus on specific skills or on individual subject disciplines. The Rewley House Library holds multiple copies of a large selection of study skills publications. You will also find study skills books in your local public library. You may download our list of   recommended study skills texts .

Teaching and learning in Continuing Education

All of our courses are designed to provide a high quality and enjoyable learning experience for part-time adult students. The range of teaching methods and activities varies from course to course, and, depending on the subject taught, may include site visits to archaeological digs, museums, art galleries and heritage buildings in addition to classroom-based teaching.

All courses include seminars, lectures and tutorials in some form. Seminars and lectures are often delivered in a composite form in a single extended session, for example in a two-hour weekly class or six-hour day school. If you would like to find out more about lectures, seminars and tutorials and how best to prepare for them please click for  further information (PDF).

Guidance for students whose first language is not English

If English is not your first language you may have concerns whether you will be able to cope with study at undergraduate level. All of our courses are taught in English and you need to be sufficiently fluent in the English language to work without disadvantage. It is our experience that students require a level of fluency in written and spoken English equivalent to at least the British Council’s IELTS level 7 in order to study effectively and successfully on all courses at the Department for Continuing Education. This level is specified as an entrance requirement for courses which result in the achievement of an Oxford University qualification and is an advisory requirement for all other courses.

For further information about the Department’s English Language Requirement and for links to IELTS and TEFL websites please see the guidance for International Students .

If you require advice and information about language proficiency please contact the Student Support Officer .

Increasing your English language proficiency

If you would like to improve your command of English there are a number of useful web sites which provide useful guidance on increasing language proficiency and preparing for the IELTS and other examinations, including:

www.learnenglish.org.uk This is a British Council website. It provides language advice and a wide range of reading and listening activities in academic, professional/business and leisure subjects.

You can also access a large selection of self-study quizzes focusing on vocabulary, grammar and British culture from the following external website:

www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes

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Academic literacy: an introduction (online).

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Global Cognition

5 study skills to accelerate your learning.

by Winston Sieck updated September 18, 2021

girl with study skills in library

Here are 5 study skills that will turbo charge your learning. Whether you need study skills to succeed in school or help learn on the job, these are the best to use.

So much to learn.

Will it ever end?

Nope. You will be learning for the rest of your life. School is simply a kick starter. No matter what path you take in life after school, learning will be part of it.

Yet, the forever journey to develop your talents doesn’t have to be nerve-racking or unpleasant. Comfort comes from knowing that you have the competence to quickly ramp up on new topics and grasp them deeply.

Whatever else you are learning in school, you also need to practice study skills that will make you a competent learner.

Don’t think that study skills are just about how to do well in school. A solid base of study skills and study tips is even more useful after you leave school, when you continue learning on your own.

Fortunately, cognitive and educational psychologists have been conducting painstaking scientific research on study skills and strategies for ages. There is currently a wealth of good science about what study skills work and what methods don’t.

John Dunlosky of Kent State University and his collaborators reviewed a large collection of research related to ten different study skills. Their paper on improving students’ learning was published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest . Dunlosky found that about half of the study skills did not work very well. Current research suggests that the other half are effective.

Here are the 5 study skills that Dunlosky and team found to be the most effective:

  • Elaborative interrogation: Answering why a fact is true
  • Self-explanation: Explaining what a section of text or an example problem means to you
  • Practice testing: Testing yourself on the material you are trying to learn
  • Distributed practice : Spreading your studying out over several sessions
  • Interleaved practice : Mixing different kinds of problems together when studying

Best Study Skills #1: Elaborative interrogation (Asking “Why”)

A great way to learn is to ask yourself questions. Little kids know this intuitively, as they run around asking “Why, why, why?” A great deal of research has proven that the kids are on to something. Getting students to answer questions, such as “Why is this fact true?” aids learning.

The main reason asking “why” questions seems to work is that it encourages you to integrate the new fact with things you already know. Doing so improves your memory for the new fact by giving you more “hooks” to find it. Research also suggests that some ways of questioning yourself work better than others .

Best Study Skills #2: Self-Explanation

The idea behind self-explanation as a reading strategy is to pause from reading your textbook periodically and explain to yourself what it means to you. You can do this after a section of text, or when studying an example problem. When trying to self-explain, you may find that you need to look back over parts of the text to fully understand what’s being said.

Professor Micki Chi offers a nice account of why self-explanation works. Her ideas were published as a chapter in the book, Advances in Instructional Psychology . The idea is that self-explaining encourages you to make inferences based on what you are reading. You don’t just summarize the text, but say a little more than what was in it. As you try to explain, you also identify problems and so revise your explanation. These serve to enrich and repair your understanding.

Best Study Skills #3: Practice testing

The main idea behind practice testing is that actively testing your memory improves learning far more than passively reviewing material. Tests are not just for evaluation anymore.

Testing improves learning by exercising memory retrieval. When you answer a test question, you have to actively search your long-term memory. Doing so creates more and better pathways to the answer. This makes the answer easier to find the next time around. Scientists sometimes call it, “retrieval practice.”

Practice testing is easy to do. You can make flash cards or answer questions from your textbook. You can often find free practice tests online. Make sure you can get the correct answers. Practice testing works best when you can find out whether got the answers right or wrong.

Best Study Skills #4: Distributed Practice

You have a test coming up, oh say, tomorrow. You haven’t studied at all. Should you cram for it? Sure. And, good luck.

For the next time, you’d really do better to space your studying out over the time you have. Do a little at a time over several study sessions. That’s the idea behind distributed practice.

One reason distributed practice aids learning is that you have to re-start your memory for the topic during each study session. Once your memory for the topic is warmed up and moving, doing more is fairly easy. Like a car coasting downhill, it’s too easy. Stopping and starting is harder on your memory. That’s good (unlike the car), because it strengthens your memory.

Distributed practice seems to work regardless of how you go about studying. Yet, you can do best by combining it with practice testing. Don’t be mad at your instructor for giving you lots of quizzes. They give you a double dose of good learning. Try (and try again) to get in the habit of doing it yourself!

Best Study Skills #5: Interleaved Practice

When studying math, you need to learn a few different kinds of formulas. For example, you learn one equation to compute the area of a circle. You learn another to figure out the perimeter. The idea behind interleaved practice is that you are better off mixing some area problems with some perimeter problems when you study.

