UED102

STUDY SKILLS

PREPARED BY:
SAIFUL ANUAR BIN JAAFAR@IBRAHIM
Centre of Building Surveying, JBAT FSPU
SLIDE CONTENTS
• Course Information
• Teaching methodology & Assessments
• Syllabus content

• Lecture 1 : Getting Ready to Learn

• Lecture 2 : Goal Setting & Learning Management System
• Lecture 3 : Library & Campus Resources
• Lecture 4 : Time Management & Organizational Skills
• Lecture 5 : Memory, Learning & Improving Concentration
• Lecture 6 : Taking Lecture Notes
• Lecture 7 : Academic Integrity & Performance
COURSE INFORMATION
Course : Study Skills COURSE DESCRIPTION :
Level : Diploma
Credit Unit : - This course prepares students with learning skills
Contact Hour : 2 essential for varsity life. It exposes students to basic
Part : 1 (Interim) academic skills; e.g. effective time management,
Course Status : Non-core setting goals, learning styles, learning strategies, and
Prerequisite : None processing information from lectures and texts, which
would help students cope with academic demands at
the tertiary level.

COURSE OUTCOMES :

Upon completion of this course, students should be

able to:
❑ Apply knowledge of study skills in academic
settings and
❑ Develop a personal study skills portfolio.
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION :
❑Lectures
❑Pair/group discussions

ASSESSMENT :
❑Assignments 40%
❑Portfolio 60%
❑Total 100%

REFERENCE :
Van Blerkom, D. L (2009). College Study Skills: Becoming a strategic
learner (6th ed.). MA:Wadsworth Cengage Leaming,
ASSESSMENTS : 100% COURSEWORK
A. Assignment (40%) – Group Work
The purpose of the Assignment is to provide students with the platform to
document their experience as university students, and work as a team to
complete the assigned task.
Duration: Week 2 – assignment & Week 5 - submission
Students have to prepare a creative 10-minute video presentation of their visit
to five important places on campus (e.g. the HEP office, Bursary, library, food
center, etc.). They have to use their creativity to make their presentation as
interesting as possible. The video needs to be uploaded onto an online
platform which will be identified by the respective lecturer.
Note: The total marks (see Video Presentation Rubric) have to be converted to
40%.
B. Study Skills Portfolio (60%) : e-Portfolio [Individual
Work]
The purpose of the Study Skills Portfolio is to introduce the students
to the concept of documenting the processes in identifying learning
strategies that they utilized throughout the semester.
It is anticipated that students will benefit from this task as they
determine systematically the learning strategies that fit their
learning style and personality, which in turn will enable them to
observe the impact of these strategies on their learning process.
Furthermore, the portfolio may be used as a reference for the
students as they progress in their academic studies.
To develop a Study Skills portfolio, students are required to prepare
documents that demonstrate their individual study skills and
strategies that they have utilized throughout the semester.

The documents are related to the chapters/subtopics

within the syllabus.
 SYLLABUS CONTENT……..
WEEK TOPICS CONTENT
1 Getting Ready to Learn Making the transition (from school to university)
Characteristics of successful students
Using learning styles to enhance performance

2 Goal Setting Setting goals for the new semester

Writing effective goal statements
Using the Learning Management System

3 Library & Campus Using the resources in the library

Resources Making the most of college resources

4 Time Management & Optimizing study time

Organizational Organizing study time
Skills Using time-management strategies to stay
motivated
Reducing procrastination
 …… SYLLABUS CONTENT
WEEK TOPICS CONTENTS

5 Memory, Learning & Understanding memory processes

Improving Memory strategies
Concentration Understanding concentration
Strategies for improving concentration
Reading/study system (SQ3R)

6 Taking Lecture Notes Taking lecture notes

Effective note-taking system

7 Academic Integrity & Avoiding plagiarism

Performance Calculating grade point average
LECTURE 1 :
Getting Ready
to Learn
OVERVIEW
This first topic in this Study Skills module focuses on Making the Transition
(from school to university) concentrating on ice-breaking activities, as well as
learning styles and characteristics of successful students.

