Study Skills: Improving Academic Performance in Higher Education

This report provides a comprehensive overview of essential study skills for higher education students. It begins by highlighting the main reasons for pursuing a degree at the university level, including improved language skills, career opportunities, personality development, and the development of lifelong friendships. The core academic skills, such as learning styles, paraphrasing, academic writing, and note-taking, are then discussed in detail, emphasizing their importance for academic success. The report also presents a practical study plan outlining strategies for improving these skills, along with resources and timeframes for both short-term and long-term goals. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of the skills discussed and their application in the context of higher education and future career goals.

STUDY
SKILLS FOR HIGHER
EDUCATION

Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 3
MAIN BODY................................................................................................................................. 3
Main reasons for studying a degree at university.....................................................................3
How the core academic skills can be developed and the importance of developing academic
skills......................................................................................................................................... 4
Study plan for long and short term goals..................................................................................4
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................. 5
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 7

INTRODUCTION
Study skills are academic skills that help a student in learning. These skills help in the
achievement of growth and development in life. It helps in organizing and acquiring new
information. These skills increase at university level and depends upon person’s ability to study
and retain the information. The report contains the various reasons for studying in a university.
It also focuses on various academic skills which is needed by the students to achieve success in
real life and also to enhance individuals personality. The study will also highlight the study plan
of skills which are needed by the student in order to achieve their goal.
MAIN BODY
Main reasons for studying a degree at university
It is very important for the student to study for a degree from university. Because taking a
degree from a university help the student to pursue in their desired career. The various reasons
behind studying a degree from university are :
Improve language skills – The reason for studying a degree at university is to improve language
skills and to immerse in new language to grant new opportunities. The university offers different
language skills to provide with formal education system.
Career opportunities – When studying a degree at university, the student can get new
perspective on culture, language skills and willingness to learn. It leads to many career
opportunities which lead to growth and development of an individual (Hostetler, 2017).
Higher Education – The companies tend to recruit the candidate with a degree rather than a
person who does not hold degree from a reputed university. As the degree helps in presenting the
education and knowledge which a person has gained in the degree course it also depicts about the
knowledge and skill which the person has acquired in the degree programme.
Job – The completion of educations and higher education shows that a person has acquires a
desired skill which is necessary in an employee. It also provides various job opportunities to an
individual. It helps the person to fulfill the basic requirements of getting a job (Pyrczak, 2016).
Personality Development – Taking degree from university also help in personality development
of an individual. The degree programme provides an opportunity to an individual to learn new
skills and enhance their existing skills. (Thompson, 2017).
Make lifelong friends – It gives opportunity to meet new friends that are from different from
backgrounds. This gives the opportunity tom students to make great relation with fellow students
which helps in making social circle.
Experience – The opportunity to study in university helps the student in gaining experience
(Assiter, 2017). This experience helps in dealing with uncertainties of life. It develops leadership
qualities in students which helps them in being future leader and improve their management
skills.

How the core academic skills can be developed and the importance of developing academic
skills
Learning Style – The learning style of every individual is different some learn from audio while
some learn from personal experiences. The way in which individual learn new skills is known as
learning style(Learning styles, 2019). The learning style varies from individual to individual.
Some people need to practice things again and again in order to memorize it while some people
memorize at once. Some information requires an deep understanding and knowledge which
varies from person to person.
Paraphrasing – Paraphrasing is an academic skill which is needed by the student. It is a skill
which depicts that how students presents the learning in their own words. (Savitz-Romer 2015).
This skill represents that how well a student has understood the information and how well
student can put it into its own words.
Academic writing – Academic writing is an important academic skills it show that how well the
student can represent its understanding in writing. It shows that the student has clear
understanding of its topic.
Note taking – Note taking is an important skill which is needed by the student. As during the
class lectures the students have to prepare their own notes in order to use it for furthur study. It is
necessary for the student to make the notes for their later understanding. This process of note
taking involves segregation and noting down the important significant information from the
narration of information or while studying on own (Stomski, and et.al., 2018).
Study plan for long and short term goals
Skills to be
improved
Method Resources Time
taken
Learning styles  Visual Learning- It is the best way
by which a student can improve
their learning style it helps to create
a visual image of the information a
person has gained
 Repetitive Recitation – The other
important method to memorize the
information is repetition of the
information until one perfectly sets
it in their mind.
Multiple learning
attempts ,Identifying the
most efficient method by
and analyzing the results.
By identifying and
improving mistakes.
2-3
months
(short
term goal)
Paraphrasing  Understanding the concept behind
the information is by reading it
again is key while paraphrasing
(McCarthy, 2017).
 Trying to explain the understood
information to someone else helps
Taught by teachers,
brainstorming with
fellow schoolmates,
online tutorial,
Identifying the best by
trying.
3-5
months
(short
term goal)