The reason this works is that you need to learn a bit more than how to apply each formula. You also need to learn when to use one formula and when to use another. When you see a new problem, you first have to figure out what kind of problem it is. By interleaving the problems during your study sessions, you give yourself practice at telling the problems apart.

Based on the research to date, these five study skills all work quite well. The team who reviewed the research recommended a couple of these 5 study skills more strongly than the others. The main reason is that the team would like to see even more research to answer a few additional questions. It’s not that the researchers know for sure that some of these study skills work X% better than others. I mention this because some summaries of the paper may give that wrong impression.

Each of these study skills is also fairly easy to use. Your skills will be more effective with training and practice , but there is no need to wait.

The best way to begin is to start trying them out. Pick one and experiment with it. Get it down. Then, revisit the list and pick another.

Master these 5 study skills. Each will lighten your learning load.

And put a spring in your step, on the long learning road ahead of you.

Image Credit: Intel Free Press

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K., Marsh, E., Nathan, M., & Willingham, D. (2013). Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14 (1), 4-58 DOI: 10.1177/1529100612453266

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Build your study skills with thinker academy.

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About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

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May 9, 2013 at 12:02 am

After discussing all different types of learning capabilities, are these the exact ways to increase your knowledge to help you learn more? We actually discussed everything about learning in my psychology class and after taking a whole different perspective on how to train your brain this actually makes sense. This is a great example of observational learning, learning through behaviors of others or other things. In the future I will use this for studying and see how it really does work!

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May 9, 2013 at 2:47 pm

Sounds like you’ve been learning a lot about learning lately, Brenden. Thanks for the comments. These five study skills can help you, so do encourage you to give them a try.

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February 20, 2014 at 3:03 am

very enlightening

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March 7, 2014 at 6:16 pm

i want some study to relate elaborative interrogation strategy with metamemory to low scholastic achievement in fifth grade primary school

March 9, 2014 at 4:21 pm

This paper by Wood and colleagues might be your best bet: Effectiveness of Elaboration Strategies for Grade School Children as a Function of Academic Achievement . Look for it on Google Scholar.

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March 5, 2015 at 10:17 am

very good material,but I did not understand what is ”Distributed Practice” skill.Can u please explain about this skill.

March 7, 2015 at 5:21 am

Try to study a little bit each day, or a little every few days. Spreading out your practice like this works better than trying to cram a lot in every once in a while. So, you are distributing or “spacing out” your practice sessions over time.

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June 18, 2015 at 10:22 am

hi, i am from Vietnam. i like this article. i am doing a project concerning Study skill subject but i dont know many research or essay about this topic. can you suggest some reference of skill for me? some essay found have not author so it is difficult. thank you

June 30, 2015 at 8:37 am

You might try searching on “self-regulated learning” rather than study skills. This article on self-regulated learning strategies may help, and it has a link to one of the classics on the topic.

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July 23, 2015 at 8:14 am

actually, I don’t understand what you guys are saying.

July 23, 2015 at 10:52 pm

Hi Humphrey, you might check out this other post for some more background Study Skills: What are They and How Do I Get Them?

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September 2, 2015 at 12:11 am

Nice article. I am the author of The Middle School Student’s Guide to Study Skills. One of our mottos is: “Test yourself before the teacher tests you.”

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May 25, 2017 at 7:32 pm

Thats a really cool piece of advice! I can’t wait to tell my daughter that one! Thanks.

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September 18, 2015 at 1:11 pm

Learning and memory go hand and hand. In order to remember something you must store it away in your brain. You can access memory in three different ways; recall, recognition, and relearning. The 5 study skills that Dunlosky and team found to be the most effective: elaborative interrogation: answering why a fact is true, self-explanation: explaining what a section of text or an example problem means to you, practice testing: testing yourself on the material you are trying to learn, distributed practice: spreading your studying out over several sessions, and interleaved practice: mixing different kinds of problems together when studying. All of these examples are ways to store memory or more specifically working and explicit memory. The 5 different types of study habits all exercise your ability to recall, recognition, and relearning. Using mnemonic and chunking skills. The 5 study skills agree with what we have learned in chapters 6 and 7 in regards to most effective study habits. This article is helpful in explaining how to get the most out of studying and which methods are going to give you the best results. I don’t believe most people are aware that some types of studying are better than others. Using these methods can greatly improve grades and work situations.

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January 26, 2018 at 2:26 pm

Very helpful to the learners indeed!

January 26, 2018 at 7:17 pm

Glad you found it helpful, Brian. Thanks for stopping by!

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July 18, 2018 at 1:26 pm

I see great light in the five steps mentioned. Possibly i have found the solution to recalling things fast; especially in exams situation. Thanks

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August 6, 2018 at 3:24 pm

I really like your advice to try and take practice tests whenever you can, that way you can better recall any information that you study for. My son has been trying to perform better in school, but he is struggling with coming up with the right way to remember everything that he studies for. I will be sure to tell him that he should try and take practice tests so he can better recall any information that he needs.

August 6, 2018 at 9:40 pm

Yep, I remind my kids about that one all the time. Thanks for stopping by, Mark.

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December 27, 2018 at 6:15 am

Wonderful Tips. I extremely like your recommendation to attempt and take practice tests. One of the most basic things that we need to understand about our kids is that each and every child has a different learning capacity and different learning style. My child has been attempting to perform better in school, however, he is battling with concocting the correct method to recall everything that he thinks about for. I will make sure to disclose to him that She should attempt and take practice tests so She can score well in exams.

January 18, 2019 at 10:46 am

Thanks for your comment Yommi. Agree with the value of practice tests. These are all good strategies, regardless of a student’s learning preferences .

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February 18, 2019 at 12:25 am

Very good job sir. This information is very helpful for students to prepare exam. Thanks for sharing.

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April 24, 2019 at 9:44 am

I teach study skills in Mass Communication but this appears useful in all study areas. Thanks for this useful tips.

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September 19, 2019 at 7:05 pm

I have read what you write about the study techniques and i always use the first technique in my study and even my life. I like this website is very helpful i learned the first skill( Elaborative interrogation). That I have to ask why that makes me improve my memory and that great because unfortunately I have a short memory.

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April 11, 2020 at 3:27 pm

Interesting information, thank you! I have been using self-explanation for a long time since I have been consciously learning something. I didn’t think it was a tactic, but it really works. When the material is too difficult and incomprehensible I try to explain myself in other words as well as create associations. And in this way, I can better memorize the material, and I can also remember it in exams, and most importantly, I can explain it in my own words by giving examples – it is very appreciated by the teachers. I will definitely try other techniques. I have three years left to go to university, but it’s never too late to improve, right?

