How to Study - As an Adult

1. Which road do you choose?

Do you remember the movie the first Matrix movie (1999)? There is one particular scene where Neo has to choose the old way or the new way....

Please watch and reflect on how doing things the same way does not reflect growth, but new ways are challenging.

By the way, no one is encouraging violence or aggression, ignore that and instead listen closely to what Trinity is saying....

You need to find your "why"?

It is your choice.

2. This is not school

Your time is precious. As adults who have decided to study at university you are likely juggling many areas in your life. Work, family, your interests and basic needs. School was directed and university, especially distance learning, is largely self directed, so it requires discipline and consistency.

To add or include tertiary study into the mix and be successful at this type of study, as adults, we need to work smarter not harder.

In saying that we also have to be very clear about our vision, goals and planning. Prioritizing your 24 hour, 7 day a week clock may be a challenge initially.

• In each 24 hours of a day we have to sleep, recommended approximately 8 hours.
• Eat, preferably local seasonal, home cooked and healthy, personal hygiene.  Let us call that at about 11 hours.
• If we work that could range from 2-8 hours generally, we are at 16 hours.
• Add in exercise, 1-2 hours, 19 hours, now we are left with 5 hours. 
• We have not even mentioned transport, children's schedules, homework, housework or elderly parents, carers roles. 
• As you can well imagine there is not a great deal of time in the day for adult students.

So how do we do this? Well some areas of your day should be negotiable.

• Television, social life, social media etc, none of these are necessities.
• These need to become your rewards once you have completed your work each day and week.
• A Trimester is normally 11 weeks long, this is relatively short period of time to gather new knowledge, so something with that knowledge and be assessed on that outcome.

Did you know that people with university degrees earn more, have better quality work lives and their work choices are more diverse.

Click on this link for more information Article.

Together let us look at some ways to approach this for success!

3. Expectations go both ways

As a student at university you are expected to:

• Be active and engaged at the process of knowledge building.
• Be responsible and show self-determination in your learning.
• Be a critical thinker.
• Be independent, but understand when you are part of a team.
• Be organised, time managed and be able to prioritise.
• Be connected to the institution, the Program, the Units you are enrolled in and your coordinator.
• Be mindful what an amazing opportunity this is and in Pathways there is no HECS, but that makes it an even GREATER opportunity.
• Be conscientious about academic integrity.
• Be respectful to others.
• Be sure before you upload an assignment to review your work, have I done enough?

As a student you may expect from your university, program, unit and coordinator:

• The focus is YOU!
• Support students in learning, assessment and career development.
• Quality and supportive teaching.
• Connections of all the areas of the university to work seamlessly for student needs.
• Access, equity and diversity - quality and engaging experiences for everyone.
• Learning journeys must be personal and authentic.
• Quality materials and supportive Information Technology.
• Well written and organised materials.
• Effective, timely and supportive communications.
• Constructive feedback.

4. Skills required for online learning

Online learning is somewhat different from face to face learning.

This maybe your first experience at online learning.

Needless to say each institution is different, so no matter what experiences you have had this experience maybe different to other online learning.

FYI: AI and plagiarism detection software is used in all uploads of My Learn and associated software.

      Your engagement in My Learn is also available through archives.

You will need to have or hone:

• Information technology skills
• Organisation
• Self-motivation
• Time management
• Communications skills - specific to online communication requirements
• Adaptability
• Writing skills
• Create a focused study environment with the right equipment

5. Study is a process

Here are some ideas for your study process from previous students. Please take note, maybe not all but many of them are highly recommended.

• Have a dedicated study area, in a quiet area at home, the library or somewhere you can concentrate without distraction.
• Have an organised home happening before the trimester begins. The area we live and work in are a reflection of our thinking.
• Talk to your significant people, family, friends, work colleagues. Let them know that this is your goal and that you will need their support.
• Put up a calendar on your wall with assessment dates and important dates, with reminders one week before.
• Exercise and eat well for your overall health. Regular sleep and mindfulness or meditation are also important to keep yourself relaxed.
• Have the tools for your study ready. You will need access to a computer, reliable internet, printing, paper pens etc.
• How are you going to manage your time? Remember procrastination is only an attitude, it is not who you are.
• What are your SPECIFIC goals?

