STUDY SKILLS

T4W3 – P.100
TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
• Managing time effectively enables a person to become
more confident, organised, and learn more efficiently.
Effective time management skills are particularly
essential for high school learners, as they must deal
with more subjects, tests, assignments, and extra-
curricular activities.
 TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS:
★ Plan – by the week but especially by each day – set workable goals – schedule important
activities for the right time of day – make a “to do” list and stick to it – allow time for
interruptions and distractions, be flexible.
★ Prioritise tasks – don’t overcommit yourself.
★ Take the time you need to do a quality job – spend more time on tasks that may be more
difficult and look at the amount of work required to ensure that the work is done properly.
★ Break large, time consuming tasks into smaller tasks (work on a dreaded task for 10-15
minutes each day).
★ Limit distractions – concentrate and focus on the task at hand – learn to manage your time
so that you don’t end up procrastinating and trying to squeeze everything into one evening or
afternoon.
★ Get plenty of rest – take a break when needed.
★ Evaluate how you are spending your time – reward yourself.
WHAT IS A STUDY PLAN?
• A study plan is an organised schedule outlining study
times and learning goals.
• A study plan is a schedule that sets aside dedicated
time each week for studying.
• This schedule should include dates of tests and exams,
as well as deadlines for tasks, papers and projects.
 GUIDELINES TO CREATE YOUR STUDY PLAN:
★ Analyse your current study habits and learning style – Think about what works and what
doesn’t work for you.
★ Evaluate your current schedule and time management – Use a digital or paper calendar to
block out all your standing commitments, including classes, work, and extracurricular
activities.
★ Plan how much study time you need – At the beginning of each term, your teachers will
often give you a breakdown for the classes you are taking.
★ Develop a schedule – Now that you understand how much time you need for studying, and
how much time you have available, you can schedule your study sessions.
★ Assess your weekly calendar – Identifying your learning goals for each class will help you
determine how much time you need to spend studying.
★ Stick to your schedule
 EXAMINE HOW LEARNING TAKES PLACE AND REFLECT
ON EFFECTIVENESS:
• The brain is a highly complex organ that plays an essential role not
just in thinking, but in all body functions.
• It’s divided into two halves, the right and left brain.
• Specific areas are responsible for different functions, but both sides
of the brain work together as a whole.
• Whether you perform either a logical or creative function, you
receive input from both sides of your brain.
-For example, people credit the left brain with language, but the
right brain helps you understand context and tone. The left brain
handles mathematical equations, but the right brain helps with
comparisons and rough estimates.
 HOW LEARNING TAKES PLACE:
★ The brain is designed to learn.
★ The more active the brain is, the stronger the connections between neurons become.
★ With practice, strong pathways develop and some actions become automatic.
★ Learning shapes your brain and your brain will never stop thinking, learning,
remembering, and exploring.
★ To create a studying pathway in your brain for learning, you need to learn, solve
problems, recall, read, think, calculate, reflect, and write.
★ Learning something new needs repetition. The more you do something, the better you
learn how to do it.
★ Each person prefers to learn in a specific manner, you need to find the learning style that
suits the way in which your brain is wired.
 STUDY STYLES AS A PREFERRED WAY OF
APPROACHING TASKS