MAKING THE TRANSITION (FROM SCHOOL TO UNIVERSITY)

Making the move from being in a school/college to university is not an easy
task. There is a need for students to make new friends, find out new things
and make necessary lifestyle adjustments for them to feel at home in the new
surroundings.
8 STEPS TO COLLEGE SUCCESS
1. Attend All Classes.
One of the best ways to be successful in college is to attend
all classes. Although you will be tested on material from the
course text, most of the test questions will come from
lectures.

2. Become an Active Learner.

Unlike high school, in college, you can’t learn all of the
material just reading over it a couple of times. You need to
write and recite the information to get it into long-term
memory.

3. Participate in Class.
If you feel a bit uncomfortable participating in class, set a
goal to either ask or answer one question during each class.

4. Get to Know Your Lecturers.

Take a few minutes and stop to talk with your lecturer
before or after class or during office hours. Ask a question
about the material or check on your progress in the course.
5. Form Study Groups with Friends.
Study Groups of about 3-4 people are known to be very effective.

6. Stay Up to Date with Your Work.

Many new college students have difficulty keeping up with all of the
reading that’s assigned in class. If you get behind in your reading, you
may never have time to catch up. Never procrastinate!

7. Be Receptive to Change.
If the strategies that you used in high school aren’t working, ask you
lecturer or tutor for suggestions for different ways to learn. Even
though the strategies that they suggest may not seem like they’ll
work, you must be willing to give them a chance. If you don’t make
changes in the way you take notes, read your texts or prepare for
exams, for example, you won’t see changes in your performance.

8. Work Hard This Semester.

Forget about doing all your assignments in the evening. If you’re
taking fifteen credits this semester, you’ll need a minimum of thirty
hours (two hours outside of class for every hour in class) to do your
work.
Lecture 2 :
Goal Setting &
Learning
Management
System
GOALS are the ends toward which we direct our effort. In other words,
goals are things we want to achieve.
Goals are important in varsity life because they help motivate you to do
work, attend classes and study for exams.
Even though you already may have set some goals before in your life,
chances are you thought little about whether those goals were realistic.

This particular topic will focus on:

1) Characteristics of goals
2) Academic and Personal Goals
3) Setting goals for the new semester
4) Writing Effective goal statements
You can actually improve your academic performance in university by
learning to set goals that motivate you to do well and that increase your
chance for success.
To be both useful and motivating, the goals you set must have some
important characteristics:
❑ Goals should be self-chosen
❑ Goals should be moderately challenging
❑ Goals should be realistic
❑ Goals should be measurable
❑ Goals should be specific
❑ Goals should be finite
❑ Goals should be positive
WRITING EFFECTIVE GOAL STATEMENTS – THE FIVE STEP
APPROACH
Step 1: Write Down What You Want to Accomplish
Step 2: Write Down Any Obstacles
Step 3: Write Down Any Resources Available to You
Step 4: Review and Revise Your Tentative Goal Statement
Step 5: Polish Your Goal Statement

Using the Five Step approach, ask students to write their goal statements.
Any one of the templates provided below can be given to the students.
 Review &
Obstacles
Revise

Goals Resources Publish

USING THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
(LMS)
Learning Management System (LMS) is a
software application that allows instructors to
create, document, track, report and deliver
courses to students. Additionally, it helps the
instructors to deliver material to the
students, administer tests and other
assignments, track student progress, and
manage record-keeping. In UiTM, the
Learning Management System (LMS) is called
i-Learn. I-learn aims to help students
increase the skills of technology use, and
improve knowledge acquisition and
information sharing.
UFUTURE Interface for students
ACCESSING UFUTURE
i-Learn can be accessed at: https://ufuture.uitm.edu.my/home/ OR
https://ufuture.uitm.edu.my/login/

REFERENCES/RESOURCES
❑Van Blerkom, D. L. (2009). College Study Skills: Becoming a strategic
learner (6th ed.). MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Visit https://youtu.be/jahyf2luRF8 for more info.

