Study Skills for Higher Education

This report discusses the importance of study skills for higher education, including goal setting, comprehension and retention techniques, and challenges faced by university students.

Study Skills for Higher
Education

Abstract
This report included various aspects of skills which are required for students in higher education.
In this firstly goal setting and its importance were included in this report which was followed by
setting of short term and long term goals for students in Higher educations. Later techniques
were discussed in this report related to comprehension and retention of information which
students learn at their university. This report also included difficulties faced by University
students.

Table of Contents
Study Skills for Higher Education...................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
1. Importance of Goal Setting and Short Term and Long Term Goals for Higher Education..................3
2. Techniques for Building Comprehension and Retention.....................................................................4
3. Challenges faces by the students in university.....................................................................................5
Recommendations............................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Study skills refer to those skills which are required to be possessed by students so that they
can get best result of their education. This is more important when students are in higher
education. Higher education is more near to career of student and which is why it is important
that students possess required to skills to get the best essence of their education which they can
use at their respective professions. This report discusses about importance of goal setting in the
life of students and this have been followed by short and long term goals for students in higher
education. This is very important so that they can measure success of their actions in order to
become and achieve what they want to get from their education in their life.
As per the view of McCardle and et.al., 2017 Goal setting refers to identification of something
which a student want to achieve in a timeframe decided in advance. Setting goals is followed by
identification of ways on which goals can be achieved. For students goals setting include
academic achievements they want to acquire in future.
1. Importance of Goal Setting and Short Term and Long Term Goals for Higher Education
There are various reasons which justify importance of setting goals for students. Some of them
are-
Goal setting provides a clear path which leads to success
Students when set goals they are clear and sorted about path they need to walk on which will
lead then towards success. This includes various actions they are required to undertake in order
to achieve their goal which will contribute to ultimate success. The reason is that seeing of goals
is followed by identification and understanding of ways through which can achieve those goals.
Goal setting teaches management of time and preparedness
Setting of goals include determination of time to achieve those goals. This requires that students
manage and divide their time accordingly. This also teaches students to stay prepare. For
example students set that they want to get good marks in their assignments this will require them
to stay prepare and submit their assignments on time.
Progress Measurement
Goal setting makes it easy to measure progress as goals are available to measure the results of
actions taken to achieve them (Li and et.al., 2019). It also suggests that goals should be
measurable and reasonable instead of vague aspirations.

Provides challenge
Goals provide challenge to students which increase their confidence and motivation. Students put
extra efforts to complete tasks which can contribute to achieve their goals. Students also focus on
quality of their performance so that they can achieve their goals on time send as good as they
expected. For example student set goals to achieve 90 percent in their exams and to achieve they
will not just study harder but also will find the ways in which they can increase retention and
also easy ways in which they can understand concepts.
These were reasons which suggest importance of goal setting. This report also includes some
short term and long term goals for university students, which are-
Short Term
To increase marks in next assignment.
To get distinction marks in next assignment.
To get first rank in upcoming semester exams.
Long Term
To get selected in best college for further studies.
To get admission in course of my choice.
To get placed as executive in a big colony before completion of my degree.
In order to get appropriate plan for the study students need to set goals which are related to their
immediate exam and assignment which can add value in their long term goal achievement
(Lewis, 2018). Students can measure success of their long term goals through achievement of
short term goals.
2. Techniques for Building Comprehension and Retention
Comprehension means how much student have understand from whatever have been taught to
them from various techniques and retention refers to ability of on to remember and how long is
student able to retain the knowledge and information they learn at university. This is very
important that students are able to comprehend and retain whatever they have learned at
university so that they can use their knowledge in their career and before that they can use their
knowledge in getting good grades in their university exams (Carver and et.al., 2017). Some
techniques through which students can increase their comprehension and retention are as
follows-

Understanding of Concepts
This is very important that concepts of students are clear because this makes it easy for
students to learn all the related concepts. In present time students have various sources through
which they can understand the concepts in case they are not able to understand at university this
will increase their comprehension which will lead to retention for longer time. Internet and
search engine are best sources and they also present very similar and related concepts which
make it easier for student to understand the concepts and their applicability.
Two Way Communications
In higher studies it is very important that students are in two way communication with
their teacher. This means that they should not only listen to what is being said by the teacher but
at the same times ask questions in case they are not able to understand anything. They can also
learn applicability of what is being taught to them by their teacher. This creates an experience
which improves comprehension and retention of students especially in higher education.
Smart Study rather than Hard Work
Students should focus on studying in smart manner rather than studying by hard work.
Smart study includes identification of ideas through which they can increase their comprehension
and retention. This also includes creation of various ways in which students are able to learn
difficult concepts and information in easy and simple way so that they can last that longer and
are able to comprehend and later use the information in real life.
Create Experience
Students in higher studies are able to create stories and experience based on the concepts and
information they have learned and they are learning (Cooper, 2018). Experience without any
doubt is able tto create a memory which last long and can guide practical applicability.
3. Challenges faces by the students in university
Unsupportive relationship
Students who faces the unsupportive relationship within university and also creating unproductive and
difficult environment makes the students feel so isolated. Such as their tutors are not supportive them
while making their assignment and also not supporting in various tasks related to their studies. Students
who are facing unsupportive relationship at home such as their parents are not supporting them or one of
them either a mother or a father not supported student. From this they feel demotivated as no one helps
them and this leads to them under pressure and Unhappiness (Artigue, 2016).