• Start each day with a clear routine and plan - from good sleep to a tidy up, to exercise and eating well, put away devices, ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU SET OUT FOR THAT MORNING. From there everything tends to work smoothly and easily. DO this EVERYDAY!
• Do something in regard to your study EVERYDAY! Email, My Learn, assessment, reading, writing, planning, speaking about it, something.
• Commit to going to all Zoom sessions, ask questions, read your UNE email, join your UNE to your personal email, be engaged and respond.
• Read at a higher level. Read a quality newspaper, chose a journal article, read a biography or something in your area of study interest.
• Sudoku, crosswords all support neuronal development and we are about to run a marathon with our brains, so lets get fit!
• Start work immediately and keep up with the weekly workload. Do not fall behind or use extensions unless it is truly necessary.
• Remember you have chosen to enroll and aim for this study process, so that means you need to set your goals accordingly.
• It is worth the effort, just dive in and get going.

6. Mindfulness for students

Studying is a whole-body experience.

To gain the best outcomes from your study, work, family responsibilities, you need to take care of your health.

Consistent and deep sleep is number 1. Using scheduling and organisation, creating a solid sleep routine is imperative.

Exercise, daily, minimum of 30 minutes, chose something you enjoy, preferably in nature. Everyone has time.

Mindfulness - redusing stress and grounding ourselves in the current moment is important for mental and physical health.

Some ideas for mindfulness:

Mindfulness Exercises

Follow a leader through a mindfulness exercise to calm your mind down in the moment through a guided practice. There are pre-recorded mindfulness exercises available on podcast platforms, YouTube, and many other avenues. 

STOP Practice

STOP is a four-step mindfulness technique that can be done virtually anytime and anywhere when you are feeling overwhelmed. Here are the steps:

S: Stop

Stop what you are doing. Stop what you are thinking. Take a moment to dedicate yourself to mindfulness.

T: Take a breath

Take a deep breath in and out. Find a method that works for you and slows you down. You might count up or down, close your eyes, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, etc. See the breathing exercises later in this post for more ideas.

O: Observe

Take a moment to observe how you feel physically and mentally. Try to identify your feelings. Alternatively, take a moment to observe your surroundings. Focus on the details and how they make you feel.

P: Proceed

Proceed intentionally with the task at hand. If you need to slow down, slow down. If you need to set a time limit, set a timer. If you need to drink some water, grab some water. Practice being in tune with yourself and proceed with your day in a way that makes sense for you.

Sensory Exercises

Sensory exercises are a great way to practice mindfulness by reaching out to immediate, tangible experiences. This is a way to ground yourself in the present moment and space. Try out these sensory exercises:

• Place your hands in water
• Hold a piece of ice in your hand
• Touch or hold something comforting (i.e., a soft blanket, a stuffed animal, etc.)
• Savor a scent you enjoy (i.e., light a candle, make a cup of tea, etc.)
• Listen to your surroundings

Breathing Exercises

Simply taking a moment to notice your breathing can be helpful in overwhelming situations. Intentionally practicing breathing slows your heart rate and can decrease your blood pressure. Breathing can also send a relaxation signal to your brain, helping your entire body reach a state of calm. Next time you need to take a moment of pause, try one of these breathing exercises:

Deep Breathing: Simply inhale slowly through your nose, then exhale slowly out through your mouth. If it helps, you can inhale and exhale for the same amount of time; maybe four seconds.

Resonance Breathing: Laying on your back, inhale slowly for six seconds, then exhale slowly for six seconds. Repeat this for about 10 minutes or as needed.