Lecture 3 :
Library & Campus
Resources
CAMPUS RESOURCES
Are there familiar with name of the places such as the HEP Office, Bursary,
Library, food court, cafeteria and ATM machines.

There are 3 major types of campus resources that students need to know:

❑Academic Resources :
Library, Information Technology & Computing, Registrar

❑Housing, Dining, and Transportation Resources :

Buses, Dining Places

❑Student Organization Resources :

Extra-Curricular, Leisure Activities
CAMPUS RESOURCES IN UITM PERAK….
ASSESSMENT 1

Students need to prepare a creative 10-minute video presentation

through virtual visit to five important places on UiTM Seri
Iskandar Campus (e.g. the HEP Office, Bursary, Library, food
center, etc.).

You need to use your own creativity to make a video presentation

as interesting as possible.

In a group of 4-5, students have to submit your video

presentation in Week 5.
LIBRARY ACADEMIC SERVICES
1.Library Orientation Briefing
2.Library Tour
3.Information Skills Classes
4.Help Desk Services
5.Research Consultation Service
6.Information Discovery
7.Library Outreach Programme
8.Library Mobile InfoKiosk
9.Live Chat Service
10.Digital Map
11.Collection of Companies Yearly Report
12.Collection Government Annual Report and Publication
13.Endnote and Mendeley Services
14.Research Skills Classes
15.Report of UiTM Indexed Publication in Scopus and Web of Science

Library Services
ONLINE AND OFFLINE SERVICES
❑ Blog: www.researchjsp.blogspot.com
❑ Facebook: Bahagian Perkhidmatan Akademik
❑ Twitter: #researchsupport
❑ Website for Reference Service & Research Help:
http://www.library.uitm.edu.my/bpa
❑ References at Bahagian Perkhidmatan Akademik Room:
8:30 am – 4:45 pm
❑ Reference Counter: Monday – Friday (8:30am – 7:45pm)
Saturday – Sunday (8:30 am – 4:45 pm)
❑ Live Chat: Monday – Friday (8:30am–7:45pm)
Saturday – Sunday (8:30 am – 4:45pm)

❑ After office hours, all the chats will be answered via email.
LECTURE 4:
Time Management
& Organizational
Skills
OVERVIEW
Managing time effectively is an important key to fulfilling university career. This
chapter provides ideas for organizing activities and tips to help students focus on
important tasks.

CHAPTER TERMS
❑ Academic planner – is a system that will allow the students to plan out their
entire academic career.
❑ Block schedule – is an effective format for a weekly schedule since it provides
a concise visual representation.
❑ Procrastination – this is simply putting off a task for another occasion.
❑ Self-regulating attitudes and behaviours – able to monitor independent time
consistently
USING TIME-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO STAY MOTIVATED
5 strategies to develop a successful system of study
1. use a weekly schedule
2. use a daily planner
3. use a semester calendar
4. balance academic with social and personal demands
5. avoid procrastination

REDUCING PROCRASTINATION
Procrastination (avoiding and postponing what should be taken care of
now) can rob you of your time and detail your best intentions.
COMMON REASONS WHY PEOPLE
PROCRASTINATE STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME
1. Being a perfectionist PROCRASTINATION
2. Avoiding failure
3. Avoiding success 1. Know what you should accomplish
4. Being rebellious 2. Determine deadlines
5. Feeling overwhelmed 3. Use schedule/planners/calendars
6. Being lazy 4. Prioritize
5. Break a task into a series of steps
6. Do the unpleasant task first
7. Change how you think about the task
8. Have fun with the activity
9. Establish rewards as personal incentives
for completion
ADVANTAGES OF BEING ORGANISED
If you organize your time well, you will:
1. keep on schedule and meet deadline;
2. reduce stress caused by a feeling of lack of control over your work schedule;
3. Complete work with less pressure and fulfil your potential;
4. build your confidence about your ability to cope;
5. avoid overlapping assignments and having to juggle more than one piece of
work at a time.
 ACTIVITY 1
PERSONAL SCHEDULE (30 MINUTES)

