You’ve gotten this far through high school and the end is in sight. Whether its final exams or group projects, you’ve probably developed a few study tips over the years – well did you know your study skills can help you at uni?
If you’re in Year 12 you might be worried that all your study tips and habits will reset once you get to uni. While uni will be a whole new vibe from high school, there are a few skills that you’re going to want to keep in mind for what’s next after Year 12 exams are finished.
Knowing how to stay on top of your work, study ‘your way’ and understanding your learning style will help you at university and even in your future career. Here are some study tips that will give you a leg up in Year 12 and at university.
Did you know that if you don’t use new information soon after you learn it, there’s a good chance you’ll forget it? A study from the University of Waterloo shows that if nothing is done with new information within 24 hours of learning it, most people will forget about 50% of what they learn.
Try writing new information out a few times over, speaking it out loud, or explaining it to someone else. Reprocessing new information like this sends a signal to your brain that you want to hold onto it, and you’ll be able to retrieve and apply that knowledge at the right time later on in assignments, exams and real-life.
When being taught how to spell, kids learn to look, say, cover, copy and check. This system can be applied to learning subject content at any level.
Uni classes are a great time to practice active learning. For example, if you are studying a Bachelor of Business your lectures and workshop classes will be full of ways to apply what you learn, from group projects to presentations. If you’re looking to pick up extra credentials during your study you can also browse RMIT Creds, a program of digital micro-credentials that are accessible to all RMIT students, which provides an avenue for you to try out some active learning at a different pace.
The key to staying on top of your studies is learning efficiently. It’s better to maintain an organised and realistic list of study tasks, this way you’ll have an easier time completing the assessments and projects and you won’t miss anything.
Collect your notes, write a to-do list, then sort what’s on your list into categories. Well-organised notes can help you recall relevant material and find information again when you need it for writing assignments and studying for exams.
Do you find that you’re easily distracted? There are loads of apps and methods to keep you on track! For example, you could use the Pomodoro Technique, which uses a timer to break down work into 25-minute intervals separated by short breaks.
When your uni classes start at RMIT, you’ll have access to a range of study support services, from the library to peer mentors. Peer mentors are high-performing students from your course who can help you prepare for exams and build your study skills. For example, if you’re a Bachelor of Cyber Security student and need a hand understanding technical skills you learned in class, you can turn to a peer mentor for some help. There’s also the RMIT Assignment Planner, which gives you a customised step-by-step plan with advice for completing and juggling assignments.
You might be wondering: what is a learning style? Learning styles are individual preferences for how you learn and retain information. Identifying a learning style that works for you can help you improve your knowledge retention by using approaches that suit you. You might even have more than one learning style.
Think about when you do your best studying at home and optimise your day to be free to study then. It might be always in the morning when you’re by yourself, or at the kitchen table, or when you’re listening to music.
It’s not always easy knowing your learning style at first, so it’s worth trying a few different styles. You might surprise yourself – if you’re interested in studying a Bachelor of Design (Animation and Interactive Media) that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a visual learner. No matter what style of learning suits you, the RMIT Learning Lab helps you improve your general academic study skills - from writing and maths to mind mapping and note-taking. Your lecturers, the RMIT student website, the Learning Lab and the library are all available to help you achieve your best.
Sources
Story: Hilary Jones and Jacob Johnston
Uni lingo can seem like an entirely different language sometimes, but with this glossary, you’ll be fluent in no time.
RMIT’s Equitable Learning Services (ELS) provide learning and disability support that empowers students to achieve their goals.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.