Content Summary

Study Skills
Term 4: Week 3-6

Lesson 1: Revise and implement a study plan by including and applying time management
skills & examine how learning takes place and reflect on effectiveness.

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. This will let you see how much of your time is already spoken for, and what time you
have available for studying. If your schedule leaves little room for studying, you may need to
evaluate what you can cut back on, or how you can rearrange your schedule to have more
open time for studying.
 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. This will usually include the dates of any
major exams or projects. You can use these as guides for calculating how much time to set
aside for each class, as some classes might be more intensive than others. It will also help
you schedule your study sessions to make sure you have enough time to complete all your
assignments and prepare for exams.
 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. Add your study
sessions to your calendar like any other commitments. This ensures that you remember this
is time set aside specifically for studying. Plan out which subject you will study on which day,
to ensure that you’re devoting enough time to each subject.
 Assess your weekly calendar – Identifying your learning goals for each class will help you
determine how much time you need to spend studying. At the beginning of each week,
determine what you need to study and what you plan to accomplish in each study session.
While it is tempting to skip your study session when there isn’t a test looming, you will reduce
your future test preparation time by reading ahead and preparing for classes.
 Stick to your schedule – A study plan works best when it is followed consistently. You should
try to develop a study plan that you can follow for the length of each term. You will have to
adjust your plan as necessary when you switch your classes each term. Remember, the most
important thing is sticking to your plan.

Sticking to your study plan:

 Remember to take breaks - if your schedule includes long, multi-hour study sessions, be sure
to take brief breaks every so often to stretch, hydrate and rest your mind. This will keep your
brain fresh and help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
 Schedule time for other activities - by achieving a balanced schedule, your mind will be more
receptive during time devoted to studying. If you schedule several long days in a row of
studying, you will get discouraged and be tempted to give up. It’s recommended that you
schedule time for non-academic activities, such as exercise, hobbies, and socialising.
 Maintain accountability - some learners find it helpful to study with a partner, as it provides
accountability, as well as opportunities for discussion and collaboration. When creating your
study plan, check with other classmates to determine if you can coordinate study sessions.
However, if you tend to socialise more than study when you are around others, stick to an
independent study plan. If you do have a study partner, make sure it’s someone with whom
you are likely to stay on task.
 Evaluate your study plan and adjust as needed - your study plan is all about helping you be
more efficient and productive. If you find that it’s not working, don’t get discouraged. It’s ok to
make changes as you figure out what works best for you.

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.

Lesson 2: Study styles as a preferred way of approaching tasks and study strategy to
approach a specific task in the light of perceived demands.

STUDY STYLES AS A PREFERRED WAY OF APPROACHING TASKS

Each person has different learning preferences and styles that benefit them. Some may find that
they even have a dominant learning style. Others may prefer different learning styles in different
circumstances. There is no right or wrong answer to which learning style (or combination) is best
for you. It is common for people to have one dominant learning style, but most people use a
combination of many. Understanding your learning style is helpful, but you should also be careful
not to put yourself in a box and to define yourself by your learning style.
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.

 Visual Learners remember and learn what they see the most. This could include videos and
pictures. Visual learners do well with spatial reasoning, charts, graphs, etc.
Often, visual learners “see” words as pictures or other objects in their head,
and they often use their right brain to process information. A visual learner can
take in and retain a lot of information quickly because they prefer this
processing method that humans are already very good at. When taking notes,
these students are more likely to organise their notes into visual patterns. They might use
charts or diagrams; they might separate their page of notes into different sections. Many visual
learners also do well with colour coding their notes with different coloured pens or highlighters.
 Auditory Learners learn best by hearing and carefully listening. This can include hearing
things from external sources, as well as hearing themselves talk. They are very likely to
volunteer to answer questions and to actively participate in classroom discussions. Auditory
learners have a great advantage in the classroom because they are not afraid to speak their
mind and get answers to their questions. While reading/writing learners might not even realise
they have a question until they’ve had time to go back and process their notes, auditory
learners learn by listening and speaking, so they process through information very easily right
there in the classroom.
 Reading/Writing Learners learn best by, well, reading and writing. Verbal input can often go
in one ear and out the other for these types of learners. For them, seeing notes on the board
or on a PowerPoint is important, as is taking their own notes. These students learn best from
books, lists, notes, journals, dictionaries, etc. Some things these students might do to
intuitively help themselves learn include rewriting their notes, using flash cards, adding notes
to pictures or diagrams, choosing a physical book over an audiobook, and using closed
captions on videos.
 Kinaesthetic Learners learn best by going through the motions or doing something. When
they are actively moving their body and combining that with what they are learning, it is much
easier for them to internalise the information. They also learn best from seeing something first
hand, watching live videos, and going on field trips. Even just combining a physical motion
with a piece of information can help them. They might fidget while they’re listening in class,
and they are much more likely than those with other learning styles to talk with their hands.