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College Readiness and Study Skills

Course description.

College Readiness and Study Skills is a one semester course that provides instruction which allows students to develop, implement, and strengthen reading, writing, and study skills to support them through college and life beyond the classroom. Students will gain an understanding of College Readiness and Study Skills as it relates to reading comprehension and analysis, the research process, the writing process, and study skills to support understanding and retention.

Course Objectives

Upon completing this course you will be able to:

  • understand and identify various types of author's purpose
  • understand and identify key components within a text written for entertainment purposes
  • understand and identify key components within a text written for information purposes
  • understand and identify key components within a text written for persuasive purposes
  • apply knowledge of various purposes to writing, including to inform, persuade, and entertain using key components identified in reading
  • Understand and apply knowledge of affixes and root words to understand meaning
  • understand connotation vs denotation
  • identify the connotation and denotation of various words
  • understand how to determine meaning in context
  • apply context clues for understanding
  • activate and apply prior knowledge to learning experiences and texts
  • consider ways that prior knowledge impacts learning and daily life
  • develop and apply graphic organizers to various text forms
  • evaluate the importance of visual representations
  • understand and apply various note-taking strategies
  • craft a solid summary
  • understand and apply various study techniques
  • understand the research process from start to finish
  • apply research skills
  • craft an argumentative research paper
  • understand the difference between revising and editing
  • develop and present a multimedia presentation

Required Course Materials

  • Interactive Notebook – In the form of a small composition notebook, a spiral notebook, loose-leaf paper kept in a binder, or a word processing document or slideshow.
  • Pencil or Pen – In order to do well in the course, you must take notes, practice annotation, and analysis techniques.
  • Internet Access
  • Adobe Reader
  • Google Docs or Microsoft Word

Note:  This course does not require a textbook. All readings are available in Canvas or online.

Course Organization

This semester contains 6 units and one final exam.

Each Unit contains:

  • 3-5 lessons. Each lesson includes all of the following components: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
  • Self-assessments to help you check your own understanding of the material covered in each lesson. You must complete these assessments in order to advance in the course.
  • 2 to 4 graded assignments

Final Examination

The final examination is comprehensive; it covers the material from all 6 units.

Format:  Multiple-choice and free response, online Time Allowed:  3 hours Materials Allowed:  none

Students must test online with Proctorio and are required to add the Proctorio extension to either their Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser—installation instructions are provided in the student's course. Proctorio uses a student's computer, web camera, and microphone to record video of both the student and their desktop during the exam. Then, UTHS instructors review the student's exam video data collected by Proctorio. Only authorized UTHS staff and instructors can view the exam recordings. Student data is not shared with any persons or organizations outside of UTHS and are deleted after one year. We encourage you to visit Proctorio's Data Security and Privacy site pages to learn more about how we protect student date.

Semester Topics

Topic 1:  Genre & Purpose Topic 2:  Vocabulary Building & Word Study Topic 3:  Strategies for Text Comprehension Topic 4: Study Strategies & Techniques Topic 5: Argument Writing Topic 6:  Capstone & Portfolio

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Study Skills - Writing Lab Tips and Strategies: Home

study skills description

Just Say NO to Distractions

-Turn off the cell phone or put it somewhere else

-Learn to say " No " to things

-Avoid noise (radio, TV, people, anything that you might pay attention to instead of your work)

- Manage interruptions (let others in your life know that you are studying and do not wish to be interrupted unless there is an emergency)

-Pay attention to your attention level --if your mind starts to wander you may need a short break

- DO NOT turn on the computer unless you are researching or writing

Join Us in the Learning Center!

study skills description

The Learning Center Is Open:

Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 4:30

Writing Lab Walk-In Hours:

Monday             10am-6pm

Tuesday            10am-8pm

Wednesday       12pm-6pm

Thursday           12pm-6pm

Friday                12pm-4pm

Writing Lab Email:

Email us your paper ([email protected]) along with the specific description of the assignment.  We will comment on the paper in regards to purpose, organizational structure, internal organization, format, and patterns of grammatical error.

Writing Lab Purpose

The goal of the Writing Lab is to equip students with the communication tools necessary to develop stronger academic writing.  Tutors do not correct, revise or edit student writing.  They aim to guide and empower students toward becoming better independent writers.  The Writing Lab is a student-to-student help available to all students desiring help with writing, including ESL tutoring.  All services are offered at no cost to students.

The Writing Lab is available to students from any discipline for help with any stage of the writing process.

Tutors focus on assignment fulfillment, content, organization, and areas for which suggestions on improvement can be made.

The Writing Lab does  not  proofread papers; tutors help students learn how to recognize problems or errors and self-edit.  Help is available with MLA, APA and other formatting as well as with grammar skills.

Writing resources (style/formatting manuals) and skills software are available for student use as well.

Establish a Specific Study Place

The Library An inviting, quiet place to study

An Empty Classroom You'll remember the information if you study AND get tested in the same kind of place

Study Skills Description

Success with studying is not based on who is doing the studying, but rather it is based on when , where , how often , and what skills are used to study.

Study for Shorter Periods of Time, But Study More Often

Study During D aylight  Hours for Peak A wareness Find the times of day when you are most alert .  Pay attention to how you feel at different times of day.

Schedule  Specific Times Don't assume you will study when you have time.  Set aside certain times when you will study.

Study " In Between " If you have half an hour between lunch and class, get some reading done!

DO NOT Cram for Exams! You will not retain information learned in this way.  Study for understanding and retention .

Schedule Different Types of Review

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition  Repetition leads to habit.

Timely Review Reviewing notes and ideas immediately after each section helps build memory .

Reminders Write important concepts on post-it notes or notecards .  Attach them to the refrigerator , bathroom mirror , etc. . .

Consistency Review regularly .

Refresh If it is a longer session take 10 minute breaks every hour.   Rejuvenate the mind. . . get up !

Flash Cards  Use flash cards.

Connect Try to link ideas from one class to another, from one aspect of thought to another.

Personalize Try to relate the material to your everyday life and incorporate it in conversation.

Make Use of the Wait Always carry a book for class to fill in times when you have to wait .

Change It Up Vary what you are studying.