MATERIALS NEEDED
Calendar for next two months (May to June) – refer to Appendix 2 (Fixed Commitment Calendar)

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare a schedule of everything you will be doing tomorrow. This should be a very detailed list of what you
will be doing and where you will be doing it throughout the day.
2. Prepare a weekly schedule for your activities and commitments during the next full week (Sunday through
Saturday). You should have listed for each day all the major responsibilities that demand your time and
presence, along with the times during the day for each responsibility/task. Although this list should be
relatively detailed, do not include mealtimes or minor tasks that would take only a few minutes. The list for
each day should contain both routine things you do each day as well as the items that are one-time events
and tasks. You may be surprised how full each day will seem to be.
3. Prepare a schedule for the next six months using the same guidelines as in the schedule you just completed.
This time, you will need to have a much more long-range thought process and will need to include additional
items such as vacation plans and other events that occur on a non-routine basis. Did you remember to add
some important school related events such as major exams, and due dates for assignments?
Appendix 2 (Fixed-Commitment
Calendar_Topic 4).pdf
Appendix 3 (Job Task Analysis_Topic 4).pdf
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
❑ Plan for rewards after unpleasant tasks.
❑ Do the most unpleasant tasks first.
❑ Learn to say no.
❑ Plan for change (involve others and ask for help if
needed).
❑ If you are too busy, ask, "What is essential?"
❑ When you are indecisive or unsure, remember that
you can rarely be 100 percent sure.
❑ Waiting is inevitable; plan for it.
❑ Let someone else do when possible (delegate).
❑ Finish fully. It leaves you energized and motivated.
❑ Do one thing at a time.
❑ Watch out for the TYRANNY of the urgent!
❑ Let others make the smaller decisions.
❑ Model, ask, and observe.
❑ Planning for one minute saves four or five minutes in
the execution of a task.
❑ Once you have found the extra time, enjoy it!
LECTURE 5:
Memory, Improving
Concentration &
Reading System
OVERVIEW
This topic on memory, improving
concentration, and the reading system aims
to enable students to understand the basic
processes of memory, and apply the memory
skills in their learning.

ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

ACTIVITY 1
Ask the students to complete Activity 4.1 (p.
90 in Van Blerkom, 2009). Ask them to score
their points. A low score indicates they need
some help and a high score shows that they
are already using many good memory
strategies.
MEMORY AND LEARNING Students need to understand how
information is learned and to
understand the needs of using various
kinds of active learning strategies in
learning, retaining, and using the
information (encoding, storage, and
retrieval) and hence, indicates how one
learns, remembers, and forgets.
According to Kenneth Higbee,
“remembering is hard work, and
memory techniques do not necessarily
make it easy, they just make it more
effective” (Van Blerkom, 2009, p. 93).
What is memory? What is brain?
Answer: The retention of information over time (Santrock,
2011) or the mind stores and remember information
(mental processes / cognition), like computer software.
The brain is the organ, like computer hardware

When we learn, and remember, we will encode, store, and

retrieve the information. The analogy is like a computer.
(Lecturer can ask students examples of computer components
and what are the components analogous to human)
❑ Encoding / input (computer
keyboard, camera; human –
the 5 senses; ears, mouth,
nose, skin, eyes)

❑ Storage (computer – hard disk,

thumb drive; human - 3 types
of memory – SM, STM, LTM)

❑ Retrieval /output (computer –

computer screen, printer; human
– writing, talking)
MEMORY STRATEGIES
Memory strategies, why it is important?
Memory strategies will help students in their encoding, storing, and retrieving
the information (help to remember and recall). Kenneth Higbee,
“remembering is hard work, and memory techniques do not necessarily make
it easy, they just make it more effective” (Van Blerkom, 2009, p. 93).

