Returning to Study

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Returning to Study

• MSc Concepts in Supportive Palliative Care
• KI860
• 29th Sept. 2008
• Shaun Theobald
• The Student Learning Advisory Service

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The Student Learning Advisory Service

• SLAS Administrator/Receptionist VALUE
  Administrator Manager
• Alison Foley Joy Gould
  Allia Wilson
• 
  
• Angela Koch
  Shaun Theobald

?Student Learning Advisors?
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What we do

• Academic advice and guidance
• Practical advice on study skills
• Long-term learning development
• Typical topics we support
• Academic writing (essays assignments reports)
• Effective reading
• Note-taking retrieving information
• Managing the work-load
• Organisation
• Revision and exams

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How to access academic advice and guidance

• Call in and see us9-5 Mon-Fri
• Ask for a 11 appointment
• Access our resources
• Books to borrow free leaflets to take away
• Contact us by e-mail learning_at_kent.ac.uk
• Consult our website
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/learning
• Down-load material explore links
• Come to our workshops
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/student/skills

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Aims of this workshop

• To reflect on the experience of returning to
  study
• To draw from your strengths as mature students
• To consider how this experience can be combined
  with successful study
• To outline ways of managing your learning and
  study effectively
• To outline some specific topics, tools and
  techniques in study skills
• E.g. time management effective reading essay
  writing

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Build on existing strengths!

• The I can do this model works by building on
  experience
• Discussion
• What strengths do you bring to university study?

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Information, information, information

• Most courses/modules generate large amounts of
  hard copy/on-line documents
• Periodically, sift through
• File/organise
• Discard over-lapping information
• Keep all core documents together
• Use e-mail to disentangle/answer any outstanding
  questions
• Familiarise yourself with course
  structure/assessment requirements etc

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Independent study/ time management

• There are many demands on your time
• study
• family commitments
• full-time/part-time work
• travel time
• Core programme subject support
• Many decisions (Is this article worth reading?,
  When should I start that essay?) are guided
• But ultimately rest with you

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Time and task management

• This is essential!
• Draw up schedules
• Keep all your diary and schedule information
  together
• Remember the golden rules of time-management
  schedules priorities using gap-time
  effectively targets
• Plan your work SMART targets
• Revise and review your plans

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Using the Library

• Organise library use and research skills
• Use micro literature reviews
• Outline/review several sources before you start
  detailed reading
• Survey the field
• Consult your Academic Liaison Librarian
• Jason Harper J.L.Harper_at_kent.ac.uk

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Using the Library

• Work collaboratively?
• Shared copies of journal articles
• Sharing short-loan resources
• Constructive/relevant mix of texts journals and
  electronic/multi-media material

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Managing reading

• Remember you cant read everything
• Be selective
• Seek guidance
• Use reading lists selectively and effectively
• Remember to read for different purposesskim
  scan read for detail
• Read actively

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Academic writing

• Seek help where needed
• Clarifying initial concepts/processes
• Follow guide-lines, style sheets/reference
  requirements
• KIHMS Harvard/ APA 5th
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai/styleguides.html
• Remember the importance of structure, clarity and
  focus on the question

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Academic writing

• Remember the fundamental rules of academic
  writing
• independent evaluation
• evaluation supported by informed reading and
  preparation
• evidence always provided
• citations references always provided

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Essay structure

• Introduction
• Explanation of the question
• Outline of your argument
• Scope/evidence
• Development/argument
• 5-point paragraphs
• (Signpost statements)
• Conclusion
• Summary of argument
• Overall judgement
• (Possible development?)

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The 5-point paragraph

• Topic sentence
• Supporting sentences
• Evidence
• Evaluation/discussion of evidence
• Link/transition gt
• (MnemonicSTEEL)
• Use for
• Planning
• Writing to the word-limit
• Editing
• (deconstructing reading?)

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The essay-writing process

• 1.Deconstruct/interpret the title
• 2.Define research/reading
• Title-defined targets
• 3.Active reading
• 4.Planning
• 5.Early drafts
• GAP IN TIMEthen
• 6.Final editing process

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Dealing with lectures/seminars

• Be systematic
• Attend!
• If you have to miss a lecture/seminar (due to e.g
  unexpected family commitments) try and catch up
  with a friends notes etc.
• Stay alert and active
• Notes template?
• Explore different note-taking techniques
• Be organised file away lecture notes review
  notes immediately after a lecture

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Organisation and information retrieval

• Organise your desk-top
• Organise your computer use
• Organise your notes e.g. keep dated/numbered
  files for lecture notes seminar notes notes
  from assignment preparation etc
• Make sure that all the information and ideas you
  process can be retrieved later!

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Working with others

• Something mature students are good at!
• (Re)explore ways of working together
• Share information/resources and ideas
• Revise with others
• Use seminars actively learn from others

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GOOD LUCK

• for all your studies!
• The Student Learning Advisory Service