to gain knowledge of the content
and shows where there is lack,the
meaning behind the original paper
is understood by the student should
be the motive.
Academic
Writing
 Creating a summary of the topic on
which you are going to write will
help you prepare for which you
need to write (Durkin, 2016.).
 Understanding grammar and
punctuation is very important in
conveying the true meaning of the
essay.
 Expanding the vocabulary and
using correct words to describe the
zest of every sentence is very
important in academic writing.
By reading academic
literature novels, books,
reading newspapers
(Stomski, and et.al.,
2018).
1 year
(Long
term goal)
Note taking  It is important skill in order to
understand the lecture and take the
necessary notes out of it for further
studying and personal
understanding. Similarly it is
important to understand the content
of the book and make notes out of
it(Thompso.,and et.al., 2018).
 Well organized notes
are also important for better
understanding as well organized ,
numbered , labeled notes are easier
to understand and analyze.
 Writing in short sentences while
covering over the meaning of the
topic without lengthy writing while
keeping the content meaningful,
this should be considered while
making notes (Bradshaw, 2017).
Tips by academic seniors,
practicing on different
materials, online
tutorials, improving
ability to listen
attentively.
1-2
months
(short
term goal)
CONCLUSION
The report helps in understanding about the study skills such as paraphrasing, note
taking, academic writing etc., which is necessary for the students. The report shows the various

reasons that why individual joins university and how they develop learning skills and other
required skills. Further it showed different academic skills that are need to be improved in a
student for further development and growth in their career. The report also give the
understanding of importance of long and short term study plan which will help in the growth of
an individual and enhance their experience.

REFERENCES
Books and journal
Anderson, T., McClintock, A.S., Himawan, L., Song, X. and Patterson, C.L., 2016. A
prospective study of therapist facilitative interpersonal skills as a predictor of treatment
outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(1). p.57.
Bradshaw, Z. and Hazell, A., 2017. Developing problem-solving skills in mathematics: a lesson
study. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies. 6(1). pp.32-44.
Choque Olsson, and et.al., 2016. Social skills group training in high-functioning autism: A
qualitative responder study. Autism. 20(8). pp.995-1010.
Durkin, C. and Gunn, R. eds., 2016. Social entrepreneurship: A skills approach. Policy Press.
Durkin, C. and Gunn, R. eds., 2016. Social entrepreneurship: A skills approach. Policy Press.
Flannery, A.J., Luebbe, A.M. and Becker, S.P., 2017. Sluggish cognitive tempo is associated
with poorer study skills, more executive functioning deficits, and greater impairment in
college students. Journal of clinical psychology, 73(9). pp.1091-1113.
Hostetler, K.M. and Deeter, L.M., 2017. Faculty Perceptions of Student Computer Skills at a 2-
year Agricultural School 1. NACTA Journal. 61(3). pp.189-192.
Murray, D.W., and et.al., 2016. Culinary efficacy: an exploratory study of skills, confidence, and
healthy cooking competencies among university students. Perspectives in Public
Health. 136(3). pp.143-151.
Pyrczak, F., 2016. Statistics with a Sense of Humor: A Humorous Workbook & Guide to Study
Skills. Routledge.
Rozakis, L., 2018. Test Taking Strategies & Study Skills for the Utterly Confused. McGraw-Hill.
Savitz-Romer, M., Rowan-Kenyon, H.T. and Fancsali, C., 2015. Social, emotional, and affective
skills for college and career success. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. 47(5).
pp.18-27.
Thompson, P., 2017. Communication technology use and study skills. Active Learning in Higher
Education. 18(3). pp.257-270.
Online
Learning styles, 2019. [Online]. Available through :
<https://teach.com/what/teachers-know/learning-styles/>