QUESTIONS TO STUDENTS….
▪ What strategy do you use to remember the colours of the rainbow?
▪ If you do not have your smartphone or pen and paper, what strategy do
use to remember your friends phone number?
HOW FORGETTING COULD OCCUR
Before discussing the strategies, lecturer
briefly discuss the reasons for forgetting:
1. Did not pay attention to the information
2. Did not understand the information
3. Cramming (last minute study)
4. Did not have good strategies
5. Interference (having 2 exams on the same
day especially if the subjects are closely
related for example psychology and
counselling)
6. Test anxiety (negative thoughts about
oneself, did not prepare well for the test)
MEMORY STRATEGIES (How to Improve Your Memory)
1. Massed practice vs spaced practice
Massed practice (not good) – cramming, involves studying all the materials at
one time. Do not have time to understand, remember, and organize the
reading materials. (Reason: Short term memory (STM) cannot sustain many
information at one time)
Space practice (good, recommended) – involves space time over some period
of time for studying. Spaced practice or distributed practice allows time for the
information to consolidate in the long-term memory. Taking breaks between
learning sessions allow you to think and organize the information.

2. Break reading material down (again no cramming) for some period of

time. e.g. 2 chapters per day, not all chapters a day before the exam.
3. Rehearsal– repeat the information many times. e.g. repeat a telephone
number 10 times

4. Elaboration strategies:
❑ Associations
To associate, or "connect" each word or event with a person, place,
thing, feeling, or situation. For example, you may connect what you
are trying to learn with someone you know, or with a movie
character or scene. When you have to learn vocabulary words, just
write the new words, write the definitions next to them, and then write a
person, thing, event, movie, or any strong association to help you
remember the meaning of each word. For example, "My altruistic
Aunt Alice gives great gifts." (altruistic means generous)
Ref: http://www.teachhub.com/top-12-memory-strategies-better-grades
❑ Acronyms / catchwords :
MAS Malaysian Airline System;
UiTM Universiti Teknologi MARA

❑ Acrostics / catchphrases :
Carnivores animal eaters
Herbivores – plant eaters
Omnivores – animal and plant eaters
Decomposes – eat decaying organisms
the Catchphrase: “Can Henry Omit Dents”
❑ Organizational strategies : organize the ❑ Imagery : visualize the image of the
materials for example animals can be information needed
divided into 3 types mammals, reptiles
& amphibians
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING CONCENTRATION
What is concentration vs breaking concentration? (ask students to
give examples of breaking concentration)

CONCENTRATION – focusing your attention on what you are doing.

Causes of poor concentration (ask students to give examples)
1. Lack of attention
2. Lack of interest

3. Lack of motivation

4. Distraction from others

5. Uncomfortable environment

6. Physiological matters – illness, tiredness

7. Psychological matters – personal problems, worries, anxieties

MAIN CAUSES OF CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE CONCENTRATION
❑ Use motivational and organizational strategies – create interest in the
work, develop a positive attitude toward you work, use goal setting
strategies, use time-management strategies
❑ Create a positive learning environment – find a better location, reduce
multitasking, minimize distractions
❑ Deal with internal distractions – deal with personal problems, deal with
competing activities,
❑ Use active learning strategies (as discussed in improving memory)
❑ Match your learning style to the task
❑ Monitor your concentration
READING /STUDY SYSTEM (SQ3R/)
CREATE AWARENES
Reading academic materials are different
from general reading tasks (story books,
newspaper). Using a study system can help in
comprehending reading academic materials
due to three factors:
1. active learning strategies
2. use of multisensory methods (eyes, ears,
mouth, hands – refer to the learning
pyramid)
3. immediate steps for self-testing and review
Ref: https://www.slideshare.net/gskeesee/active-reading-sq3r
SQ3R:
SURVEY-QUESTION-
READ-RECITE-REVIEW
SQ3R is a comprehension
strategy that facilitates
students think about the text
they are reading while they
are reading. As a study
strategy, SQ3R helps students
“get it” the first time they
read a text by teaching
students how to read and
think like an effective reader.
This strategy includes the
following five steps (Robinson,
1946 in Adolescence Literacy):
• With the aid of diagram / chart, discuss in detail the steps /
strategies to be taken in order to improvise your memory.
• With the aid of diagram / chart, discuss in detail the steps /
strategies to be taken in order to improvise your concentration
• With the aid of diagram / chart, discuss in detail about SQ3R.
LECTURE 6:
Taking Lecture Notes
OVERVIEW
This topic introduces students to why they should take
lecture notes, how to take lecture notes using an effective
note-taking method, and what to include in their notes
and reviewing their notes.