Know What You Are Doing Create a study checklist to stay involved and goal-oriented .

Work It Out For math and science. . .probably less review, more graphing or working out of problems.  If you get stuck, move on to the next one.

Jot It Down Take notes , highlight , and underline while you read.

Subject Guide

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Create a Study Group or Sign Up for Tutoring

Discussion It's easier to remember ideas that you've talked about with others.

Diversity Seek out people with different backgrounds or learning styles to get a more well-rounded group.  Other students may have new ways of looking at things that will help you have a better understanding of the subject.

Focus Make sure the group has direction .  Plan a course of action (review, note-taking, research, reading discussion).

Trial Do a trial run to make sure it works out and is profitable to everyone involved.  Don't waste anyone's time trying to continue something that isn't helpful .

Choose Look for reliable and dedicated students to study with.

Fight the temptation to cram the night before the test.  There's only so much new information your brain can process at one time.  Instead, get a few extra hours of sleep and face the test with a clear mind .  A clear mind will serve you much better than a few extra memorized facts.

Assume College Is Hard Work You're no longer in high school!  Generally plan for two hours of studying for every credit hour you take.

Go To Class Even if your professor doesn't have an attendance policy , class time is for learning !

Use Class Time for Learning Take good notes Participate in discussions Ask pertinent questions

Be Prepared for Class Do the readings/assignments Come with questions Get enough sleep the night before so you can focus Take time to eat beforehand so hunger doesn't distract you

Understand General Principles Try to understand the reasoning behind what you are learning.  If you understand how something works , it is easier to learn specific facts, whereas if you don't understand it you may be frustrated trying to memorize seemingly unrelated facts.

  • Last Updated: May 17, 2023 3:14 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.grace.edu/studyskills

Marketing91

Study Skills – Definition, Types, and Importance

January 30, 2021 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Skills

Study skills are often referred to as study strategies and academic skills and are considered as an effective approach to learning . These include an array of transferrable life skills that helps a student to acquire good grades in school.

Table of Contents

What are Study Skills?

A study skill is a technique that will help a student in studying, recalling, and retaining information. It can be easily learned and applied to every field related to studies.

These are a blessing in disguise and can prove a boon for every learner who wants to know the intricacies of how to learn effectively. He can be a part-time or a full-time student, an individual who had to leave his education mid-way and is now returning to complete it, and even a person who is trying to achieve professional growth and development.

Key points about study strategies are

1. Personal approach

Some things work for a person and not for others as effectively. The study strategies help to develop a personal approach that is specific and will meet the individual needs of the learner.

2. Practice

It has been rightly said that practice makes it perfect because a learner has to practice a lot to develop and hone his skills and strategies for effective learning.

It is a practice that helps to master various skills, increase awareness about things that should be done and gain confidence so that it can prove beneficial not only at that point but throughout the life of the learner.

3. Study strategies are generic

The best thing about study strategies is that the learner can use it in almost all the areas of study. It is generic and not subject-specific. Developing such skills will help the learner in understanding the ideas , theories, and concepts relevant to a specific subject.

4. Study strategies are transferrable

These skills are not just for students who are interested in finding effective ways of learning but are transferrable as it helps the learner throughout his life in new contexts like self-discipline, problem-solving, time management and organizational skills .

Types of study skills

Types of study skills

The following types of study skills and techniques will make the journey easy for a learner –

1. Getting organized

Until and unless a person is organized, it becomes impossible to use all the available resources to your advantage. The various steps involved in getting organized are

  • Find a suitable place to study, for instance, a library or a secluded corner in your home, which is free from unwanted interruptions. Make sure that the place is clean, and it has a good source of light during both day and nighttime.
  • Organize all the materials that you will need to study in indexed files. Create a system where the labeling is clear and easy to read at first glance
  • Finding a place where all the required materials like books, computer, notes, etc. will be handy
  • Determine the best time to study to achieve a positive balance.
  • Create a support network for study and include students and teachers that can offer help in case you are struggling at any given point.

2. Finding the time to study

One of the most crucial study strategies is managing time so that the learner can have the maximum time for studying. Plan it for a healthy work-life balance and for avoiding anxiety and stress later on. Remember, time management can break large tasks into manageable sub-tasks that are easy to achieve. The various steps involved are

  • Develop a study timetable that is specific to your needs. It will provide a structure and help to focus on the particular task at hand, review each section on a priority basis, and establish time slots for all of them
  • Planning helps to organize time around other regular commitments and activities which you cannot avoid
  • The timetable will help to find the ideal time slot when the learner is at his most alert
  • Creating a timetable helps to avoid procrastination and unnecessary distraction and dithering
  • Include some free time in the timetable that can be used for relaxation. A learner needs some me-time where he can give his mind a rest and let it ponder in peace. The free time can also be used in special circumstances where the learner might need to study for a few more hours to catch up with any leftover study

3. Sources of information

An important aspect of learning is to use materials, theory , and research to back up your study. The learner needs to find various sources of information , and it becomes essential to know where to look for it, access it, and then how to use it for personal advantage.

The various sources of information include

  • Online sources – An incredible amount of information is available online through catalogs, social media, forums, blogs, and web pages. Choose relevant and reliable information and note down the date as well as URL for future reference
  • Library sources – Access to a library can prove a boon if you are interested in effective study strategies. In the case of journals and books, note the page numbers so that it proves helpful later on.
  • Bibliographies – An essential source of information is a bibliography of related books or core texts.

4. Effective reading

Reading is a vital study strategy that requires understanding opinions, making links, research, and apply whatever you have learned to your studies. The goal is to know about the factual information that can be used practically. The various reading materials include

  • Core texts – The core texts in the reading include journals and books whose aim is to expand on the given subject
  • Course materials – It includes books, hand-outs in lectures, and also online material via VLE or virtual learning environment.

