Overview

This is a basic guide to the study, writing and groupwork skills that will be needed to successfully complete your degree. The intention here is to alert you to the main skills necessary. Detailed handouts and other resources are available from the University’s Learning Assistance Unit who offer free programs all year round to help you achieve the most from your studies. Staff in the Learning Assistance Unit may be reached on 3875 6452 or (07) 3875 5153 on the Nathan Campus; (07) 3382 1108 at the Logan Campus; and (07) 5594 8335 or (07) 5594 8109 on the Gold Coast Campus. You can also email the Learning Assistance Uni at lau@gu.edu.au, or visit their website at http://www.gu.edu.au/ins/training/

Successful Change!

You will find many suggestions and techniques within this guide. Our number one suggestion is that you choose to visit this site little and often. Each time you visit adopt one or two suggestions that stand out or appeal to you. This tends to work better than going laboriously through the whole guide and trying to adopt many suggestions all at once. Remember change can take a lot of energy and monitoring. You have to remember what to do differently, do it differently (which may take longer to begin with), evaluate it and then make necessary individual adaptations.

This guide is designed to give you the basics in each of the sections. There are web links throughout the guide that will connect you to other resources helping you develop your skills beyond these basics to a level of mastery!

Some excellent general study and essay writing links, you may like to visit

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant – Essay writing
This is a large and excellent site that covers all aspects of writing including fictional, journalistic and academic. You will find it very useful for elaborating on the various aspects of the writing process mentioned in this guide.
http://www.powa.org/

Virginia Tech Study Skills Self-help Information
This is a large site that elaborates on all the skills you will need as a student. It includes interactive workshops on the topics of time management, improving memory and concentration, active reading, and improving test performance.
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html


University of St Thomas - Study Guides and Strategies
This is a large and comprehensive site that has a range of relevant subtopics listed under each of the topics: learning; studying; lecture participation and note-taking; reading; test taking and preparation; and writing. The brief notes on each subtopic facilitate quick understanding and useful guidance.
http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/index.htm

Allen & Unwin’s estudy centre
This is another large and comprehensive site that has compiled extracts from books on a full range of topics relevant to studying, writing, and exam preparation.
http://www.allenandunwin.com/estudy/estudy.asp

University of Waterloo
This is a comprehensive site that covers the topics of time management; learning; listening and note-taking; reading; concentration and distraction; preparation and cramming for exams; writing in exams; and sleep. It offers good suggestions and gives explanations for them.
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/Study/study_skills.html