• The VARK Model: The most widely accepted model of learning

styles is called the VARK model, which stands for visual,
aural/auditory, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic.
★ Visual learners learn best by seeing.
★ Auditory learners learn best by hearing.
★ Reading/writing learners learn best by reading and writing.
★ Kinaesthetic learners learn best by moving and doing.
STUDY STRATEGY TO APPROACH A SPECIFIC
TASK IN THE LIGHT OF DEMANDS
• SQ3R is a reading comprehension method named for its five
steps: Survey, question, read, recite, and review. Follow the
steps below to learn how to glean as much information as
possible from the text requirements from any class. The
information you gain from reading is important. If you just “do
it”, without learning something, you’re wasting a lot of your
time. Train your mind to learn while reading with SQ3R.
EXAMINATION WRITING SKILLS
• There is no better feeling than walking into an exam room
with confidence. It gets even better being able to tackle an
exam with a calm and rational posture. Exams do come
with stress and anxiety, but it takes diligence to master the
necessary skills to handle this better. Examination writing
skills give us the ability to maintain a good disposition and
self-confidence when dealing with such exam-related
stress and anxiety.
 COMMON EXAM MISTAKES:
★ Winging it - preparation is key when it comes to exams and final assessments, and it’s not too late to start getting organised.
★ Not reading the exam paper’s instructions thoroughly - exams and assessments come in different formats, and they do not all
work in the same way – study past papers to prevent this. You should also make sure you read the instructions thoroughly on the
day.
★ Not looking after yourself before and during exams - taking good care of yourself throughout exam season is essential. Take time
off, and make sure you leave time for friends, hobbies, and relaxation, as well as studying.
★ Poor use of exam time - when you start an exam, make sure you know how many questions you will need to answer and how many
marks each one is worth. You can then proportion your time accordingly.
★ Panicking during the exam - if you see a question that you don’t know the answer to or your mind starts to go blank, it is easy to
panic, making it even more difficult to think clearly. Instead, if you start to panic, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself that you
are smart, capable, and have prepared thoroughly.
★ Failing to answer the exam’s set questions - in essay exams, one of the most common mistakes learners make is answering the
question they wish had been set instead of the one that was. It is vital to make sure that your answer thoroughly addresses the
specific question in the exam paper. Jotting down a quick essay plan before you start writing can help you to avoid falling into this
trap.
★ Rushing your exam - running out of time in an exam can be a problem, but making mistakes because you are rushing is even
worse. If you finish with a lot of time to spare, you may have been rushing even if you didn’t realise you were doing it. When you think
you have finished, check all your answers to make sure they are correct and as thorough as they can be. You might also find that you
can further expand on your answers or add that great point that just occurred to you.
 Understanding command words/ action verbs

• Command words/ action verbs tell you how to answer a specific exam
question or complete an assessment task. The definitions will help you
understand what the words are asking you to do.
Analyse Break up into separate parts and discuss, examine, interpret, explore, and investigate each part.
Say how each part is important. Explain how the parts are linked or related.
Apply Use in a practical way. When you apply, you show in a practical way what your understanding is.
Use your knowledge and understanding of the topic to make it relevant to a
situation/issue/problem.
Assess Judge or estimate the nature, quality, or value of something. Make a value judgement that you
justify by giving reasons.
Calculate You need to get to an answer by using numbers. You will add, subtract, multiply or divide numbers
to reach an answer.
Comment Give your opinion on, explain, or criticise. Make a judgement based upon the evidence.
Compare Look at two or more things. Identify similarities and differences. See how they are the same, and
how they are different. Focus more on similarities than differences.
Complete Add the missing information.
Consider Think about and give your opinion.
Contrast Focus on the differences between two or more things. Show them in opposition to each other.