Unrealistic demands
The personal and professional life of students are not maintained as the unreasonable demands at
University such as weekend meeting, completing assignments before deadlines as well as technollogy
overload makes the life of the students more hectic and creates a lot of pressure .Where demands of the
personal life also adds pressure to theri work as well as time needed to accomodate friends or family as
well as eating within work time.
Less control
Lack of control or less control is always creating pressure among the students as for students it is difficult
to handle the uncontrolled load such as personal sutiations like exams,illness is taking as very stressful
for the students
Academics pressures
One of the major issues faced by the students within colleage is in terms of the academics as when it
comes to atudies they faces a lot of stress as the pressure regarding to increse th cutt off,expecations of
parents, strict rules within universty for passing the exams, strick checking of the assigments are all of the
challenges faced by the students. Also there are various other issues within the colleagues that are faced
by the students such as learning disabilites it can be understanding by this example like all the fingers in
our hands are ot same like that all the students within the university are not same. Some if them are
average learers while soem of them are gifted learners and also some of them are slow learners. The
issues regarding to educations is very common to all the students who are going through the same
learning precedures regarding EQ and IQ (Olutola. and Olatoye,2015)
Another most common challenge faced by the students within the university is
competition. As comeptition is faced by everyone from birth to till death as every indivual go
through various competion wothin his or her life. But in terms of studenrts they are facing
compeption that are extremly high. Such as from the begining of their studies they have to
competiton such as admission competition and then after getting in to the unversote they have to
face the competion regarding exams as well as scores. But sometimes things are fine when it
comes to healthy competion it motivates them regarding studies and to increase their growth
within future refrences simulatneosly students of the collage needs to be careful about the
unhealthy competion (Olutola. and Olatoye,2015).
Health issues

It is consdier as one of the primary issues that are more challenging especailly within the case of the
students as most of the teenagers are not take care of theri health properly such as when the students
came to university they are influenced by others like alcohol taking ,smoking cigarettes and many other
activites that makes them sick. The issues realted to the education system also makes sick to the students
as well as demotivating the studensts becasue of the learning prices and all the students are not good in
learning as the quick learners thus it leads to mental health problems.
Homesickness
It is the first time of the students to being away from their home. Students feels the Homesickness and
inital period of the Students with university is very difficult as Nowadays students feeling good to contact
their family members and friends with the help of the phone calls, social media platfrm such as
facebook,whatsapp and many more (Artigue, 2016).
Adjustment to new life
When the students are first going to their university they faces first time their campus environment and
then they have to adjust themselves in new environment. As per the reports it is considered that first year
of the university is always been hard. So students expect that there would be culture shock as varieties of
people meet at the univrsotesas they to adjust with time.All they need to give some time at the
environment as well as always stay confident whatever the challenges they faces.
Recommendations
 It should be recomended that there is should be a proper time must be followed where
daily activites must be mention so tha their work can be maintained and they will not
facing any mental issues as delaying of work put them in pressure. Through the
factorising wothin time as well as socilaise, students must be effectively managed theri
time,instead of wasting the precious times if it is implemented correclty than time table
enables them to spend time with their friends and family members (Olutola. and
Olatoye,2015).
 It sould be recomended that to join the new socities around them so that it keep their life
balanced. Students can explore theri life while meeting new people as well as exploring
their new home without the loss of their academics. It sounds dry to lsiten as a Academic
socities as well as exactly plan to spend most of their time but at the same time it also
provides a platform regarding study groups and coursemates so that the work must be
manageable.

 It must be crucial for the students to have the part time job as it able to manage their
social and academic life. As students have more money to enjoy theri life and at the same
time they learn they new things that creates an understanding how to manage time.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Artigue, M., 2016, March. Mathematics education research at university level: Achievements and
challenges.
Olutola, A.T. and Olatoye, O.O., 2015. Challenges of e-learning technologies in Nigerian University
Education. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 5(1), p.301.
McCardle, L and et.al., 2017. Examining students’ self-set goals for self-regulated learning: Goal
properties and patterns. Studies in Higher Education. 42(11). pp.2153-2169.
Li, Y and et.al., 2019. Long-term prospects and college students’ academic performance. Journal
of Psychoeducational Assessment. 37(3). pp.358-371.
Lewis, I., 2018. The student experience of higher education (Vol. 16). Routledge.
Carver, S. D and et.al., 2017. Operation STEM: increasing success and improving retention
among mathematically underprepared students in STEM. Journal of STEM Education:
Innovations and Research. 18(3). p.20.
Cooper, S. L., 2018. Self-generating Questions and Concept Mapping to Improve Information
Retention in the Long-term (Doctoral dissertation, Middle Tennessee State University).