Book Review: Study Skills (ISBN

(1)

151

Asian Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences e-ISSN: 2682-8502 | Vol. 4, No. 3, 151-154, 2022 http://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ajress

Book Review: Study Skills

(ISBN: 9789833832705, Advantage Quest Publications)

Nor Azizah Talkis¹, Mohd Fareh Majid^1*, Anas Zafirol Abdullah Halim¹, Aw Yang Huey^2*

1 Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch, 32610 Perak, Malaysia

2 Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch, 32610 Perak, Malaysia

*Corresponding Authors: [email protected], [email protected] Accepted: 15 October 2022 | Published: 1 November 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2022.4.3.15

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Abstract: The author of the book Study Skills strongly emphasises on students’ mastery of learning skills. This book contains nine chapters and each chapter was written in a simple language, with compact notes supported by the bullet journalling technique. Learning styles, study goals, time management, note taking, avoiding plagiarism, critical thinking approach, preparing for lectures in advance, tips for successful presentations, and many more were discussed in this book. The author includes tables for detailed descriptions, such as the ‘dos and don’ts’ for the students to clearly see the difference. Additionally, each chapter contains tips for top scores that would help students study more effectively. Study Skills Q & A and a glossary are included at the end of the book. This book offers knowledge and can benefit the students as they prepare for their studies at university. As they approach their new life as a university student, they need to hone their essential skills. To attract the reader’s interest, it is recommended that the author uses coloured pages and pictures because colour is capable of stimulating the reader’s mind to think more creatively. It is also recommended that the author discusses memory strategies that could help students improve their memory and retention. In short, this book is a suitable read before starting university, which could enable students to study and learn efficiently, because these are important transferable life skills.

Keywords: study skills, learning styles, time management, critical thinking approach _________________________________________________________________________

1. Introduction

One of the main reasons for introducing skills into university curriculum is the increasing emphasis on graduate employability (Cottrell, 2001). This book comprises nine chapters in three parts; Chapters 1 to 3 in Part 1, Chapters 4 to 6 in Part 2, and Chapters 7 to 9 in Part 3.

Part 1 is focused on preparing for study, while Parts 2 and 3 are focused on improving basic skills. Chapter 1 is about starting with yourself. In this chapter, the students will start to understand their own learning styles. The author explains how to utilise the SMART plan to each short-term goal to help readers plan their time effectively and work towards achieving their long-term goal. The author also emphasises on ‘time spent planning and organising will never be time wasted.’ At the end of Chapter 1, the author presents easy-to-understand illustrations of what to do and what to avoid by students, for example, ‘be a deadline-beater and not a deadline-misser.’

(2)

152

2. A Review of Study Skills

a. Note taking

Chapter 2 is focused on note-taking and information organisation. The author discusses common note-taking problems and different note-taking styles. Students are advised to avoid plagiarism because it is a serious offense that could have negative effects on them. In this chapter, the author explains to students that most of them would fail to understand the potential negative consequences of plagiarism. The author also emphasises on the importance of citing references and then, explains how to record references in Chapter 2. Citing the works included in the text, according to Kalani & Twinwal (2013) is the best method to prevent plagiarism.

Further explanation on this issue is given in Chapter 7. At the end of Chapter 2, the author similarly presents an easy-to-understand illustration of what to do and what to avoid by students, especially in note-taking.

b. Critical thinking

Chapter 3 presents how we can use knowledge to conduct critical thinking and analysis. The definition of critical thinking is the art of making clear, sound judgements based on interpreting, understanding, applying and synthesising evidence collected from observation, reading and experimentation (Burns & Sinfield, 2016). The author encourages students to read critically to gain new knowledge. Based on the new knowledge, we can broaden our writing by including important points. Students are encouraged to analyse whether the knowledge they have gained reliable, valid, or applicable in the context of their discussion, or research. This evaluation of sources is the basis of a critical thinking approach. The author also discusses the difference between tacit and explicit knowledge. In this chapter, the author presents a step-by- step process in the critical thinking approach. According to the author, most knowledge is contestable and students are urged to question everything you read, because we need to contest knowledge. A lot can be learned from this chapter. What I admire most about the author is that the author repeatedly encourage students to think critically and to not take shortcuts with their assignments.

c. Lecture comprehension

Chapter 4 is focused on lecture comprehension. The author emphasises that lectures are an integral part of university life, and that students need to be confident in their ability to follow and get the most out of lectures. The author discusses the differences between lectures and classes, whereby most key information are delivered by the lecturers during a lecture. Lectures raise awareness of key topics and ideas to encourage students to read and do further research.

Thus, the author encourages students to prepare for lectures in advance. The importance of attending lectures is also emphasised and students are urged not to skip lectures for their own good. Then, the discussion continues with the purpose of a lecture, keeping up with lectures, the language of lectures, asking questions in lectures, and how to extract relevant and useful information from lectures. Most of us would never ask questions during a lecture, even though we do not understand it. As stated by Covey (1989), acknowledging that we do not understand something is the first step to education and if we do not admit our ignorance, we will not grow.

Thus, the author implores students to not suffer in silence! If they have any doubts, it is better to ask than to be left in the dark.

d. Taking part in seminar and essay writing

Chapter 5 revolves around taking part in seminars. According to the author, seminars offer students a chance to exchange opinions with the guidance of their tutors. Robbins (1992) emphasized the importance of finding someone knowledgeable who has achieved the results

(3)

153

that we desire so we can learn more effectively from them and save our time. This chapter discusses seminar formats, preparation, and participation for students to gain the most out of their seminars. The author adds tips on how to have an effective seminar presentation, tips for successful presentations, seminar-led discussions, and guidelines.

