UNIT 1

STUDY SKILLS AND METHODS

Ajibola Opeyemi

University of Ibadan

1.1 Getting Started

Learning how to learn is the most important part of the learning process.
Effective and good study habits are indispensable for success in any academic
endeavour. Many students study but not many students have mastered the art
of effective studying. This chapter presents an introduction to study skills,
techniques and methods. It discusses the importance of studying to achieve
academic goals and how to have an effective study time.

1.2 Learning Outcomes

After reading through this unit, you should be able to:

(i) explain the various study skills, methods, strategies and styles that
there are;
(ii) discuss impediments to effective study sessions; and
(iii) be acquainted with practical guides to studying effectively.

1.3 Content

1.3.1 What are Study Skills and Methods?

The word ‘study’ has a Latin origin; in primal usage, it means ‘zeal’, ‘painstaking
application’, ‘to press forward’ and ‘to strive after’. ‘Study’ in modern contexts is
used to mean the application of oneself to the acquisition of knowledge. To study
means to acquire knowledge. It is interesting to note that both ‘study’ and
‘student’ have the same root word – studium. This presupposes that a student
essentially studies; the student is a student because the student studies.
Study skills and methods refer to the techniques involved in getting the most out
of a study session. Study skills and methods relate to the various effective means
of “ingesting” (understanding the message) and retaining knowledge from
relevant materials. Study skills subsume other skills such as reading skills, note
taking skills, note making skills, retrieval or memory skills and time
management skills.

Like other skill-oriented activities such as driving, cooking and baking, studying
requires a lot of practice and determination. Studying may be time-consuming
and strenuous at first but when you become skillful at it, you will begin to enjoy
it. The more you study, the more you find it easy and rewarding to study. It is
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important to note that no one ever achieved much without studying. Inventors,
designers, entrepreneurs and trailblazers all engage in research and research
entails much studying.

1.3.2 Study-type Reading

Every study time involves the activity of reading but every reading activity does
not translate to studying. Reading is not as intensive as studying. Studying
entails more than reading a course material; it involves an active engagement
with the study material. Studying is a planned reading with a focus on the
outcome; it is an intensive reading with a goal. Studying requires the devotion of
time and attention to the material being studied. You may read to just get a
general idea of the points raised in the material, say a newspaper, but when you
study, you are seeking to learn something and to commit much of what is being
studied to memory. One may just read to entertain oneself or to pass the time,
say on a journey or an outing; in studying, you seek to fully comprehend the
material being studied. When studying, concentration is important. When one
engages in studying, one goes beyond experiential cognition to reflective
cognition. Hence, studying involves activities such as attentive reading,
highlighting, jotting, note taking, note making, reflecting on what was read,
recalling what was read, etc. Study-type reading tools include pencils, pens,
highlighter, planners, journals, etc.

1.3.3 Types of Study

Effective study

It could be said that you have studied effectively when you retain most of what
you studied. A study session can only be described as successful when you
achieve the purposes set out at the beginning of the study session.

Ineffective study
When the goals set out at the beginning of a study session are not met, then you
have not studied effectively. An ineffective study time may not entirely be a waste
of time. However, you must work towards having an effective study session every
time you study. Every impediment to effective study must be avoided.

1.3.4 Impediments to Effective Study

Impediments refer to stumbling blocks, that is to say, things that make goals
difficult to achieve or unachievable. Impediments to effective study may be
physical or psychological. Physical impediments include variables that affect
effective studying such as the location, constant beeps on the phone, noise, and
other distractions. Psychological impediments affect mental readiness and
alertness. Mental exhaustion can lead to poor concentration and retention.
1.3.5 Myths about Study

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“Studying is hard”, “studying is tedious”, “I don’t need to study to be successful”,
and “one can only study effectively during the early hours of the morning” are a
few of the myths that often circulate among students. Of course, these are
myths- made up stories that have been around for some time. Studying is neither
hard nor tedious.