Create Put together ideas or parts to develop an original idea; engage in creative thinking; offer a
novel or new suggestion or item.
Criticise You need to make judgements to show your own ideas and evaluation.
Critically Show approval or disapproval, or find mistakes or faults, and merits or good aspects; give
analyse reasons.
Define You need to give the exact meaning of the term or words. Definitions are short and exact. This
is not a discussion.
Describe Give an account of something where you recall what you have learned or state what you
observed.
Determine Find out the facts. For example, determine how many learners in Grade 11 do physical
exercise more than four times a week.
Discuss Write about something; compare several possible views about an issue or problem. Debate,
consider, and argue the issues. Include comparisons and contrasts, look at pros and cons. Say
what you think about the topic. Give a full answer in sentences, not just a list in point form.
Always give a conclusion.
Do you Give your own opinions about an issue or problem. Pay attention to the reason you give
think and arguments you offer; you will not be given marks just for an opinion.
Provide well-reasoned or logical reasons for your opinions, based on facts.
Enumerate This is the same as list. Give several points.
Evaluate Give your own opinion and/or the opinions of others. Give evidence to support your
evaluation. Give an indication of the amount, quality or value of something. Compare
several possible views about an issue or problem. Make judgements based on facts.
Examine Carefully look at something and in detail so you can comment on it. Break down an issue
or problem into smaller parts to understand it. Then explain what you have learned.
Explain Give details, describe, make clear, and make it understandable. Make something plain or
simplify. Describe in detail so that it can be understood. Always give examples when you
are asked to explain.
Give You supply, provide, present, or offer information.
Identify Recognise and name someone or something; to say who or what they are.
Illustrate Give realistic examples. Explain very clearly. You can use examples and comparisons.
Interpret Show your understanding of the topic, comment on it, give examples. Describe
relationships, explain the meaning.
In your This asks you what you think about something or feel about something. For example, in
opinion your opinion, do the youth do enough to celebrate youth day on 16 June?
List Give a short list of the points. State in the shortest way. Be brief. Do not discuss or write an
essay. Usually, you write items one below the other in a list.
Match Find things that go together; find things that are similar or connected to each other.
Measure Find the size, quantity, etc. of something. Judge the importance, value, or effect of
something.
Mention Write about something without explaining. There should be no detail; keep it brief.
Name Like mention, give a brief answer without long explanations.
Outline Summarise, describe main ideas, and core points, concepts, or events. Give an overview.
Prove Give the facts to support the issue.
State Explain exactly and clearly as it is.
Suggest Give possible reasons or ideas. These must be believable; they do not necessarily have to
be proven to work.
Summarise Give a very short and brief account. Include a short conclusion. Do not give unnecessary
details.
GOAL-SETTING SKILLS:
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS REGARDING
STUDY, HEALTH AND FITNESS.
• Improving your skills is a practice known as personal
development and it does not happen by itself. Some
personal development can be a matter of being in the
right place at the right time, and simply taking up
opportunities. But consistent, effective personal
development across a wide range of skills requires
deliberate and focused effort.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS: STUDY
★ Study with an aim of knowing what you need to achieve and do.
★ Study smart using the SMART acronym to set goals.
★ Know which pages or sections you want to study.
★ Plan how to test yourself.
★ Set the goal of revising something every day using your study plan.
★ Set targets to show what you’re going to do and when it needs to be done
by.
★ Give written solutions to Mathematics problems on a daily basis.
★ Know the types of goals, the steps in planning, and the goal-setting skills.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS: HEALTH & FITNESS
★ Be realistic – Your ultimate fitness goal could be to be fit enough to
participate in a competition on a set date or to do 10 laps of the pool.
Whatever the case, make this goal realistic. Think about what is achievable
for you and where you would like to see yourself one day.
★ Be specific – Don’t make your goal a general statement like: ‘I want to lose
weight’. Make it measurable. Exactly how many kilograms do you want to
lose?
★ Choose a goal that is meaningful and important to you, not to anybody
else. A goal is unique to you and shouldn’t be based on what you think
others want or will make them happy. This is about you.
 REVISION
What is REVISION and why is it important?
• Revision is when content is revised and the process of re-reading
content that is previously done to extend or improve your
knowledge on a subject. Revision is usually taken up with the
sole purpose of preparing for examinations. The importance of
revision can be seen in the fact that without revision, learners
often score low grades in examinations. That is why revision is
important for learners. It enables you to be more thorough in the
subject matter.
Why revision is important:
1. Helps to recall details: Revision is a second or third attempt at reading a particular concept. It
helps you recall minute details that you may have missed the first time you studied the topic.
2. Increases confidence: Helps you to gain more confidence. When you revise a topic many times
before an exam, you can become more confident of facing the questions in the examination.
3. Decreases stress and anxiety: If you are more confident in your studies, after a thorough revision,
you tend to become less stressed and anxious. If stress and anxiety cross a level you can
comfortably manage, it can be harmful. Revision before exams can keep the stress levels
manageable.
4. Compliments the study efforts: Studying for an exam is an essential part of the learning process,
revising what you have studied makes you more prepared for examinations and thereby helps you to
get better grades.
5. Subject gauger: Revision helps you identify the subjects you may be weaker or stronger in. If you
know the subjects you are weak in, you can spend more time studying that subject.
What happens when you don’t revise?
• You may forget minute details - when you have studied a subject
and don’t revise it just before the examination you may forget
small details in the subject. These small details may be very
important details on which the whole concept rests.
• Not revising can increase stress and anxiety - when you do not
revise, you may forget a minute detail. This in turn leads to an
increased level of anxiety and stress just before the examinations.