WHY TAKE LECTURE NOTES

1) Promotes active listening
2) Provides an accurate record of information
3) Provides an opportunity to interpret, condense and
organize information
4) Provides an opportunity for repetition of the material

Ultimately, learning and practicing effective strategies for

HOW to take lecture notes will help you become a more
successful student.
HOW TO TAKE LECTURE NOTES
PREPARE BEFORE TAKING NOTES
The best way to prepare your note -taking activity is to READ the text assignment
BEFORE CLASS.
By reading the text assignment before the lecture you, it will allow you to

• build up some background about the topic

• have some idea what the lecture is about
• identify main ideas of the lecture and organize your notes easier
• be familiar with the key terms and names related to the topic
As you walk into the lecture classroom, GET READY to take notes. Sitting in front of
the classroom, allows you to see and hear better. You will probably find that other
interested and motivated students also tend to sit in the first few rows of the class.
While waiting for class to begin, review the notes that you took during the last class
meeting.
BECOME AND ACTIVE LISTENER
Strategies for improving listening skills
❑ read the text assignment before the lecture to build background on
the topic
❑ review you last set of notes before the lecture begins
❑ sit in the lecturer’s line of vision
❑ decide what you want to listen
❑ focus your attention physically by sitting up and making eye contact
with the speaker
❑ focus your attention mentally by eliminating or avoiding distractions
❑ listen with an open mind, setting aside your own biased
❑ control your emotional responses
❑ listen for the main points and related details and take notes
❑ ask and answer questions

monitor your listening. Check with lecturer or a classmate (at the end of
the lecture) if you’re unsure of some of the information
THE CORNELL NOTE-TAKING SYSTEM
has an excellent format f or setting up your note page. Use an 8.5 -by-1 inch notebook. It
has a recall/cue column and a summary column at the end. 1
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR NOTES
1) HEADINGS
Always note all headings – the main point – that are made during a lecture.

2) DETAILS
Listen for ALL details
Some of the details that you may want to focus on:
• Any facts or explanations that expand or explain the main points that are
mentioned.
• Definitions, word for word, especially if your lecturer repeats them several times
• Enumerations or lists of things that are discussed
• Examples – you don’t need to note all of the details for each example, BUT you
need to know to which general topic (heading) each example relates
• Anything that is repeated and spelled out
• Anything that is written on the whiteboard or on a PowerPoint slide
• Drawings, charts, or problems that are written on the board
3) DISCUSSION CLASSES
Some lecturers prefer the discussion format when
teaching.
You CAN easily take notes on a discussion.
Instead of writing down the main heading, write down
the question that’s posed. Then jot down the various
points that are made during the discussion.
• With the aid of diagram / chart, discuss in detail the steps / strategies to
be taken in order to improvise listening skill.
LECTURE 7:
Academic Integrity
& Performance
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
OVERVIEW
Topic 7 deals with students’ academic integrity and performance. In this
section, students are exposed to what is plagiarism, the common types of
plagiarism, and how to prevent plagiarism when writing their assignment,
paper or report.
• Discuss ten (10) steps on how to prevent plagiarism.
CALCULATING GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The final examination results and assessments
at the end of every semester are assigned a
Grade Point Average (GPA) and a Cumulative
Grade Point Average (CGPA) which represent a
student’s academic achievement.
A Grade Point Average (GPA) refers to the
calculated average of the letter grades a
student earns in each semester following a 0
to 4.0 scale.
FAILURE AND DISMISSAL
Students with extremely unsatisfactory
academic performance will/can be
dismissed from his/her study. The
status of Dismissed (D) that can be
given to students include:
GPA WORKSHEET
1. Calculate the GPA for Amelia Ameer
for her first semester:
2. Calculate what would have
happened if Amelia had earned a B
in Chemistry.
3. What is the difference in GPA?