• What sort of student do I want to be?
• What is Active learning?
• How should I use my study time?
• How much work do I have to do?
• Do I have to attend the classes?
• Keeping up

Some learning environments are highly structured. The teacher gives you plenty of short assignments with detailed instructions so you know exactly what you are supposed to be doing and when you are supposed to do it.

In most subjects at university, however, you are often given only a limited number of assessable tasks. You have virtually the entire semester to prepare these assignments. You can do as much or as little work as you want; you can go into the topic in great depth or merely skim the surface.

And there’s plenty of opportunity to go badly wrong.

To succeed, you must:

• decide what sort of student you want to be
• think about what it means to be an active, independent learner
• take responsibility for your own learning

This page will give you an outline of what is involved in independent learning. You will find more information to guide you on other pages in this website.

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What sort of student do I want to be?

According to recent studies (eg Biggs 1994), there are three kinds of learners: surface learners, achievement-oriented learners, and deep learners. The table below describes each kind.

University lecturers would obviously like you to be a deep learner or an achievement-oriented learner. However, if you are happy to be a surface learner, that’s your choice: you may be more interested in having a good time at University and enjoying the freedom of student life than in getting good grades; or you may be in a situation where you are balancing employment, study and family.

But of course, it’s possible to have a good time at University, handle your other commitments AND get good grades. If that’s what you want, good organisation right from the beginning is essential (see Managing Time and Managing Stress).

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What is active learning?

At the University of Canberra, you are encouraged to take an active role in studying. The more actively you participate, the more you will enjoy your studies, and (probably) the higher grades you will get. Some of the features of an active learning style are contrasted here with a passive learning style.

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How should I use my study time?

You should use your study time for the following activities:

• organising your notes
• preparing for lectures and tutorials by reading ahead and answering tutorial questions
• revising your lecture notes and making sure you understand the key concepts
• making concept maps of the material covered in the course
• preparing assignments
• searching for relevant information
• reading and making notes
• preparing for exams

It is likely that you will spend a large portion of your time reading, but studying means much more than just reading! Time spent reviewing and organising your notes, and time spent planning and drafting assignments is also time very well spent.

Simply reading through your notes or looking at books does not constitute effective study. Effective studying is an active, participative actitivity.

For more ideas on organising your study time, go to our Time Management page.

How much work do I have to do?

This really depends on how much you are prepared to do. There is no end to the amount of work you COULD do for any assignment or exam. It depends on how much time you have and what your priorities are. You should aim to do the best possible in the time available—remembering that there are other important things in life such as your health, your friends, and your family.

Some points to consider:

• What exactly does the lecturer expect from me? (ask to see a model answer if possible)
• How many marks are allotted to this assignment/exam? (see the subject outline)
• How much do I care about this topic?
• Are there any reasons why I should/should not put extra effort into this particular topic?

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Do I have to attend all the classes?

Whether you attend lectures or not is usually up to you. Many lecturers reason that students are adults who can choose. It may be possible to listen to the lecture on tape, get someone else’s notes or simply read the textbook.

On the other hand, attending tutorials is usually compulsory, and is often an assessable component of the subject. You must always let your tutor know if you are going to miss a tutorial.

Generally, though, it’s never a good idea to skip classes. Even if your lecturer is rather boring, there’s always something you can gain, and you may miss something really important—such as what is in the exam. Even if your lecturer seems to be repeating what you have read in the textbooks, lectures and tutorials offer a different medium of learning which can enhance your understanding.

Keeping up

The University semester is short and intensive. You will cover a lot of work even in the first few weeks. Once you get behind, you will find it very difficult to catch up, especially in subjects like Accounting, Languages, Computing or Economics. That is one reason why you need to establish good study habits right from the beginning.

Be quick to notice if you are getting behind, and do something about it as soon as possible. For example, you could put in some really solid study time. If you are anxious, go to see a study skills adviser or talk to your tutor.