Alternate-Nostril Breathing: Push one of your nostrils closed and breathe in. At the top of your breath, open your closed nostril and close the other nostril before exhaling. Repeat this exercise.

Affirming Phrase: As you inhale, say something that you would like to manifest. For example, “I breathe in peace.” As you exhale, say something that you would like to get rid of. For example, “I breathe out stress.” Repeat this exercise a few times.

Physical Exercises

Physical exercises are another mindfulness activity to utilise when you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Physical exercise does not need to be overly vigorous exercise; sometimes, the most useful physical exercise is simply getting up out of your chair and moving around for a little bit. Next time you need to get up and move, try one of these exercises:

• Go for a walk
• Take out your trash or get the mail
• Do a “body scan” from your head to your toes, focusing on how your entire body is feeling
• Practice a few yoga poses
• Dance to your favorite song

5-4-3-2-1 Practice

5-4-3-2-1 is a great mindfulness exercise that can be done anywhere, and it does not take long to do. Tapping into the 5 senses, this exercise encourages you to focus on your surroundings and your body. Here are the steps for 5-4-3-2-1:

• What are 5 things you hear?
• What are 4 things you see?
• What are 3 things you can touch?
• What are 2 things you can smell?
• What is 1 thing you can taste?

Anchoring Phrase

If you need something quick and calming to stay grounded, try repeating an anchoring phrase. Your anchoring phrase can be the same every time (a motivating quote or word) or it can be about something in the moment. Repeat whatever is comforting to you. An anchoring phrase for the moment can follow a format similar to this:

“My name is… Today is… Right now, I feel…

Being responsible for your health, looking after yourself and being good to yourself is paramount. Remember in an airplane, one of the instructions are, if the masks fall from the ceiling, put yours on first, then look after others, including your loved one. You have to take care of yourself, so your body and mind can take on the rigors of tertiary study.

Best wishes.

7. Goal Setting

Just saying my goal is to do a degree, is not a goal. Understanding the Why - or the importance of this idea and How - How will you specifically go about making this goal a reality. 

If you are planning on a degree, as an adult, you need to be very specific. Even more so if you work and have a family.

How will all the pieces of the puzzle fit in to support you and your success.

Trimester 1 (T1) Pathways ENAB101 and DYPP100, engage, connect with the skills and knowledge, do something every day to complete each task.

That something will be reading and responding to email, announcements, questions, the knowledge, the assessment and completion.

T2 ENAB102 and the Elective, engage, connect with the skills and knowledge, do something every day to complete each task.

A degree is usually 3 years, 2-3 trimesters per year. What grade am I aiming for? Where do I want to finish up? What job? Internship?

How do I care for my children while I am studying? My parents? My work? Where is my support? Only you can answer these questions.

It is recommended to do a daily, weekly, monthly, trimester and yearly plan that stretches over the 5 years +. Keep this handy.

8. We thrive on brain chemicals

Humans are chemically dependent on their hormones derived from their endocrine system.

The reason we do most thing in life is because we are looking for a response from our chemical support systems.

When we are hungry Leptin and Ghrelin are in control.

When we sleep we need Melatonin.

Serotonin controls our mood.

Cortisol and stress management.

Dopamine acts to give feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and MOTIVATION! In the past you may have received this boost via shopping, social media or a hobby you enjoy.

The great news is that in combination with Self-Efficacy, Locus of control and completing your study in a well organised manner, you will gain a dopamine surge. This surge of dopamine will move us forward and peak our curiosity to want to build knowledge.

AS a student, having agency is VERY important. What is Student Agency? In the educational context, agency refers to a respectful and more empowered positioning of students to be active agents in their own learning lives. Student agency encompasses both the power of possibility in learning contexts intersecting with the personal desire and will to act. T M. Thrash, (2021),  Advances in Motivation Science,.This leads us to self-efficacy.

Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997). Self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behavior, and social environment. This leads us to locus of control.

