Study skills

We know that sounds boring, but at the very least, download an online diary where you can write all your lecture times, room numbers and assignment deadlines. Even better, block out times when you are on campus that you can use to study. If you build study time into your timetable from day one, it will become a habit, and you will be less likely to leave everything to the last minute. See the ‘Planning Assignments’ section of this page for more specific advice about staying on track with your academic work.
 
It’s also a good idea to keep a record of all of the equipment you will need to bring to class on different days, especially if you are on a course with a practical element. There is nothing worse than arriving at a practical Culinary Arts Management degree class with no chef whites or coming to your Business Enterprise seminar without your notes!

Have you heard of SMART goals? Any goals that you set that should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. The most important is 'achievable'. 

We live in a world where we are told that we can study, have hobbies, socialise, raise a family and work all at the same time without breaking into a sweat. This is a lie. Too many students try to fit too much into their timetables and become overwhelmed as a result.
 
Get a pen and write down how you spend your time on an average day. Include sleep, university time, socialising, cooking, exercising, travelling, doom-scrolling – anything that you do on a day-to-day basis. Then look at how much time is left. Divide it in half. That number is how much time you can realistically expect to spend studying per day. It may only be an hour or two (or less). That may not sound a lot, but if you use that time every day, it will add up to a healthy amount of study throughout the semester. By being realistic about the time you can spend on your studies, you will find that you have a much better chance of sticking to your goals.
 
If you are a 'sprint worker' (i.e. a student who likes to work hard at deadline time), that is fine, but make sure you give yourself a realistic amount of time to finish an assignment. If you are going to work this way, block out the weekends leading up to your assignment deadlines so that you can focus on getting them finished on time.

Have you ever found yourself cleaning the kitchen when you should be writing your assignment? You’re not alone! Lots of students struggle to work at home because they get too distracted. The solution is to find somewhere you can focus.

That could be the university library, another study space on campus, a cafe or any other place that helps you focus on your work. It can help to work in a busy place, like a library, where other people are working, too.

Don’t live near campus? University College Birmingham is a member of the SCONUL Access scheme, which allows you to apply to use the study space of a university library near you. Contact the University College Birmingham library for more information.

This is often easier said than done. It is not uncommon for students to jump out of bed to attend morning lectures in week 1, but to struggle to be on time for afternoon lectures in week 8. Everyone has days when it is hard to sit down and work. When that happens, you can use one of these methods to get motivated again:

• Don’t wait until you are in the mood to study. You will hardly ever wake up "in the mood" to research an assignment or create a presentation, but often, the more work you do, the more motivated you become! You might find that it takes more effort putting off a task than actually doing it.
• Visualise how you will feel once the task is completed. In the middle of a semester with deadlines looming, it can be difficult to remember why you chose to complete your course in the first place. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take some time to imagine what your life will be like once you have graduated. Think about why you made the decision to start your course and use that as motivation when it becomes difficult!
• Make yourself accountable. Self-motivation is not easy, so outsourcing your motivation by telling another person your SMART goals for the week can help to keep you accountable. Try to pick somebody who will encourage and support you, even if you do not achieve your goals. Even better, why not pair up with a coursemate you can study with?

The most successful learners are those who do their own research into a topic. Your module reading list is a great place to start, but try to branch out to find other relevant academic information too.
 
You can also be proactive about seeking academic support. Book appointments with the Academic Development Tutors and Academic Librarians in the Academic Skills Centre and use these appointments as personal deadlines. If you know you want to complete half of your assignment before the end of the month, schedule a support appointment to encourage you to get words on the page. You'll also get some valuable feedback about your research, referencing and writing.

In addition to academic support, you can always get health and wellbeing support at University College Birmingham. You can find out more about these support services here.

Treat your university work like a job. Give yourself a start time and a time to finish, and schedule in any breaks you might need. Be kind to yourself – you can’t work nonstop!

Be strict about taking time off from your assignments, whether that is a lunch break or a whole weekend of rest. It is important to give yourself some time off so you can come back refreshed when it is time to work again. You will probably work more efficiently once you have had some time away.

A traditional lecture is a one-way flow of information, with a lecturer standing at the front of a large lecture theatre delivering the core content of a course to a hundred or so students making notes. While lectures still exist, the format is becoming increasingly more interactive. Student numbers are often much smaller, lectures are usually recorded and you will be given the chance to participate throughout the lecture rather than waiting to ask questions at the end. However, one thing that has not changed is that lectures are still the place where you find out about key course content, and attendance is a must.

Lectures are your introduction to new concepts and ideas. Seminars are where you can explore them in more detail. Seminars happen in much smaller groups than lectures and involve a detailed exploration of one topic (usually what was covered in the lecture that week). You will be expected to participate in every seminar, so it is important that you come prepared. That might mean researching a topic independently or with a small group of students before the seminar or completing the set reading. Seminars may feel daunting at first as you will need to speak up and get involved, but most students find that this is where real understanding of the course material happens. Plus, attending seminars is a great way to meet people on your course.

Learning at University College Birmingham is often not restricted to the classroom. Many courses involve practical training, so you may find that you are in a lecture theatre in the morning, but in an industry-standard kitchen or our replica of a Boeing 747 in the afternoon. These sessions will be designed to give you a head start in your future career, and you may also be given a chance to gain additional real-world experience on placements, as well as learning in our world-class facilities.