Subject: Study Skills

Target Students: L2 Students

Teacher: Dr Cheikh
Lesson 1: Managing Yourself for Study
Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify and define three essential components of a positive study mindset.
2. Develop and implement a personalized time management strategy.
3. Describe three effective stress management techniques.
4. Create a personal action plan for enhancing their study habits and managing stress.
I. Cultivating a Positive Study Mindset:
A positive study mindset involves approaching your studies with self-belief, optimism, and a
proactive attitude. It is about fostering a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006) rather than a fixed
mindset.
Positive Mindset techniques:
• Developing a Growth Mindset: This involves believing your abilities and intelligence
are malleable and can be developed through effort and learning (Dweck, 2006). Instead of
seeing challenges as proof of inadequacy, you view them as opportunities to learn and
grow. Example: Facing a difficult exam, instead of thinking "I'm not good at this," you
think, "This will challenge me, but I can learn from it and improve my understanding."
• Reframing Negative Thoughts: This involves actively challenging and replacing
negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Example: Instead of "I'll never finish this
assignment," try "I can manage my time effectively to complete this assignment
successfully."
• Identifying and Challenging Limiting Beliefs: Become aware of self-limiting beliefs
that hinder your progress. Actively challenge these by considering evidence that
contradicts them. Example: If you believe "I'm not a good writer," look for instances
where your writing has been effective.
• Focusing on Personal Strengths and Resources: Identify your strengths and the
resources available to you (time, support systems, materials). Focus on these rather than
your weaknesses. Example: If you're a strong reader, prioritize reading-heavy
assignments first.
• Practicing Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding, especially
when facing setbacks (Cottrell, 2013). Avoid self-criticism. Example: After a poor exam
result, instead of berating yourself, acknowledge your efforts and focus on strategies for
improvement.
Task 1: Identifying Limiting Beliefs: List three negative thoughts or beliefs you commonly
experience related to your studies.
Task 2: Reframing Negative Thoughts: Rewrite each negative thought from Exercise 1,
framing it positively and focusing on your ability to learn and grow.
II. Personalized Time Management:
Effective time management is the process of planning and organizing your time to maximize
productivity and minimize stress, tailored to your individual needs and preferences.
Example: Instead of passively allowing time to slip away, a student might use a planner or
calendar to schedule study time, incorporating breaks and time for other commitments. They
might also experiment with time blocking techniques (Cottrell, 2013) to allocate specific time
blocks to different tasks.
Time Management techniques:
• Creating a Weekly Schedule with Allocated Time Blocks: Create a schedule allocating
specific time slots for different tasks, including study, breaks, and social
activities. Example: Dedicate 2 hours each evening to studying, with 15-minute breaks
every hour.
• Time Blocking (Cottrell, 2013): Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks,
prioritizing essential activities. Example: Block out 3 hours for writing an essay, breaking
it into smaller tasks (research, outline, draft, edit).
• Prioritizing Tasks Based on Importance and Deadlines: Use a prioritization matrix
(urgency/importance) to focus on the most crucial tasks first. Example: An urgent essay
due next week takes priority over less urgent reading.
• Using a ‘To Do’ List (Cottrell, 2013): Create a to-do list to track tasks and prioritize
them. Example: List all assignments, readings, and other tasks, marking priorities.
• Identifying and Managing Distractions: Recognize common distractions (social media,
email, etc.) and develop strategies to minimize them. Example: Turn off social media
notifications during study time.
• Using a Timer or Alarm Clock: Set timers for study sessions and breaks to maintain
focus and prevent procrastination. Example: Use a timer for 50-minute study sessions
followed by a 10-minute break.
III. Effective Stress Management :
Stress management involves proactively implementing strategies to cope with and to reduce the
negative effects of stress.
Example: A student experiencing exam anxiety might use progressive muscle relaxation
(Jacobson, 1938) to reduce physical tension, engage in mindfulness meditation (Kabat-Zinn,
1990) to calm their mind, or engage in physical activity like exercise to release endorphins.
According to Hans Selye, "Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens to
us." This quote, from the father of stress research, stresses the crucial role of our response to
stressful events in determining our experience of stress.
Stress Management Techniques:
• Physical Activity and Exercise: Engage in physical activity to release endorphins,
reduce stress, and improve mood. Example: Go for a walk or run or engage in a sport.
• The STOP! Technique (Cottrell, 2013): A simple technique to manage impulsive
reactions to stress. Example: When feeling stressed, stop, take a deep breath, observe
your thoughts and feelings without judgment, then proceed mindfully.
• Identifying and Avoiding Negative Triggers: Identify situations or activities that trigger
stress and actively avoid them or develop strategies to cope. Example: If social media
causes stress, limit your use during study time.
• Getting Sufficient Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep to improve cognitive
function and reduce stress. Example: Establish a regular sleep schedule and create a
relaxing bedtime routine.
• Regular Breaks: Take regular breaks during study sessions to prevent burnout and
maintain focus. Example: Use the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by
a 5-minute break).