5. Writing styles

Identifying and knowing about various writing styles will help in understanding the one specific style that is best for a person. It is the writing style that tells others how you have interpreted a document and what are the things that you consider important. The various writing styles include

  • Academic writing style – It is found in textbooks and academic journals and ensures that the words are clearly understood, and there is no scope for doubt
  • Journalistic writing style – This style of writing includes broadsheet that has specific points-of-view and tabloid papers that are sensational and have strong editorial bias
  • Online news – This type of writing is written for an expected audience and has a global perspective

6. Note-taking

A learner comes across innumerable information in a day, and it is not possible to remember all of it. Note-taking is a process of concisely recording useful and essential information that will help the learner to recall it later on. It includes

  • Using short and concise points, short sentences or phrases
  • Using numbered lists and billets to your advantage
  • Concentrating on key points
  • Using words that you understand and which makes sense to you
  • Use a shorthand system if only you are used to it
  • Writing in your style
  • Writing key information in full, for instance, name of contact, details, dates, URL’s, etc
  • Using diagrams, charts, graphs, index cards, sticky notes, and highlighters if you think them useful for that specific study

7. Using mind maps

Visual elements are considered very helpful as it helps the learner to retain information. A mind map is nothing but a visual framework that helps a person to

The purpose is to

  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Find important ideas
  • Revise for examinations
  • Store information

8. Revision skills

The act of revising whatever a student has learned up to that point is known as revision. Suitable skills are a must for passing an exam. Important tips include

  • Be honest with yourself and identify everything that needs to be revised
  • Mark all the sections based on their priority
  • Make sure that you are participating in other activities that will encourage proper revision, for instance, revision classes and past sample papers

Importance of Study Skills

Importance of study skills

The importance of study skills are as follows

  • Study strategies are important as it helps in cultivating self- motivation
  • Study methods help in improving the organized skills
  • Study skills strategies are important because it helps in improving the retention power in students
  • Study strategies boost the level of concentration amongst the learners
  • Study methods help to achieve higher grades
  • Study strategies have proved a boon with time management
  • Study methods help a student in studying, recalling and retaining information

Study skills are strategies that help in improving the process of effectual learning. Numerous strategies can prove a boon to this road, but one should always identify and adopt the ones that will be able to meet his or her specific requirements to the fullest.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Skills

Related posts:

  • Hard Skills and Soft Skills -Types of Skills and Examples
  • Soft Skills: List of Soft Skills and Its Importance
  • What Are Professional Skills -A Complete List of Must-Have Professional Skills
  • What is the difference between Hard Skills and Soft Skills?
  • What are Essential Skills? 8 Essential Skills you should know
  • Transferable Skills: List of Skills which can be Transferred
  • Teaching Skills | Essential skills every teacher needs
  • What is Skills Training? Definition, Importance, Examples
  • Assertiveness Skills: Definition, Characteristics and Types
  • Interpersonal skills: Meaning, Importance and How to improve them

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About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

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How to Thrive in the “Skills Economy”

  • David Blake

study skills description

Experience can be just as valuable as a college degree.

Many organizations are dropping degree requirements when hiring, and emphasizing experience and skills instead. As a job candidate, you can use this shift to your advantage. Here’s what you need to know.

  • As the emphasis on skill acquisition grows, so do more accessible and affordable learning methods. Among others, methods include online learning platforms that offer industry-specific and skills-based courses, massive open online courses (MOOCs ) , apprenticeships, microcredentials, simulations, and skill-specific bootcamps.
  • You can make it easier for an employer to understand what skills you’re bringing to the table by putting them front and center on your resume. At the top of your resume, include a “Relevant Skills” section with the most role-relevant hard skills put first, and more transferable soft skills placed towards the end.
  • Even if you reviewed the job description thoroughly when crafting your resume, study it again, in-depth, before your interview takes place. If your job requires technical skills, hiring managers will likely test you on them — whether that includes a skills assessment or asking your for examples of how you’ve demonstrated those skills in the past.
  • Stat on top of the skills required to grow in your particular role or industry and seek out the proper training and development support as your career progresses. This effort will support your growth and help you stay relevant and maintain yourself as a strong, promotable performer.

Securing a great job and climbing the career ladder no longer hinges on obtaining a college degree . The Great Recession’s impact in 2008 played a big part in eroding the long-held belief in degrees as a sure path to success. During that time, new grads entering the job market found that having a degree did not necessarily equal well-paying jobs or lasting careers , particularly those in for-profit institutions.

study skills description

  • David Blake believes that learning is too important to stay the way it is and has spent his entire career innovating in higher education and lifelong learning. Prior to Degreed, he helped launch a competency-based, accredited university and was a founding team member at Zinch (acquired by Chegg NASDAQ: CHGG).

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Mechanical Engineering BEng

The first two years of our BEng degree comprehensively cover the fundamental principles of engineering. The pinnacle of your third year centres around an individual research project. This course is designed to enhance your independence, communication skills, and organisational abilities, providing a solid foundation for your future engineering career.

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First Year Mechanical Engineering students

Passionate about mechanical engineering, and keen to get into the workplace?

Sheffield’s Mechanical Engineering BEng is an excellent alternative to an MEng course – offering the option to graduate, or continue your engineering education with an MSc or switch to a MEng depending upon performance.

In the first two years you'll study the core subjects that you need to be a successful mechanical engineer and we’ll embed that knowledge by applying it to open-ended projects, typical of the engineering industry.

In the third year, you will have the opportunity to tailor your degree in a way that supports your career aspirations by choosing from a wide selection of engineering modules.

One of the highlights for the third year is the individual research project, chosen from a very wide range of topics and under the supervision of an expert in the chosen field.

Throughout the course, you will be given many opportunities to develop and demonstrate the professional skills, such as written and spoken communication, group working and project management, that employers desire.

This course is seeking re-accreditation from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)   for 2024-25 entry.

Why study this course?

  • Project-based learning - our system of project-based learning integrates engineering science with practical projects. So, you’ll become comfortable and capable in tackling realistic, open-ended problems – which makes you a better engineer.
  • Professional skills focus - the course includes professional skills learning, which empowers you to take responsibility for your own development and become an independent learner. This includes areas such as developing communications skills, teamwork, and presentation skills, helping to create more employable engineers.
  • Personal tutorials - all our students are assigned a personal tutor from day one, someone who will be your point of contact for both pastoral and academic support throughout your studies. You’ll meet your tutor on a weekly basis throughout the first year to receive both pastoral and academic support. The small group academic tutorial system in your first year strengthens the student-tutor bond and helps you to develop as an independent learner.
  • Vibrant student and staff community - our excellent ‘student voice’ is consistently recognised and rated highly in the National Student Survey (NSS). Students are encouraged to be involved and have a say in their own education and to work together with staff to improve their mechanical engineering programmes.
  • Specialist teaching facilities  - 'Learning by doing' is the reason The Diamond was built. Dedicated to engineering, with a focus on developing practical engineering skills, this is where you’ll apply the theory you learn in lectures – consolidating your understanding alongside students from other disciplines, and beyond the bounds of the curriculum.