1.4 Study Skills and Methods

In this segment, various study skills, methods, styles, techniques and strategies
will be discussed. As mentioned earlier, study skills encapsulate other such
skills as reading skills, note taking skills, note making skills, retrieval or memory
skills, time management skills and, even, examination/test-taking skills. All
these will be discussed subsequently.

1.4.1 Reading skills

There are different types of reading. There is recreational reading, where for
instance, one picks up an interesting novel to read, just for the pleasure of it;
and there is study-type reading, which is intensive and focused. Other reading
techniques are discussed below:

• Skimming

In skimming a text, you glance through the entire material, without paying close
attention to details, descriptions or explanations. While skimming, no attempt is
made to recall what has just been read. You are just after having an overview of
what the text is all about; you often do not reread any part of the text. For
instance, one typically skims through a fashion magazine.

• Scanning

Scanning is more intensive than skimming. Scanning often entails a selective

reading to get particular information out of a text. Scanning helps you to locate
some key words and technical terms. For instance, you can skim a poster on the
notice board, but you scan a course material or textbook in order to locate the
meaning of specific terms. When a student searches through a medical
dictionary in order to get a quick definition of a term, he/she is scanning.

• Intensive Reading

Intensive reading is more thorough and more time consuming than skimming
and scanning. Intensive reading entails a close examination of the material being
read. In preparing for qualifying examinations for instance, you must read the
necessary course materials and texts intensely. In intensive reading, you
carefully seek out the details, explanations and analyses. The aim in intensive
reading is to comprehend the text being read and be able to reproduce what had
been read when the need arises.

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 • Extensive Reading

Extensive reading is often done for pleasure. It entails reading a material to have
a general knowledge of its content. For instance, one could read a science fiction
for the fun of it. This type of reading hardly takes cognizance of the details in the
novel. The reader is just interested in the storyline and in knowing how the
events of the novel eventually turned out. In extensive reading, emphasis is often
on the pleasure derived from reading, rather than the retrieval of important
details.

• SQ3R Method

The SQ3R method aids the retention of most of what was read. It may take more
time but it is quite effective. The SQ3R method may appear tasking but it aids
the retention of most of what was read, especially in materials that appear
difficult to assimilate. It consists of the following steps:

S- Survey

To survey is to skim through, to “preview” the material to be read. Surveying a

text prepares the brain for what is to be read. It enables you to have an overview
of the material to be read. The title of the chapter, the subtitles and other
headings, the introduction and the conclusion are all read at a glance.

Q- Question

It is important to ask some preliminary questions. To do this in a reading task,

change the title of the chapter and the headings of the subtitles into questions.

R- Read

At this stage, the actual reading is done. The material is read thoroughly. This
stage demands the most concentration as important bits of information are read
and understood; the premises for assertions and arguments are properly
considered and comprehended; and the entire chapter is assimilated.

R- Recall

At this stage, a mental rehearsal is conducted to see how much information is

retrievable from what has just been read. Attempts are made to answer questions
without checking the pages or chapters read. This helps to monitor and account
for what has been read and understood. This stage may be repeated after every
chapter or topic read. One of the goals of reading is to retain as much information
from what has been read. Recall is done to “gauge” how much information is
retained.

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R- Review

It is important to review the entire process. At this stage, the questions previously
set are answered and learning objectives are crosschecked to ensure compliance.
It is important to go over the notes and outlines made again.

• KWL Method

The KWL method is a mnemonic derived from three words—Know, Want and
Learn, meaning that a reading session is preceded by set objectives and goals.
The KWL stands for:

What we already know;

What we want to know; and

What we have learned (after the current reading).

The three stages can be employed in group study sessions as well as individual
study session. It involves bringing to mind the previous knowledge on the topic
to be read, the new knowledge to be gained and a proper review of what has been
learned from the entire study session.

Poor Reading Habits

There are some poor reading habits that are common amongst students.
Examples include:
▪ Moving the head from one side to the other to follow the texts being read.
▪ Vocalizing or subvocalizing each word on the page being read.
▪ Reading a page word for word and tracing out the words with the finger or
the pen.
▪ Rereading every word or phrase out of habit, not because the text is a
difficult one.
▪ Skipping important parts and returning to them at intervals.
▪ Using the same reading speed for all materials irrespective of levels of
complexity and reading purposes.
▪ Chewing or biting on a pen or pencil as one reads.