Exercise: Identify three situations that often cause you study-related stress. For each situation,
describe one stress management technique you could use and explain how it would help you
manage stress.
IV. Personal Action Plan:
Planner: Use this planner to create a personalized plan for managing your study time and stress
over the next week.
Subject: Study Skills
Target Students: L2 Students
Teacher: Dr Cheikh
Lesson 2: Academic Skills
Learning Objectives: After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Describe and apply three effective reading strategies.
2. Develop and implement a personal note-taking system.
3. Explain and apply the principles of critical thinking to a given scenario.
4. Demonstrate basic numeracy skills in solving a practical problem.
I. Mastering Effective Reading Strategies:
Effective reading strategies are techniques designed to maximize comprehension and retention,
involving active engagement with the text.
Example: Employing the SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) to engage
actively with the text. Previewing the material before reading helps create context. Summarizing
key information after each section improves comprehension and retention. Edmund Burke thinks
that "Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting." This emphasizes the
importance of active engagement and critical thinking alongside reading.
Effective Reading Strategies:
• SQ3R Method: A five-step process: Survey (skim the material), Question (generate
questions), Read (engage actively), Recite (summarize), Review (check
comprehension). Example: Before reading a chapter, skim the headings and subheadings
to gain an overview. Then formulate questions to guide your reading, summarizing key
ideas after each section and reviewing the material afterward.
• Annotating and Highlighting: Underline or highlight key terms, concepts, and
arguments in your texts, adding notes and questions in the margins. Example: Use
different colors to highlight different themes or types of information.
• Selective Reading: Focus on the most relevant sections and information, avoiding
unnecessary details. Example: If the assignment requires you to focus on one specific
aspect of a topic, avoid reading sections dealing with other aspects.
• Reading Interactively (Cottrell, 2013): Engage actively with the text by questioning,
summarizing, making predictions, and challenging assumptions. Example: Ask yourself
clarifying questions as you read, jotting down your thoughts and reflections.
• Checking Comprehension: Regularly check your understanding by summarizing key
ideas, explaining concepts in your own words, and asking clarifying questions.
II. Developing a Personal Note-Taking System:
A personal note-taking system is a consistent method for recording and organizing information
from various sources, using a method that maximizes comprehension and recall.
Example: The Cornell Notes method, which utilizes a divided notebook page to record key
ideas, supporting details, and summaries. Mind mapping (Buzan, 1993) can also be a very useful
technique for creating visual representations of ideas and their connections.
Effective Note-Taking Strategies:
• Cornell Notes: Divide your notebook page into three sections: main ideas, supporting
details, and summaries. Example: Record key concepts in the main section, supporting
details and examples in the supporting details section, and a summary at the end.
• Mind Mapping (Buzan, 1993): Create visual representations of concepts and their
connections, using images, symbols, and keywords. Example: Use a central image to
represent the main topic, with branches radiating out to represent subtopics.
• Linear Notes: Record information sequentially in a structured format, often using bullet
points, numbers, and headings. Example: List main points followed by supporting details
and examples.
• Using Abbreviations: Use abbreviations to save time and space, but be consistent and
create a key. Example: Use "e.g." for "for example" and "i.e." for "that is."
• Leaving Space for Later Additions and Revisions: Leave plenty of space in your notes
for adding new information, revising ideas, and making connections.
• Using Symbols to Represent Ideas or Concepts: Use symbols to represent ideas or
concepts, making your notes more visually engaging and memorable.
III. Critical Thinking:
Critical thinking involves analyzing information objectively, identifying assumptions and biases,
evaluating evidence, and forming reasoned conclusions. It is "the intellectually disciplined
process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection,
reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action." (American Philosophical
Association). This definition highlights the multifaceted nature of critical thinking.
Example: Consider a news article reporting on a new scientific study. A critical thinker would
question the methodology, sample size, potential biases, and the conclusions drawn before
accepting the findings as factual truth.
Critical Thinking strategies:
• Identifying the Line of Reasoning (Cottrell, 2013): Identify the main argument or line
of reasoning in a text. Example: Identify the main thesis statement, supporting arguments,
and the author's conclusion.
 • Identifying and Evaluating Assumptions: Recognize underlying assumptions and
biases that might influence the interpretation of information. Example: Identify hidden
assumptions or agendas in an article or report.
• Considering Multiple Perspectives: Actively seek out and consider various viewpoints
and perspectives to enhance your understanding of the topic. Example: Read articles
representing diverse perspectives on a controversial issue.
• Detecting Bias and Persuasion Techniques (Cottrell, 2013): Recognize techniques
used to sway the reader through emotion, persuasion, or manipulation of
information. Example: Watch for loaded language, appeals to emotion, or misleading
statistics.
References:
• Buzan, T. (1993). The Mind Map Book. London: BBC.
• Cottrell, S. (2013). The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random
House.
• Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive Relaxation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living. New York: Delta.