A selection of modules are available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder .

Choose a year to see modules for a level of study:

Core modules:

This module aims to reinforce students' previous knowledge and to develop new basic mathematical techniques needed to support the engineering subjects taken at Levels 1 and 2. It also provides a foundation for the Level 2 mathematics courses in the appropriate engineering department. The module is delivered via online lectures, reinforced with weekly interactive problem classes.

In conjunction with a similar module that runs in the Spring semester, this module will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and understanding that will underpin the rest of your mechanical engineering degree. This module focuses on statics, solid mechanics and manufacturing processes; you will learn about these topics from first principles and observe them as phenomena in the laboratory. You will then have the opportunity to apply them to a practical engineering problem in a separate, concurrent integrative project module.

This module will introduce you to what it means to be a professional engineer by supporting you through the process of tackling a typical, practical, engineering problem. Through a series of structured, timely activities you will integrate the fundamental knowledge, taught in a separate, concurrent module, with the skills and capabilities expected of modern engineers. In conjunction with a similar integrative project in the Spring semester, you will develop a holistic view of mechanical engineering that will provide a solid foundation for the rest of your degree, and your subsequent career, giving you the ability and confidence to address open-ended, engineering problems in a proficient and effective manner.

In conjunction with a similar module that runs in the Autumn semester, this module will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and understanding that will underpin the rest of your mechanical engineering degree. This module focuses on dynamics, fluids, gases and thermofluids; you will learn about these topics from first principles and observe them as phenomena in the laboratory. You will then have the opportunity to apply them to a practical engineering problem in a separate, concurrent integrative project module.

This module will provide you with further insight into what it means to be a professional engineer by supporting you through the process of tackling a typical, practical, engineering problem. Through a series of structured, timely activities you will integrate the fundamental knowledge, taught in a separate, concurrent module, with the skills and capabilities expected of modern engineers, building upon feed forward from a similar integrative project in the Autumn semester. In conjunction with the Autumn project, you will develop a holistic view of mechanical engineering that will provide a solid foundation for the rest of your degree, and your subsequent career, giving you the ability and confidence to address open-ended, engineering problems in a proficient and effective manner.

The Faculty-wide Global Engineering Challenge Week is a compulsory part of the first-year programme. The project has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills as well as widen their horizons as global citizens. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of 5-6, for a full week, all students in the Faculty choose from a number of projects arranged under a range of themes including Water, Waste Management, Energy and Digital with scenarios set in an overseas location facing economic challenge. Some projects are based on the Engineers Without Borders Engineering for people design challenge*. *The EWB challenge provides students with the opportunity to learn about design, teamwork and communication through real, inspiring, sustainable and cross-cultural development projects identified by EWB with its community-based partner organisations.

Core Modules

The Faculty-wide Engineering - You're Hired Week is a compulsory part of the second year programme, and the week has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of about six, students will work in interdisciplinary teams on a real world problem over an intensive week-long project. The projects are based on problems provided by industrial partners, and students will come up with ideas to solve them and proposals for a project to develop these ideas further.

To further extend the student's understanding, developed in Level 1, of a variety of mathematical techniques and the application of these techniques in modelling engineering problems

This module introduces you to the concepts that define the dynamics of structures and machines. There are two main topics: structural vibration and rigid body mechanics.  In structural vibration, you will learn how to apply the single degree of freedom model to analyse the free response of systems and their forced vibration when subjected to steady-state, impulse and arbitrary loading. Aspects of rigid body mechanics include the analysis of common mechanisms and the dynamics of rigid rotors including imbalance and gyroscopic precession.

The module continues the process begun in the first year of providing the essential knowledge, understanding and skills associated with the mechanics of deformable solids which students require to become competent Chartered Mechanical Engineers. The module covers analysis of mechanical components under stress and application of different methods to evaluate stress state and deformation of deformable solids. Plastic failure is also covered.

This module brings together analytical, computational, and empirical approaches to the design and optimisation of structures and systems. This module also provides you with a basic introduction to electric circuits for mechanical engineers and the basics of electromechanical energy conversion, including common motor topologies. You will develop an understanding of how basic mechanical and electrical theory can be adapted and applied to industrial design situations. You will also develop knowledge and awareness of engineering in terms of being able to make decisions based on limited data and legal, ethical, and economic considerations.

The module is designed to introduce engineering students to key areas of financial and legal risk that engineers should be aware of in their working environment. The module will draw directly on practical issues of budgeting, raising finance, assessing financial risks and making financial decisions in the context of engineering projects and/or product development. At the same time the module will develop students' understanding of the legal aspects of entering into contracts for the development and delivery of engineering projects and products and an awareness of environmental regulation, liability for negligence, intellectual property rights and the importance of data protection. Through a series of parallel running lectures in the two disciplines, the module will provide a working knowledge of the two areas and how they impinge on engineering practice. There will be a heavy emphasis on group working, report writing and presentation as part of the assessment supplemented by online exercises and an individual portfolio.

This module consolidates previous mathematical knowledge and develops new mathematical and numerical techniques relevant to Mechanical Engineering

Heat transfer mechanisms are introduced. Heat conduction, convection and radiation are studied in this order. Techniques for analysing heat transfer problems are then covered. Two applications, heat exchangers and fins are analysed in detail. At the end of the module, students should be able to: 1. State the fundamental processes of heat transfer and apply them to real world systems. 2. Understand how heat is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation. 3. Solve a variety of fundamental and applied heat transfer problems.

This module provides an introduction to materials processing for mechanical engineers and places particular emphasis on the relationships between processing, microstructure and properties that are essential to defining and understanding the behaviour of a material under service conditions. The module covers all of the common classes of engineering material - ceramics, polymers, composites and metals - and you will, through the use of practical examples and case studies, learn about the strong dependence of final functional and structural properties on the processing route selected for processing and manufacture.

The module is designed to consolidate and extend the students' understanding of basic fluid flow properties, fluid flows and applying analysis techniques to solve engineering fluids problems. The module will cover the use of both integral control volume and differential analysis techniques. These will be applied to a range of simple engineering fluid systems;Newtonian laminar analysis will be applied to internal flows. The boundary layer will be introduced and related to the concepts of drag. The concepts of compressible nozzle flow, choking and shock waves will be covered. Sub-sonic and sonic compressible flow will be introduced. Students will also be introduced to the computational fluid dynamics using FLUENT and given hands-on experience.