1.4.2 Note Taking and Note Making Skills

Notes are taken during lectures, seminars, conferences, group discussions, etc.
Notes are made after such discussions. When taking notes, one moves with the
pace of the lecturer or the one dictating the note but note making is personal,
where you write at your pace and in words that you can easily understand.

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Note Taking

• You should have durable notes for each course taken. Paddling a pack of
sheets around will lead to the loss of all or some of the sheets of paper.
• Notes should be neat and legible.
• When taking notes, give the notes a heading; it may be the title given to
the lecture by the lecturer or a topic that you can easily recall.
• It is important to date your notes.
• Be creative when taking notes. Use abbreviations, draw diagrams, and
create sketches or pictures that will aid comprehension.
• Take special note of the things that the lecturer writes on the board, the
concepts that he explains over and over again, the explanations that he
gives very slowly and diligently, and everything that the lecturer
emphasizes.
• As much as possible, use paragraphs, to make the notes easy and pleasing
to read.
• You may not need to write all that the lecturer says, like a nineteenth-
century stenographer; else, the notes become boring and intimidating.
• Note that effective and strategic listening is essential to a successful note
taking exercise.

Note Making

• Notes taken during lectures must be revisited and revised. It is during the
note making process that gaps are filled, incomplete statements are
completed, errors are corrected and vague expressions are deleted or
improved upon.
• Note making needs to be done shortly after the notes were taken, when the
memory of the lecture is still fresh and accessible.
• Note making involves marking the crux of the lecture from irrelevant
details; it involves sifting the chaff from the wheat.
• Note making entails learning from the notes, seeking explanations for
unclear concepts and committing much of what is learnt to memory.
• Notes made should be neat, legible and accessible. Enough spaces could
be left in notes to entertain ideas discovered from further reading.
• It is equally important to make notes while you study. Important points,
definitions and applications may be jotted down or highlighted for revision.
However, one must avoid plagiarism, mindless quotation and quoting out
of context.
• Notes are to be kept away from thieves, rats and raiders!

1.4.3 Retrieval Skills

In an academic setting especially, a high demand is placed on students’ retrieval

of valuable knowledge gained over a period of time. There are frequent tests and
examinations, to assess students’ ability to reproduce what they have learnt and

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studied during the semester or session. The following are actions that aid the
retention and retrieval of information gathered from a material:

• Use Mnemonics

A mnemonic refers to a type of memory aid. The use of mnemonics involves the
student creating an easy pattern for recollecting some complex concepts. For
instance, you may better remember a piece of information by creating rhymes,
songs, acronyms or mental pictures from it. For instance, a song could be formed
when learning the order of taxonomic classification- Kingdom, Phylum, Class,
Order, Family, Genus, and Species. The acronym ROY G BIV can aid the
recollection of the colours of the spectrum- Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo
and Violet. There is MR NIGER D, which helps one to remember the
characteristics of living things and the song ‘Thirty days has September, April,
June and November…’ spells out the number of days in each month.

• Conduct Self-tests

Take practice tests, examine yourself, set questions for yourself and make sure
you answer the questions satisfactorily. Having past questions can also help a
student in conducting self-tests. The use of past questions helps you to
comprehend the scope of the course; the pattern that questions often follow; the
language of the questions (for example, discuss, define, describe, list, state,
compare, contrast, analyse, explain, etc.); the marks allotted to sample
questions, etc.

• Use self-explanatory Techniques

Explain concepts in your own words. Do not tag any chapter or topic as difficult;
if it were that difficult, no human would have written anything on it. That there
are texts on a given topic or subject means that the subject or topic is
comprehensible.

