Finding and using knowledge

Always running out of time? Time management skills will help you to study more effectively – and help you meet deadlines.

We all get behind at some point - don't panic! Ask for advice as soon as you know there is a problem, for example, if you have difficulties or you are ill. Your tutor, mentor or line manager will support you and give you advice.

Finding the right space and time to study is important:

• Find a comfortable, quiet place to study – make sure you will not be disturbed or interrupted
• Switch off your email and social networking tools e.g. Facebook alerts
• Read in short chunks. Most people can only concentrate for about 15-20 minutes
• Take a short pause every 20 minutes or so – then return to the task
• Use the pause to think about what you have read, take a break, look again at something you didn’t understand

Find out more about effective time management:

• Mind Tools - Time management
• Open University - Time management skills

When you read to learn something, you need to know why you are reading and how to find the information you are looking for.

Taking notes is important - if you read lots of material without making notes, you'll quickly forget what you have read!

What about using one of these techniques?

• Divide your reading into chunks.  Read a section, a page, a chapter.
• Use a highlighter, a pen and paper, post-its, notecards. Just choose the one you are most comfortable to identify important ideas or words.
• Read the section. Don’t take any notes now! Just read it through. Now read through again and highlight the important parts. A good tip is to note down enough so that you will understand the section by looking at your notes in a month’s time – without having to read the whole section again!
• If something doesn’t make sense, try reading it out loud.  This can sometimes help.
• If you write down notes, try to write them in your own words.
• If you don't understand something you read, talk to someone about it. Just talking about a word or idea can help you to understand it.

For more tips and techniques, read this article on Effective note-taking from GoodPractice. You will need an NHSScotland OpenAthens password if you are if not on the NHS network.