Next, Chapter 6 is focused on essay and report writing. Student assignments are mostly in the form of written essays. Kalani & Twinwal (2013) suggested that good writing techniques must be taught and promoted at every level of studies. Students need to understand the different forms of essays available in order for them to produce quality assignments. Having good writing techniques is essential to avoid plagiarism as Harji et al. (2013) found out in their study that the two reasons that cause students to plagiarise are the lack of writing skills and poor time management. Then, the author discusses several common direction words, and the SPRE technique because it is practical and applicable to most academic questions. The author implores students to think logically and to structure their writing because different questions use different direction words, thus, they require different responses. The typical layout of a lab report is also included in this chapter. The author stresses that we can consider several ways to improve our writing in the right tone and style. In short, it is how we say it and the order we say it in is important.

e. Researching, revision, and exams

Chapter 7 is related to researching and finding information. The technology, easiness of copying and the accessibility to the material on the internet are main contributing factors for plagiarism (Polona et al., 2017). In this chapter, the author focuses on preparing for a research work, identifying sources, using library-based and electronic sources, and recording references.

The author stresses the importance of referencing and that students have to avoid plagiarism.

This is because most knowledge is based on theories, or models that are someone’s work. If students quote someone else’s work, they must cite the original author.

Chapter 8 is related to revision and exams. According to the author, thorough revision and good preparation can remove some of the stress and anxiety associated with taking exams. Therefore, students need to organise their revision materials and devise a revision timetable to help them identify when in their weekly schedule do they have sufficient time to dedicate to studying.

The author encourages students to write summary notes of the key ideas for each subject area.

Taking notes is beneficial for students as research by Rhamani & Sadeghi (2011) has shown that students who takes notes score better in tests than students who do not. Additionally, students can review past papers to get an idea of the type of questions typically asked and work on their time management. Students are encouraged to allocate some time to study with friends.

It is a good way to motivate themselves and can help reduce anxiety by sharing their study experience with friends. Students should also know how to keep calm and stay organised to enable them to do their best.

f. Achieve balance in university life

As for the last chapter, the author advises students to get the most out of their social and sporting life. A study conducted by Al-Rabiaah et al. (2020), shows that students are prone to psychological problems. Life at university comes down to balance. Students need to achieve balance in their university life, as it is similar to life in general because young adults and educated individuals are the groups of people who tend to be more prone to mental distress (Liang et al., 2020). Disrupted daily life and delaying academic tasks can affect students’

mental health condition (Cao et a.l, 2020), rising unhappiness and conflict (Kremer, 2016).

(4)

154

Therefore, students must learn to take responsibility and maintain their focus so that they can achieve a balance between academic obligations and social commitments.

4. Conclusion

Throughout this book, the author uses easy-to-understand language with practical and jargon- free advice. This book contains practical advice and techniques to help students prepare for lectures, plan their study goals, improve their time management, do research strategically, and develop presentation skills. Each chapter covers essential content and written in an easily understandable and well-organised manner. This is a small book measuring at 14 × 20.5 cm, with 106 pages, which makes it easy to carry around. Overall, this small book is a good read.

To attract the reader’s interest, it is recommended that the author uses coloured pages and pictures because colour is capable of stimulating the reader’s mind to think more creatively. It is also recommended that the author discusses memory strategies that could help students improve their memory and retention. In short, this book is a suitable read before starting university, which could enable students to study and learn efficiently, because these are important transferable life skills.

References

Al-Rabiaah, A., Temsah, M.H., Al-Eyadhy, A.A, Hasan G.M., Al-Zamil, F,. Al-Subaie, S.

(2020). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) associated stress among medical students at a university teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. J Infect Public Health. 13:687– 91. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.01.005

Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (2016). Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University (Student Success) (4^th ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.

Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287, 112934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934

Cottrell, S. (2001). Teaching Study Skills and Supporting Learning (1st ed.). Palgrave.

Covey, Stephen R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster.

Harji, M.B., Ismail, Z., Chetty, T.N. & Letchumanan. (2017). Technical and non-technical programme students’ attitudes and reasons for plagiarism. English Language Teaching, 10(11), 141-155.

Kalani, V. & Twinwal, A. (2013). Plagiarism and its consequences.

http://www.cse.iitd.ernet.in/~sumantra/courses/btech_project/plagiarism.pdf (accessed on 4 October 2022).

Kremer, I. (2016). The relationship between school-work-family-conflict, subjective stress, and burnout. Journal Of Managerial Psychology, 31(4), 805-819.

https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp-01-2015-0014

Liang, L., Ren ,H., Cao, R., Hu, Y., Qin, Z., Li, C. (2020). The effect of COVID-19 on youth mental health. Psychiatr Q. 91:841– 52. doi: 10.1007/s11126-020-09744-3

Polona, Š., Urh, M., Jerebic, J., Trivan, D. & Eva, J. (2017). Reasons for Plagiarism in Higher Education. Organizacija, 50(1).

Rahmani, M., & Sadeghi, K. (2011). Effects of Note-Taking Training on Reading Comprehension and Recall. The Reading Matrix : an International Online Journal, 11, 116-128.

Robbins, A. (1992). Awaken The Giant Within. Simon & Schuster.