1.4.4 Time Management Skills

Effective time management starts with creating the time for study. No one often
has enough time for all that one needs to accomplish in a day, but wisdom in
time management is the key to getting so much done in so little a time. An
excellent student must be a good organiser. When you manage your time well
every day of the semester, you reduce stress and achieve more. The other wisdom
tip is to prioritise. Your primary assignment in the university is to study in order
to be successful. You must avoid distractions as much as possible. When a
comfortable hour has been allotted for the study, you need to make the best use
of the time allotted. Most students often waste the hours in-between classes; this
should not be so. Be organized, go with all the materials you would possibly need
for the study sessions. All study sessions do not have to be marathon sessions;
there could be effective short study sessions. The short sessions do add up and
contribute to the overall study plan. It is important to make maximum use of

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every time available for study. Several half-an-hour studies a day would add up
to many of the hours of study for that day. Rather than waste time, maximize it.

• The Use of a Timetable/Workload Plan

Timetables and workload plans help in proper time management. A timetable

becomes useful and helpful only when it is thoughtfully charted and judiciously
followed. A beautiful timetable or workload plan that is not judiciously followed
is as useless as a beautiful house without a roof.

Table 1: A Sample Workload Plan Monday 22nd May, 2017

Time Tasks Tick when

achieved
5am- 7am Prayers, clean up, eat breakfast
7am- 11am Attend classes for ENG 116, RES 141,
GES 101
11am- 1pm Take lunch, Read ENG 116 notes
1pm- 3pm Attend classes for CLA 102, ENG 115
4pm- 4:30pm Rest
4:30pm- 7pm Do PHI 102 Assignment, Study
Chapter 5 of Studies in Poetry
7pm- 8pm Attend Group meeting for CLA 105
8pm-9pm Prepare dinner, eat dinner, rest
9pm-10pm Study chapter 2 of GES 101 course
material
10pm-5am Sleep

Table 2: A Sample Week Plan

Time Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

7-
8am
8-
9am
9-
10am
10-
11am
11-
12pm
12-
1pm
1-
2pm

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2-
3pm
3-
4pm
4-
5pm
5-
6pm
6-
7pm
7-
8pm
8-
9pm
9-
10pm

• Set a Goal for Each Study Session

Set a realistic goal for each study session. This entails planning what to study
and what the study outcome would be. Every time you study, study with a
purpose in mind. There should also be a way to evaluate and monitor your
progress. Essentially, goals should be SMART. SMART is an acronym coined by
George T. Doran in 1981; it stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic
and Time-bound. You should have a goal for the semester and an overall goal
for your academic endeavour. There should also be a mechanism put in place to
measure the attainment of set goals. There should be a mechanism for feedback.

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Table 3: A Sample Feedback Sheet

Monday 22nd May, 2017

What I studied What I am able to recall Sample test questions

ENG 116 English Poetry has five Define Metaphysical
major poetic traditions. poetry.
English Poetry Metaphysical poets Who are the
wrote differently from metaphysical poets?
their Elizabethan
counterparts.
Poetic Traditions in John Donne was versed List the features of
English Poetry in law, cosmology, Metaphysical poetry.
philosophy and theology.
Metaphysical Poetry Emblematic poetry e.g. Give examples of
George Herbert’s “Easter Metaphysical poetry.
Wings”
John Donne, George Metaphysical wit and Apply the knowledge
Herbert, Andrew conceits. gained in analyzing a
Marvell, Richard metaphysical poem.
Crawshaw and Henry
Vaughan

• Break Up Study Sessions

It may be unrealistic to study for twenty hours straight in a day. It is preferable

to break the study sessions. It is also essential to study when one is most alert,
mentally and psychologically. Most prefer to study in the early hours of the
morning when concentration is at its peak, while others prefer to study late at
night when everywhere is quiet. Study yourself to know when you are most alert
and make the most of the time. Difficult materials should especially be engaged
when the mind is relaxed and the body is unstressed.

• Create a Conducive Atmosphere

The study setting may be a library, a study centre, a reading room or a favourite
spot. The essential thing is that the study arena is quiet, well-lit, comfortable
and suitable for a study session. Such a place must be free from all forms of
distractions. Many students often prefer to study on their beds. The challenge
with this locale is that one may end up dreaming about studying rather than
actually studying. In order to avoid distractions, you may need to switch off your
phone, turn off your mobile data or put the phone on the silent mode.