Locus of control is the degree to which people believe that they, as opposed to external forces, have control over the outcome of events in their lives. The concept was developed by Julian B. Rotter in 1954, and has since become an aspect of personality psychology.

This leads us to success!

The bottom line is - you have the con, you make this happen and you can do this.

Remember most people think they are afraid of failure, but actually they are afraid of success.

With failure nothing really changes, but with success, your whole life might change.

9. Engaging

What does it mean to engage with your study?

You may not understand immediately why you need to complete certain aspects of any study, but those aspects are there for a reason.

Some of you may not be long out of school, some of you may be decades from school days. Not a problem.

Many of you see yourself as computer literate, some not so much.

This program has been written to offer you the knowledge and the skills to support what you need to have a seamless transition into your degree.

To engage with this study, no matter your educational past, means having an open mind and be willing to conquer all the assessment, on time.

Communicate and respond to correspondence. 

Do something that supports your learning and moving forward in the unit EVERYDAY!

Be present and willing and open to knowledge building whether they are not new or very new to you.

Remember that as a cohort or group of learners in this unit, everyone will be at a different level of learning.

Come to terms with feedback. Feedback is not about negativity, but it is meant to be supportive and developmental in your growth.

Feedback will show what was well done, some ideas for what could have been included and something to work on for next time.

ACT on that feedback! Immediately.

A great way to edit your work is to read your work out aloud to yourself or a long suffering friend or partner, you will hear the errors more easily than reading them. Make the changes straight away.

10. Time frames

No one expects or recommends that you try and knock a weeks worth of work in a Saturday afternoon. That is not a great way to absorb information.

Instead we go back to the everyday rule. Most single units at university are recommended to have 10-12 hours of work in them per week for success. If you are doing two units, that is 20-24 hours per week.

A week is 168 hours long -56 hours of sleeping =112 hours-38 hours work=74 hours -30 hours for exercise, shopping for groceries, cooking and eating = 44 hours - 7 hours for personal hygiene = 37hours- 7 hours for transportation or house cleaning = 30 hours and 6 hours of fun and homework with children or caring for a family member, volunteering= 24 hours.

That 24 hours over a week is approximately 3 + hours a day which may seem excessive, but including Zoom lectures, reading and administration- especially the drafting and creation on assignments, that time will easily been necessary to complete these units.

It maybe that you life is so busy that you may need to rise and hour earlier, do an hours work, then family, work etc....then family, pop the kids to bed and an another hour or so before bed may need to top off the days study. Plus on weekends you may do more than the three hours, but break it up. Go for a walk, be outside in nature to recharge, talk to others about the task, start something, walk away and do the laundry, come back read it out aloud, move forward. Keeping up is better than trying to catch up.

Remember if you get stuck, reach out as soon as possible, I will have something back to you as soon as I can. Then ACT on it...make those edits.

11. What is study?

Study is a specific process.

1. There are lectures or Zoom Sessions: attend them EVERY week in person if you can!  Watch recordings of Zoom sessions if you can't.

2. There may be tutorials, be a part of them every week.

3. In these lectures and tutorials you will need to do readings before or sometimes after these sessions. Within the lecture, tutorials and the readings, take comprehensive notes and the summarise them, add these notes to the notes you took from your readings. This will support assessment in the unit.

4. When completing research for your assessment tasks, use excellent filing and time saving concepts to save journal articles etc so you know where your information is and then you are able to reference that material. Work smart, do this once, save all your assessment tasks to a file, a flash drive and email - the dog ate my task, or I lost the file, is your responsibility. Make you you name and clearly keep the draft process up dated. Use one file per Unit, and sub files per task, name the files clearly.

5. Creation of a written task and the drafting process- no one writes something once and it is ready for upload. It may take three time, 10 times or? Drafting is editing, refining and uploading your best version.

Read your work out aloud at the end to hear any areas your brain no longer wants to see, as it has seen it too many times to acknowledge.