This module builds upon Part I of the project in the Autumn semester. You will continue the thematic project in which the functional analysis and eventual synthesis are brought together. It will include legal, ethical, and economic considerations. This enables you to develop your skill in formulating analytical and computational models and evaluating them so as to develop an optimal design solution.

This module brings together knowledge gained of engineering science aspects of stress, deformation analysis, and material strength, and to apply them to engineering components. The module will broaden students' perspectives by introducing the 3D nature of stress, plastic analysis, fracture response and tribology. Practical aspects will be introduced by case studies.

The course will consolidate and expand upon the fundamental and general background to Thermofluids engineering developed during first and second year courses. This will be achieved through the study of more realistic systems, machines, devices as well as their application. To introduce students to more realistic energy conversion and power production processes. Use of irreversibility to analyse plant. Introduction of reheat and heat recovery as methods of achieving improved efficiency. To look at total energy use by means of combined gas and steam and combined heat and power cycles and understand some of the environmental issues. A variety of refrigeration cycles will also be illustrated as well as the Otto and Diesel cycles.

The aim of this module is to enable students to understand the concepts and practices used by modern manufacturing organisations. The modules starts with content on current trends in manufacturing processes (in particular high-speed machining and additive manufacturing). Students are then introduced to ways of designing and evaluating a manufacturing system as well as the relevant theories, concepts and methodologies of controlling and managing a manufacturing shop floor.

The aim of this course is to provide a graduate engineer with the means to answer the question 'Should we proceed (or continue with this engineering project?' Engineers use their skills to make a positive change to the world. The dilemma, however, is that what is good for some may not be so for others. What is a solution in one area, in one culture, in one industry could be a challenge and even a disaster in another. The Professional Responsibilities of the Engineer (PRE) module will guide graduate engineers to 'understand their ethical responsibilities' (ABET, 2000) as well as to 'understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context' (Kerkert 1999). In your degree, you have been trained to be technically able, curious, creative and ambitious professionals. In this module, we prepare you to enter a complex world, where every decision, every action can and will bring about change. Will it be the right change? This module gives you the means to answer that question. During this course you will be equipped with the frameworks and tools to help you reach the best morally justifiable decisions. In order to assist you in identifying as many of the courses of action as possible, you will be asked to identify an engineering dilemma, present reasons for and against the issue, then share your view points with the public. By sharing you will be exposed to other ideas and feedback that will inform your final decision.

Each student will undertake an individual research project, which is often industrially-focussed, under the guidance of a member of academic staff. The students select a number of potential projects from a list provided by academic staff members. The project will permit the student to demonstrate their planning and organisational skills, to show initiative and also to display the technical skills that they have developed over the preceding years of study. The technical components of a project may be experimental, theoretical, analytical or design-based and most projects will require proficiency in a number of these. Assessment of the module is based upon conduct throughout the project, submission of a thesis and the ability to present the findings of the project at a colloquium and viva.

This module aims to introduce the student to the key components which are used to implement feedback control of a physical process: sensors, actuators and controllers. The student is introduced to these elements through the language of classical control systems modelling. Emphasis will be placed on electrical, mechanical and electro-mechanical systems but reference will be made to the much wider applicability of the techniques. An introduction to dynamic system modelling will also be included. Analysis methods (based upon the characteristic equation and the Bode diagram) will be used to demonstrate how performance can be defined, analysed, predicted, and designed.

The module aims to integrate the design and mechanical elements of the students' engineering learning of the previous two years by studying the integration of these components to design an automated solution to an engineering problem.

Optional modules:

Robotics is having an increasing impact on society and the way we live. From advanced manufacturing to unmanned aerial systems and driverless cars this exciting area is presenting increasing technological challenges. This unit provides students with the advanced knowledge and understanding to apply control and systems engineering concepts to the field of robotics. The unit covers the theoretical foundations of manipulators and mobile robots, and reviews robotic systems with reference to their applications.

This module introduces some important numerical methods for solving partial differential equations such as the heat conduction equation which arise in engineering and develops methods for optimisation problems. It also gives an introduction to splines as a tool in design for curve fitting and surface approximation. Optimization techniques including numerical techniques, dynamic programming and integer programming are studied. This module is designed for mechanical engineers.

The module provides an introduction of advanced analytical techniques used for study of deformable solids, a general knowledge of the techniques employed and skills to perform analysis for selected solid components and structures. It aims to provide students with the following: the skills and confidence to perform advanced analysis of solid components and structures; the knowledge of selected advanced analysis techniques employed on the more common components and structures; and an understanding of the behaviour of solids under two or three dimensional stress fields, and the limitations imposed by assumptions and boundary conditions.

The module aims to give students a thorough knowledge and understanding of the principles of the Finite Element Method. The approach will be based on energy methods (Principle of Minimum Total Potential Energy). Formulation of statics problems using 1D elements (bar elements, shaft elements, beam elements and beam-column elements), and truss elements will be taken up. Finally, a simple 2D element for plane stress/plane strain case will be formulated. Throughout the module, assembly, application of boundary conditions, and solution procedures will be discussed with examples. The students will be expected to apply this knowledge given a problem. The use of a commercial finite element code will be provided via laboratory sessions, where various modelling strategies, appreciation of the scope of application, check validity, and the ability to interpret results will be covered. The fundamentals of the method and the ability to apply it to various situations will be tested via a written exam. The practical use of the commercial finite element software will be assessed via a mini-report. Feedback during the term will be provided via an online quiz.

The module provides an introduction to some alternative energy technologies with emphasis on solar and wind energy. It aims to provide students with a fundamental appreciation of the potential and usable energy obtainable from the sun and wind; a general knowledge of wind turbine aerodynamics, wind turbine systems, photovoltaics and domestic photovoltaic systems.

The module introduces fundamental concepts of Computational Fluid Dynamics from the governing physical principles to their mathematical definition, approximation and numerical solution, with an emphasis on the importance of experimental and theoretical validation. The course explains the typical steps for a robust use of CFD analysis to predict the behaviour of complex fluid flows encountered in typical engineering applications, including turbulent flows. Students will consolidate their understanding by performing and critically assessing the results of a CFD analysis of a typical and industrially relevant fluid problem.