• Keep track of what you study

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Have a jotter where you keep track of what you study. You need to take note of
your improvements and grade yourself. You can then go on to reward yourself
when you have done splendidly well.

• Make the most of study groups

A study group often consists of like-minded students seeking to have a better

understanding of their courses. There is no rule-of-the-thumb on the number of
students that can make a study group. The important thing is for the group to
actually fulfill its purpose. In study groups, students must exhibit much self-
control so that much time is not wasted settling conflicts and noisemaking.
Moreover, everyone in the group must be determined to make the most of the
study session. Study groups are often beneficial but not always. Once you
discover that you lose rather than gain from a study session with other students,
it is time to quit the group.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle

It is not uncommon for many students to fall ill as soon as examination

timetables are pasted on noticeboards. This is usually due to such students’
lifestyles. A serious student is one who takes good care of his or her health
generally. It is important to get enough sleep, food and exercise even when
preparing for examinations. The easiest way to break down shortly before
examinations is to waste most of the semester and then try to make up for the
lost time during the examination period. A student’s body will refuse to cooperate
with such a student if the student had misused his or her body excessively. It is,
therefore, important to get enough rest, eat balanced diet, and do exercises all
through the semester. The brain works optimally when the body is healthy.

• Know Yourself

You need to discover what works best for you. Find out the study skills and
strategies that you find most effective and work with them. Discover your most
profitable hours for studying, the best approaches to learning and the study
methods that work best for you.

1.4.5 Examination/Test Taking Tips

▪ It is important to have a good sleep the night before the test or

examination, as not many students’ brains perform optimally after a
needless vigil.
▪ Study well before going for the test/examination. Avoid anything that can
make you anxious before or during the test/examination. If you need to
eat before the test/examination, do so. Some students do not recall what
they have studied because of a hungry stomach.
▪ Do not get to the venue for the test/examination late. There are always
excuses for going late for tests and examinations, do not patronize them.

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 ▪ Use a pencil to faintly jot down dates, quotations, definitions, figures or
formulas that you may easily forget at the back of your answer booklet.
You can always erase whatever you scribbled after you have used it.
▪ When you are given the test/examination paper, read the instructions
carefully. Afterwards, read all the questions carefully. Check the marks
allotted to each question. It is better to spend more time on the questions
with the higher points, while not neglecting the other questions.
▪ Make a quick plan on which questions to answer if given the choice and
how to answer the questions.
▪ It is important that you accurately decode the questions asked and
understand the demands of each question:
▪ Make a brief mental or actual outline of the answers to give. An outline
helps you to organise your thoughts, points and answers.
▪ It is often better to take on the questions that you know well first before
going to tackle the ones that are not so accessible to you.
▪ Proper time management is important during an examination. Do not
spend too much time on a question, to the detriment of the others. Do not
spend the entire time answering the questions. Give allowance for a proper
review.
▪ It is always important to review the answers given, correct grammatical
errors and properly cancel inappropriate words before submitting the
answer booklet.
▪ It is important to ensure that your handwriting is legible. There is no point
scribbling a lot of excellent things that the examiner cannot read.
▪ Review the answers given in the test/examination after the
test/examination. In this way, if any mistake has been made, such a
mistake will not be repeated. Seek to understand what you got wrong and
what you got right. This is the way to knowledge.

1.4.6 Understanding Common Key Verbs Used in Tests and Examinations

There are common verbs that are often used in tests and examinations.
Examiners have different expectations based on the questions posed. It is
important for you to be familiar with some common verbs that you are likely to
come across in tests and examinations.