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.

SURVEY: Gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals.

 Read the title – help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand.
 Read the introduction and/or summary – orient yourself to how each chapter fits the author's
purposes and focus on the author's statement of most important points.
 Notice each boldface heading and subheading – organise your mind before you begin to read
and build a structure for the thoughts and details to come.
 Notice any graphics – charts, maps, diagrams, etc. They are there to make a point. Don't
overlook them.
 Notice reading aids – italics, bold face print, chapter objective, and end-of-chapter questions
are all included to help you sort, comprehend, and remember.

QUESTION: Help your mind engage and concentrate.

 Turn the boldface heading for each section into as many questions as you think will be
answered in that section. The better the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to
 be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively
searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning.
READ: Fill in the information around the mental structures you've been building.
 Read one section at a time with your questions in mind and look for the answers. Recognise
when you need to make up some new questions.
RECITE: Retrain your mind to concentrate and learn as it reads.
 After each section, stop and recall your questions and see if you can answer them from
memory. If not, look back at the text again (as often as necessary), but don't move to the next
section until you can recite the answers from the previous one.
REVIEW: Refine your mental organisation and begin building memory.
 Once you've finished the entire chapter using the preceding steps, go back over the questions
you created for every heading. See if you can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh
your memory and then continue.

Lesson 3: Examination writing skills

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.

Lesson 4: Apply goal-setting skills: Personal development goals regarding study, health
and fitness.

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.

To keep your brain healthy, remember the following:

 Nutrition is important.  Avoid smoking, drugs and alcohol.
 Avoid foods with more sugar.  Drink water while you study.

The benefits of physical exercises:

 Increases the oxygen flow to your brain.  To remember better, it increases your
 It helps you to think better and be more brain neuron’s ability to be formed.
alert.  To survive.
 To resist stress.

Keeping your BRAIN healthy

A healthy brain is just as important as a healthy body. Many of the things you do to keep your
body healthy can also keep your brain healthy. The healthier your brain, the better you’re able to
cope with life’s problems. A strong, healthy mind is more resilient to this pressure, and it’s not just
about feeling more relaxed and at ease. We hear a lot about keeping our hearts healthy, through
following a healthy lifestyle, good diet and getting plenty of exercise, but taking care of our brain
is just as important. It’s the most important organ in our body, so brain health is vital for our overall
health, as our brain functions control all our body’s functions. What’s more, a heathy brain will
help your mind to stay alert, active and clear, and help to promote good mental health. Brain
health is about keeping your mind active, feeding it plenty of nutrients and oxygen, and reducing
risk factors that can harm the brain.

Lesson 4: Revision and consolidation

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.

CONSOLIDATION
If learning is a process for acquiring knowledge or skills; then memory is a means to retrieve
that information in the present. Consolidation is a process of committing learning to memory.

The three stages of memory:

 Encoding is the process whereby information is acquired and transformed for storage. This
could be from reading a book, attending a lecture, watching a video, or listening to a podcast.
 Storage is the retention of information over time. This can be for short periods of time (short-
term memory) or longer periods of time (long-term memory). Learning usually involves storing
information in long-term memory.
 Retrieval is the process by which you access this stored information from memory. Being able
to recall the relevant information at the right time is a good indicator of successful learning.

Consolidation should be a core activity in study sessions because it is an excellent way of

enforcing the information learned during a study session. Consolidation is an activity that brings
together learning that has occurred on multiple occasions in the past. During this stage of
studying, material is reviewed and learning is reinforced.