Study strategies

This resource will help you to:​

• Develop your understanding of where to find credible sources including course readings and prescribed texts.​
• Build your knowledge about notetaking and referencing tips.​
• Enhance your awareness of time management strategies and exam preparation.​
• Apply your learning by developing a checklist of skills for effective planning and learning.​
• Connect you with services to support your development of positive study habits.​
• Enhance awareness of services to support you to develop positive study habits.

Course readings are the list of readings compiled for each course.
For most courses, readings will be in a list available from the course Canvas site.
Some courses contain links to readings within each module rather than using a separate Course Readings list.
Course readings consist of credible sources related to your weekly coursework or assessments.

University study requires you to use credible academic sources, many of which can be found through the UniSC Library website.
Textbooks are a great source for background reading, history of topic, major theories, developments and concepts.
Peer-reviewed journal articles provide details of recent studies and research applying theories, new discoveries, and reviews of past research.
Grey literature, including government documents and statistics will provide facts and industry standards.
Be wary, sometimes websites and articles can look legitimate but portray inaccurate or false information.

TOP TIP!

Take note of the citation details (author, year, title, publisher, published location) when you find a source you may want to use. You can copy the citation in most library databases including course readings and the catalogue.

The term academic integrity means taking an ethical, honest and responsible approach to study and research. As a UniSC student, you are expected to act ethically, with integrity, when you complete and submit your assessment tasks.

Top tips to help you act with academic integrity

1. Take accurate notes; keeping track of where your (credible) research came from. 
2. Paraphrase; using your own words to express the ideas and information of others. 
3. Place quotation marks around the exact words or phrases that you quote (remember to add a page number for quotations).
4. Plan ahead; leaving an assignment to the last minute and rushing your writing can contribute to incorrect referencing and instances of plagiarism.
5. Contact the Learning Advisers or the Library if you have any questions (see Services and Support link below).
6.  Complete the pre-study academic integrity modules that are designed to help you develop your understanding.

Referencing is acknowledging the source of information and ideas that you have used in your writing. The referencing guides and academic integrity webpage will introduce you to the principles of referencing and using evidence appropriately within university study.
This usually includes an in-text citation (author-date or footnotes) and the full entry in the reference list.
These are the common referencing styles used across UniSC:

• American Psychological Association 7th edition (APA7)
• Australian Guide to Legal Citation (ACLC)
• Harvard
• Vancouver – The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) style

TOP TIP!

Check your course outline or ask your tutor which referencing style you should use.
 

To get the most out of your lectures and tutorials, you need to engage with content.
When learning online or face-to-face, you need to listen and read actively.

TOP TIPS!

• Practice skimming and scanning to identify and preview key ideas.
• Turn headings into questions to give purpose to your reading.
• Use a highlighting technique to mark areas of interest and keywords.
• Focus on nouns and verbs (these carry the content and action of each sentence). Pay attention to linker and transitional signal words as these show relationships between ideas.
• Record the important ideas/information in your own words.

Watch this video (2:14 min) on how to more effectively complete your textbook readings.

TOP TIPS!

1. Complete as many review questions as possible from the prescribed textbook or provided within the course. 
2. Use flashcards to refresh your memory on words, phrases, or formulas that won't be accessible during exams. 
3. Open book exams require less memorisation, but organisation is key.  
4. Create pages that summarise difficult concepts, so you do not have to look for them during the exam. 
5. Make this fun, use colours, draw pictures and, most importantly, in a way that YOU understand. 
6. If you are stuck on a concept, YouTube can be a valuable resource for understanding tough topics. 

An easy way to manage your time is to keep up with the weekly learning materials. To support you with this:

• Pick up a diary and a wall planner from Student Central.  
• In the diary, add your classes and additional study time. An estimated 10 – 12 hours total for each course (including class time, self-directed study and working on assignments) is recommended.  
• Add the due dates for each assessment to the wall planner. Use the assignment calculator to plan for each stage of the assessment.

TOP TIP!

Set small goals that align with your purpose. For example:

1. Tuesday 1-1:30 pm: preview Chapter 2 in the textbook.
2. Hunt for key concepts for Task 1 question in the chapter by skimming.
3. Write notes in own words in the evidence table and record author names and page numbers.

To help you get ready for the start of semester, we have created a checklist of recommended tasks to complete. 
Use it as a guide to expand your study skills for the start of the semester.