Table 4: Common Key Verbs used in Tests and Examinations

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 • Analyse: Break up into parts, investigate.
• Compare Similarities and differences - perhaps reach a
conclusion to show your preference.
• Contrast Show differences.
• Define Set down the meaning of a word or phrase.
• Describe Give detailed account.
• Discuss Investigate or examine by argument or debate.
• Distinguish Show the differences between.
• Evaluate Give your judgment – back by discussion of
evidence.
• Examine Look closely into.
• Explain Make plain - interpret. Give reason for something.
• Interpret Make clear - show the meaning of.
• Justify Show adequate grounds for decisions and
conclusions.
• Outline Give main features or general principles. Leave
out minor details. Emphasise structure and inter-relations.
▪ State Present in a brief, clear form.
▪ Summarise Give a concise account of the main points. Leave
out details and examples.
▪ Trace Follow the history or development of a topic from
point of origin.
(Culled from Study Skills Guide, University of Newcastle upon Tyne from
www.ncl.ac.uk/disability.services/)

1.4.7 The Ten Commandments- Do’s and Don’ts of Studying

➢ Do not be encumbered with several textbooks at a time. Having the study

area cluttered with several textbooks so that your friends can nickname
you “book”, “eshin” or “alakowe” is not the important thing. Determine
before the time what you need to study and only go with what is necessary
at the time.
➢ Do employ mnemonics when studying. Mnemonics aid your recollection of
what you read.
➢ Do not always cram. Seek to understand whatever material it is that you
are studying. Understand it so much so that you can explain it to others.
➢ Do not miss classes. Even when you are no longer interested in a class or
tutorial, feign interest. The brain can hardly distinguish between the real
and the fake.
➢ Do not procrastinate. Procrastination is the thief of time.
➢ Do manage your time effectively. Twenty-four hours is all that everyone is
ever going to get in a day.
➢ Do not take too much of caffeine such that you are entirely dependent on
it whenever you need to study during the night or for longer hours. Too
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 much of caffeine tend to increase the student’s anxiety about the
examination.
➢ Do not just study longer or harder, study smarter. Employ the skills
discussed above, put them to work.
➢ Do not study when you ought to sleep and do not sleep when you ought to
study.
➢ Do engage in other activities. All work and no play makes the student a
robot.

1.4.8 Qualities of Excellent Students

✓ Excellent students are deliberate about success. They take responsibility

for their academic performance. They have long-term goals and short-term
goals. They do everything in their power to ensure that their goals are met.
✓ Excellent students do not procrastinate; serious students do not always
procrastinate. They submit assignments, class works and group works in
time.
✓ Excellent students do not only study when they feel like it. Determination,
diligence and consistency are the proven shortcuts to success.
✓ Excellent students review their class notes after every class or sometime
during the very day the lecture was given.
✓ Excellent students get past questions for each course at the beginning of
the semester. They do not just get the past questions for a year, but for as
many years as possible.
✓ Excellent students leave no stone unturned. They study every single topic
that is relevant to their course.
✓ Excellent students do not engage in any form of examination malpractice.
✓ Excellent students study in order to know and understand, and not just
to pass.
✓ Excellent students read ahead of the class. They get the course outline as
soon as the semester begins and move ahead of the lecturer.
✓ Excellent students seek help whenever they need it, from lecturers, senior
friends, mentors, classmates, etc.
✓ Excellent students still seek to improve on what they know even when they
have become the best students in the class.
✓ Excellent students often sit in front (After all, lecturers don’t bite).

1.5 Unit Summary

This chapter discussed studying as a skill that is crucial to a successful
academic pursuit. Effective study skills such as reading skills, time management
skill, and retrieval skills were also discussed.

1.6 Assignment
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 1. Why is studying important?
2. Discuss the study skills and methods that you know.
3. What reading plan works best for you as an individual?
4. Discuss the SQ3R method.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ahmed, T. 2014. 10 laws of academic excellence. Lagos: ValuePlus Publishing.

David, R. 2005. Revision and exam techniques. Bolton: Learning support and
Development, University of Boston.
Study Skills Guide. University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Retrieved June 2, 2017
from www.ncl.ac.uk/disability.services/.

FURTHER READING

Cottrell, S. 2013. The study skills handbook. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Maddox, H. 1980. How to study. London: Pan Books.

Marshall, P. 1996. How to study and learn: your practical guide to effective study
skills. Plymouth: How to Books.

Rowntree, D. 1998. Learn how to study: a realistic approach. London: Warner

Books.

Turner, J. 2002. How to study: a short introduction. London: SAGE.

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