Study Skills: Reasons, Skills, and Study Plans for Higher Education

This report delves into the crucial aspects of study skills essential for success in higher education. It begins by outlining the primary reasons for pursuing a degree at the university level, emphasizing career opportunities, personality development, and the acquisition of advanced skills. The report then identifies and explains core academic skills, including learning styles, paraphrasing, academic writing, and note-taking, highlighting their significance in effective learning and information retention. A detailed study plan is presented, which includes both short-term and long-term goals, along with methods and resources for skill development. The plan focuses on enhancing learning styles, paraphrasing abilities, academic writing proficiency, and note-taking effectiveness. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of these skills and their impact on academic and personal growth, providing students with a practical guide to improve their study habits and achieve their academic objectives. The report also includes a list of references with books and journals, and online resources.

STUDY
SKILLS FOR HIGHER
EDUCATION

Contents
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 2
MAIN BODY............................................................................................................................... 2
Main reasons for studying a degree at university............................................................................2
Core academic skills that can be developed and their importance.....................................................3
Study plan including short term and long term goals.......................................................................4
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................ 6
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 8

INTRODUCTION
Study skills are academic skills that help a student in learning. It helps in achieving
growth and development in real life. It helps in organizing and acquiring new information. This
skills increases at university level and depends upon person’s ability to study and retain the
information. The report will contain main reasons for studying for a degree in a university. It will
focus on academic skills that a student can develop to achieve success and enhance its
personality. At last it will depict study plan of skills that can be developed in long and short ter to
achieve student goals.
MAIN BODY
Main reasons for studying a degree at university
It is considered very important to study for a degree at University as it is the next step to
pursue the desired career and make a living out of that career. There are multiple reasons for
studying a degree at University.
● 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 - Companies will find a candidate with a degree more preferable than
a candidate which lacks a degree. The degree represents that the student has achieved
higher level of study and is highly skilled. It also shows the hard work and desire to learn
and grow more which is a quality that is preferable and for which the employers look for
it within all the students.
● Job - Higher education and completion of a degree at a University shows the skills and
level of academics in the students which makes him/her more desirable for employers
and similarly more job opportunities are available for such students. The improvement in
skills and these skills learned help in achieving the eligibility for jobs (Pyrczak, 2016).
● Personality Development - Studying at the University for a Degree also help in one’s
personality development. It provides a platform to learn new skills, sharpen old ones and

introduces to new interests (Thompson, 2017). It also provides independent development
in living skills as for the first time the student lives on his own.
● 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.
Core academic skills that can be developed and their importance
Learning Style – Every student learn differently and learning style is a way in which it
shows that how student absorbs, process and retains the information. The way a student can learn
a new skill or gain knowledge is known as learning style (Learning styles, 2019). It varies from
student to student and their skills varies along with it . As to memorize something it requires
practicing, visualizing and retraining the information again and again so that it gets stuck in the
head. While some information require deep understanding of concepts which is required to
understand and use that knowledge which differs on the ability of brain from person to person.
Paraphrasing - It is a skill which shows the understanding and intellectual level of the
students who learned the information and how he is able to express it in his own terms (Savitz-
Romer 2015). It shows how much of the information has been absorbed and how well the student
is able to deliver that information in a meaningful manner.
Academic writing – It is a way to communicate their learning for students. Writing in
own words and expressing what they have learnt an understanding of the topic learned is visible
in the academic writing of the student. It displays a clear understanding of a particular subject
and how the student has expressed it in his own terms.
Note taking - It is an important skill in the process of learning, as while a student takes
notes of the subject or topic he/she is studying it clears the understanding level; of that student.
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
Methods to be taken Resources Time
taken
Learning
styles
 Visual Learning- It is one of the
best ways to improve your
learning style, it creates visual
memories in brain which links the
information in a visual
perspective.
 Repetitive Recitation - Another
effective way to memorise
something perfectly is to recite it
repeatedly until it gets imprinted
in your brain's memory word by
word..
By trying and
improving by
identifying mistakes.
Identifying the most
efficient method by
multiple learning
attempts and analysing
the results..
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
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.
Taught by teachers,
brainstorming with
fellow schoolmates,
online tutorial,
Identifying the best by
trying.
3-5
months
(short
term
goal)
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
books, literature novels,
reading newspapers,
and practicing with
them (Stomski, and
et.al., 2018).
1 year
(Long
term
goal)
Note taking  It is important to understand the
meaning of the content and
making notes precisely of only the
Tips by academic
seniors, practicing on
different materials,
1-2
months
(short

key aspects of the information in
the content. (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).
online tutorials,
improving ability to
listen attentively.
term
goal)
CONCLUSION
The report concluded about study skills in which it showed the reasons that for what
factors 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. Further the report concluded with long and short term
study plan that will ultimately increase the growth and experience if an individual in being time
span of completing those skills.

REFERENCES
Books and journal
Assiter, A., 2017. Transferable skills in higher education. Routledge.
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.
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.
Lavelle, F., and et.al., 2016. Learning cooking skills at different ages: a cross-sectional
study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.13(1). p.119.
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.
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.
Stomski, N., and et.al., 2018. The influence of situation awareness training on nurses'
confidence about patient safety skills: A prospective cohort study. Nurse education today, 63,
pp.24-28.
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/>