In this module we will explore how structures vibrate and how we can model them in order to understand and optimise their behaviour. We will look at how to model systems/structures mathematically as multi-degree of freedom systems and as continuous systems. The module will link theoretical models with experimental modal analysis, where knowledge of the system is derived from measurements (such as accelerations). You will explore the world of dynamics through lectures and dedicated reading. The theoretical learning will be supported by two laboratory experiments to be carried out in groups. Your understanding of experimental modal analysis will be cemented by coding your own analysis tool and applying it to data gathered in the lab.

This module provides students with an understanding of principles of operation of gas turbines, pulse-jets, RAM-jets and solid and liquid fuelled rocket engines as applied to aero propulsion. The understanding is built upon fundamental thermodynamic and fluid mechanic analyses of components and systems for each propulsion method. Methods for improving efficiencies and increasing specific work output of components are also introduced as well as an introduction to combustion, losses and efficiencies.

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

Learning and assessment

The following are the main learning and teaching methods implemented within the programme:

  • tutorials (and example classes)
  • practical activities
  • design classes
  • coursework assignments (including oral, video and poster presentations)
  • group design project
  • individual investigative project (final year)
  • integrative projects
  • online resources

You will be assessed by a combination of exams and tests, coursework and practical work.

Programme specification

This tells you the aims and learning outcomes of this course and how these will be achieved and assessed.

Find programme specification for this course

Entry requirements

With Access Sheffield , you could qualify for additional consideration or an alternative offer - find out if you're eligible .

  • Standard offer
  • Access Sheffield offer

The A Level entry requirements for this course are: A*AA including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

Routes for mature students

The A Level entry requirements for this course are: AAB including A in Maths and B in at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

You must demonstrate that your English is good enough for you to successfully complete your course. For this course we require: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C; IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualification

Equivalent English language qualifications

Visa and immigration requirements

Other qualifications | UK  and EU/international

If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for an International Foundation Year in Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield International College . This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department .

Graduate careers

Department of mechanical engineering.

As a Sheffield graduate, you could enter a number of different industries and sectors including manufacturing, transport, power, research, design, consultancy and more.

Mechanical engineering students taking notes

At Sheffield our students learn by doing – connecting engineering theory to practice. This means our courses will not only challenge and engage you but they’ll also help you to develop the skills, knowledge and experience that employers look for. You'll have the chance to manufacture prototypes of your designs, and you’ll be introduced to business and management within an engineering context.

You'll be taught by academics who are experts in their fields, with a wealth of experience and links with industry and research. You'll also have the opportunity to work on real-life projects with our industrial partners – companies like Rolls-Royce, Siemens and Network Rail – giving you experience that will support your employability. And you’ll have an academic personal tutor who will support and guide your progress throughout.

Alongside different engineering project weeks and development programmes, our students are involved in a huge range of extra-curricular activities, from building single-seat racing cars and human powered aircraft, to designing and manufacturing a sustainable wind turbine, energy-efficient vehicles, rockets, and more.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is situated in the Grade II listed Sir Frederick Mappin Building and the 1885 Central Wing. We also have teaching space and labs in the new state-of-the-art Engineering Heartspace. The majority of mechanical engineering undergraduate lectures and labs take place in the Diamond.

The Diamond is home to specialist facilities such as our engineering applications workshop, structures and dynamics laboratory, and thermodynamics and mechanics laboratory. This means you'll directly apply what you’ve learnt in lectures to lab sessions, which will help you to put theory into practice. Alongside teaching and study spaces, the Diamond is also home to iForge – the UK's first student-led makerspace.

Why choose Sheffield?

The university of sheffield.

  Number one in the Russell Group National Student Survey 2023 (based on aggregate responses)

  92 per cent of our research is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent Research Excellence Framework 2021

  Top 50 in the most international universities rankings Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023

  Number one Students' Union in the UK Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017

  Number one for teaching quality, Students' Union and clubs/societies StudentCrowd 2023 University Awards

  A top 20 university targeted by employers The Graduate Market in 2023, High Fliers report

National Student Survey 2023

Guardian University Guide 2024

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024

Student profiles

Esther student profile

I became interested in mechanical engineering through my love of maths and problem-solving

Esther Undergraduate student, Mechanical Engineering MEng

Esther became interested in mechanical engineering as it combined her love of maths with problem-solving and design.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Fee status help

Additional costs

The annual fee for your course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition. If an item or activity is classed as a compulsory element for your course, it will normally be included in your tuition fee. There are also other costs which you may need to consider.

Examples of what’s included and excluded

Funding your study

Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a bursary, scholarship or loan to help fund your study and enhance your learning experience.

Use our Student Funding Calculator to work out what you’re eligible for.

Additional funding

University open days.

We host five open days each year, usually in June, July, September, October and November. You can talk to staff and students, tour the campus and see inside the accommodation.

Open days: book your place

Subject tasters

If you’re considering your post-16 options, our interactive subject tasters are for you. There are a wide range of subjects to choose from and you can attend sessions online or on campus.

Upcoming taster sessions

Offer holder days

If you've received an offer to study with us, we'll invite you to one of our offer holder days, which take place between February and April. These open days have a strong department focus and give you the chance to really explore student life here, even if you've visited us before.

Campus tours

Our weekly guided tours show you what Sheffield has to offer - both on campus and beyond. You can extend your visit with tours of our city, accommodation or sport facilities.

Campus tour: book your place

The awarding body for this course is the University of Sheffield.

Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database .

Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.

Our student protection plan

Terms and Conditions upon Acceptance of an Offer

Russell Group

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

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    Active engagement is the process of constructing meaning from text that involves making connections to lectures, forming examples, and regulating your own learning (Davis, 2007). Active studying does not mean highlighting or underlining text, re-reading, or rote memorization. Though these activities may help to keep you engaged in the task ...

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    The Study Skills Programme provides guidance across the range of study skills needed at undergraduate level including: Managing your time and developing learning strategies Reading academic texts critically and effectively Taking notes in lectures and from hard or electronic copy Planning and writing essays and reports

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  20. College Readiness and Study Skills

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  24. 10 Essential Managerial Skills and How to Develop Them

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  26. Mechanical Engineering BEng

    The first two years of our BEng degree comprehensively cover the fundamental principles of engineering. The pinnacle of your third year centres around an individual research project. This course is designed to enhance your independence, communication skills, and organisational abilities, providing a solid foundation for your future engineering career.