12. Mind Mapping

One very useful skill you should develop is your ability to mind map.  This is a technique you use in the early stages of planning that assists you to develop the overall structure and approach you will use to address a task.  Check out the following resources for how mind mapping is done.  Note that there are a number of free mind mapping tools available online that you might want to try out.

How to Mind Map for Study Success (Web Page)

13. Writing

Reading, writing and how to be better at reading and writing.

You will be doing a lot more reading whilst at university. Let this be your guide as to what to decide is worthwhile reading.

Current, reliable, credible and peer reviewed, is the general rule at university.

Current is obvious. Reliable, credible and peer reviewed is quality journal articles, high level organisations and supported data. The quality of your references will count in your assessment.

Use critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the ability to interpret, evaluate, and analyze facts and information that are available, to form a judgment or decide if something is right or wrong. More than just being curious about the world around you, critical thinkers make connections between logical ideas to see the bigger picture. Do not accept information on face value or using unreliable resources.

All written work in university is generally written in third person, watch tone, tense.  All the information needs to be referenced.

There are different forms of writing at university that include argumentative, descriptive essays, also reports both scientific and business and reflective work.

• Reflective work if often misunderstood as a form of writing that is simply a "I believe, I thought, I experienced...."
• Writing reflectively involve:
• critically analyzing an experience, be objective about a subjective experience
  
• recording how it has impacted you and
• what you plan to do with your new knowledge. It can help you to reflect on a deeper level as the act of getting something down on paper often helps people to think an experience through.

General notes:

• Please note all acronyms need to be explained the first time they are used. 
• Most writing that occurs in university work is written in third person.
• Most common referencing style at UNE is APA 7, for examples use this link.
• https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples
• Tone and tense is VERY important.When using evidence - past tense, recommendations - future tense etc...
  
• No opinions, use quality evidence/references to back up your work.
• Structure is very important, see below.
  
• Make sure you are answering the question.

Having trouble getting started writing an assignment?

Set up your title page, when drafting an essay using the structure titles such as Introduction, Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 4 and Conclusion- you might even put in topic sentence, content and connecting sentence, plus a reference list can support the development of your writing. Remember to remove those titles in the final edit if this is an essay. Often an introduction is written first but this remain dynamic and adjusted and finished last.

Now set off on some quality research, reading, reading, reading- abstracts first, save and take notes. Keep the task question close by......

Use the notes to start creating your task, separating out some short quotes and paraphrases to answer the question. You have started.

For example:

Introduction paragraph (If this task is an essay- remove titles in the final edit)

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Reference if necessary, paraphrase is preferred.

Connecting sentence- what will we talk about first.

Preferable to have none or minimal references.

1st paragraph - most important concept.

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Add references, evidence to support what you are saying.

Connecting sentence to the next point.

2nd paragraph - next point.

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Add References evidence to support what you are saying.

Connecting sentence to the next point.

3rd paragraph etc...

Conclusion paragraph (Please do not use in conclusion, it should be obvious)

Topic sentence - what did this task say, no new information.

Content - what was covered, nothing new.

Concluding sentence, wrap up your argument. Preferable to have none or minimal references.

REMEMBER! Say what you are going to say (Answer the question or the argument), Say it (Discuss appropriate content), Say you said it (Show that you have answered the task appropriately).

An example of an essay provided by previous pathways student, Lachlan, is available at this link.  It has been annotated to illustrate the various points being made in this chapter.  The essay was written in response to the question: How much money should be spent on space exploration?

(Note: Lachlan has given his permission for us to use his work)

14. All writing begins and ends with a paragraph

You should print this out and keep it with you until it is your memory.

Please follow the structure of most writing processes, not reports and the all important paragraph. Each paragraph is approximately 250 words.

TITLE PAGE

Unit

Task

TITLE

Word Count

Due Date

Coordinator, UNE.

Introduction paragraph

Topic sentence - 1 main idea or premise. The topic or argument.

