How to Be a Student : Great Ideas and Super Habits for Students Everywhere

by Moore, Sarah; Murphy, Maura

• ISBN13: 9780335216529
• ISBN10: 0335216528
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-01
• Publisher: Open Univ Pr

Summary

"Drawing from the real experiences of students, this book presents ideas and suggestions that you can use to enhance your time at university and to improve the quality of your learning life."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Sarah Moore is the dean of teaching and learning at the University of Limerick, in Ireland.

Maura Murphy manages and administers teaching and learning initiatives at the University of Limerick.

Table of Contents

Dedication	ix
Acknowledgements	x
Introduction	xi
PART 1 Insights and ideas for when you first arrive	1	(44)
Remembering that humans are designed to learn	3	(1)
Not letting money issues get in the way	4	(1)
Being strict about part-time work	5	(2)
Developing study rituals	7	(2)
Having a calendar and an appointments diary	9	(1)
Preparing to be disillusioned	10	(1)
Turning up to your lectures	11	(1)
Getting your learning abilities checked	12	(1)
Getting help when you need it	13	(1)
Preventing small obstacles from becoming big problems	14	(1)
Being the first to admit when you don't understand	15	(1)
Decorating your study space	16	(1)
Buying a dictionary and a thesaurus	17	(1)
Organizing your study materials and learning resources	18	(1)
Regular `study snacks' are better than occasional `study binges'	19	(1)
Understanding boredom	20	(3)
Developing your own personal coding system	23	(1)
Phoning home	24	(1)
Talking to others about your study tasks	25	(2)
Setting better study goals	27	(2)
Always having someone know where you are	29	(1)
Having a social life that supports your learning	30	(2)
Accepting that bureaucracy is just part of life	32	(2)
Getting regular exercise	34	(1)
Eating wisely	35	(2)
Drinking	37	(2)
Sleeping enough (but not too much)	39	(1)
Breathing properly	40	(1)
Posture and positioning	41	(1)
Love, friendship and sex	42	(3)
PART 2 Developing your skills and sharpening your awareness	45	(24)
Understanding the downside of being connected and available	47	(1)
Finding the zone between resignation and anger when you're staring problems in the face	48	(1)
Not treating learning as a competition	49	(1)
Recording your study habits	50	(3)
Remembering that lecturers and tutors are human too	53	(1)
Recognizing that information is not knowledge	54	(1)
Realizing that students are not customers	55	(1)
Spotting the signs that you need to take a break	56	(1)
Watching out for study drift	57	(1)
Knowing whether you are a natural introvert or a natural extravert and adjusting your study strategies accordingly	58	(1)
Understanding and controlling knee-jerk reactions to stress	59	(2)
Keeping a learning diary	61	(1)
Knowing about clashes in habits, cultures and ways of doing things	62	(2)
How you feel impacts on how well you learn	64	(2)
Remembering that people thought Einstein was a slow learner	66	(1)
Benefiting from the fact that students are different from one another	67	(2)
PART 3 Gaining momentum: building confidence and motivation	69	(26)
Just doing it	71	(1)
Focusing on what you can do now	72	(1)
Recognizing that deadlines don't have to ruin your life	73	(1)
Interrogating your lecturers and your tutors	74	(2)
Getting to know your librarians and lurking in the library	76	(1)
Not being too hard on yourself	77	(1)
Not being too easy on yourself	78	(1)
Being brave	78	(1)
Using all of your brain	79	(1)
Being more creative	80	(1)
Playing	80	(2)
Rewarding and celebrating when things go right	82	(1)
Understanding different kinds of reaction to feedback	83	(1)
Getting negative feedback	84	(1)
Getting positive feedback	85	(1)
Choosing the feedback you want	86	(2)
Making presentations	88	(1)
Not comparing yourself with others	89	(2)
Checking rumours before acting on them	91	(1)
Playing to your strengths	92	(1)
Hoping and persisting	92	(1)
Controlling worry	93	(1)
Realizing that you'll never be able to keep everyone happy	94	(1)
PART 4 Being the best you can be: persistence and enhancement strategies	95	(42)
Knowing that it's impossible to be perfect but it's always possible to improve	97	(1)
Paying attention to grammar and punctuation	97	(2)
Keeping track of your information sources	99	(1)
Knowing what plagiarism is	100	(3)
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler	103	(1)
Learning the beauty of summaries	104	(1)
Having some time every day when you're doing nothing at all	104	(1)
Organizing study retreats	105	(3)
Using listening skills to help you learn better	108	(1)
Not jumping to conclusions	109	(1)
Reading	109	(3)
Recognizing the importance of memorizing	112	(1)
Learning to use memory techniques	113	(2)
Being a critical learner	115	(1)
Writing a little bit every day	116	(2)
Reflecting	118	(1)
Being generous with your lecture notes	119	(1)
Knowing what a literature review is and how to do one	120	(2)
Using images and diagrams when you're taking notes	122	(1)
Treating your CV as a working document	123	(1)
Going through the motions	124	(1)
Carrying a notebook everywhere you go	125	(1)
Finding out more	126	(1)
Pulling an all-nighter	127	(3)
Preparing practically for your exams	130	(1)
During exams	130	(2)
After exams	132	(1)
Avoiding snobbery	132	(1)
Sharing your insights	133	(1)
Believing in yourself	134	(1)
Being a student	134	(3)
Bibliography	137	(3)
Index	140