Content - what is this assessment going to cover, the content or major points.One or two sentences.

Connecting sentence to the 1st point being discussed- normally the most important point.

Preferable to have none or minimal references.

1st paragraph - most important concept.

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Add references and evidence for what you are saying.

Connecting sentence to the next point.

2nd paragraph - next point.

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Add references and evidence for what you are saying.

Connecting sentence to the next point.

3rd paragraph etc...

Conclusion paragraph PLEASE- DO NOT start with "in conclusion" etc.....unnecessary.

Topic sentence - what did this task say, no new information.

Content - what was covered, nothing new.

Concluding sentence, wrap up your argument. Preferable to have none or minimal references.

Reference List Alphabetical order of the first Author

APA 7 Referencing https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples

EDIT, edit, edit - draft draft draft, read the task out aloud to yourself!

15. How to create ASSESSMENT!!!

There is a formula to creating successful assessment.

1. READ the question, statement etc. Now read it again. Now read it out aloud to yourself. Ask yourself these questions and write notes:

Be cautious when you first read a question that you do not assume the meaning immediately, remember this is written for the read/marker.

What are the task words? Verbs - doing words- for example - Judge, appraise, assess, conclude, compare, contrast, describe how, discriminate, justify, defend, evaluate, rate, determine, criticize, choose, value, question.

What are the task words? This is how you have to approach this task or assessment. Define what that word means, write it down.....

What are the content words? This explains the topic areas, focus of research or boundaries of the task. Write them down.....

What are the limiting words? These will narrow down a broad topic, indicate areas to focus upon. Write them down....

Now read the question again, highlighting the task, content and limiting words.

See https://www.une.edu.au/library/students/academic-writing/analyse-the-question for a printable PDF of this task analysis process.

2. There will always be content in the MyLearn site, go and read it, watch videos, do the suggested work. Take notes. Now take it further....

3. Do some QUALITY research. Journal articles, reliable organisations etc...save all valid and suitable material to a specific file. The file should be name UNE T2 ENAB101 Task or Assessment No. Your surname and Initial. Save as much as possible as a PDF.

ALL assertions you are making are not your opinion, they need to be support by quality evidence. You then need to quote or paraphrase to support that assertion.

4. Set up your assessment task plan. Start with a title page -

UNE T2 ENAB101 Assessment Task No. Coordinator Your name and Student Number Word count Due date.

Then add these headings while you are getting use to this structure but remove the headings in the final edit.

Introduction paragraph

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying.

Connecting sentence- what will we talk about first.

Preferable to have none or minimal references.

1st paragraph - most important concept.

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Add references.

Connecting sentence to the next point.

2nd paragraph - next major point.

Topic sentence - 1 idea per paragraph

Content - what is this paragraph saying. Add references.

Connecting sentence to the next point.

3rd paragraph etc...

Conclusion paragraph No need to say 'in conclusion'- that should be obvious!

Topic sentence - what did this task say, no new information.

Content - what was covered, nothing new.

Concluding sentence, wrap up your argument. Preferable to have none or minimal references.

Reference List APA 7 style

5. Add the question to the top of the page, so you can refer back to it constantly. Remove in the final edit.

6. Make notes to determine your three or four points you will be discussing in order of importance to answering the question.

7. Set a topic sentence, of how you are going to approach answering the question. What content you will be covering and then start writing.......

8. Edit, edit, edit, read it out aloud to yourself. Draft, draft, draft, read it out aloud to yourself. Listen for tone, tense, grammar etc....Use Studiosity to check your work.

9. Save this to the same file as you have saved your research and email it to yourself, then

10. Upload.

16. Written reports

This is the only form of writing that has headings, graphs or bullet points. See specific information for each task in your unit outlines: this is a general outline only.

17. Put this up on your wall

We only do not know what we have not been taught or experienced.

If you want this, you will achieve this.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Please let me assist you, working as a team.

Best wishes