May 19, 2012

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Study Groups

Common Mistakes Students Make When Trying to Study

December 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Ed's 6th Grade Class, 1964
Image by euthman via Flickr

For most of the college students, studying successfully is a challenge. Some common mistakes m students make are:
-Being Absent in Class
Students miss classes while they are in college. This can be due to unavoidable circumstances but it’s a must to be present in the class most of the time
-Failing to take proper notes
Students enter college life without knowing how to take proper notes by listening. To do this, one can refer to articles that give you tips on taking effective class notes.
-Failing to be Punctual
Students who manage various academic activities need to know how to manage time well.
- Doing a Last Minute Study
In colleges, it’s quite common to do lat minute studies. It’s not possible to perform well by studying overnight for an exam. For those who can’t avoid it all of a sudden, it’s important to try to study by drawing a schedule.
- Putting off tasks
Putting off tasks due to getting engrossed in Facebook or video games leads to last minute study.
-Failure to Follow Instructions
Most of the students fail to follow the instructions given by professors in class, which ultimately leads to low grades.
- Depending Upon Others
Few students ask their friends to take notes on their behalf which needs to be done only in case of necessity.
- Relying Upon Internet
Since a plethora of information can be easily accessed by students, they fail to check the details for accuracy. Compare online information with books and other resources.

-Copying
Students tend to copy or plagiarize other person’s work in order to meet the deadline.

- Failure to Seek Assistance
Professors don’t hesitate to clarify the doubts of students. In case you have any questions approach the professor in charge.
Not everyone is perfect and it’s important to learn how to study. Putting in your best efforts to study successfully can help you a great deal.

Filed Under: Education, Study Groups Tagged With: , ,

Design a Study Group that Avoids GroupThink

December 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Iraq Study Group Report
Image by Steve Rhodes via Flickr

Among the various drawbacks involved in small groups, Groupthink takes top priority. If someone suggests this idea, it is accepted without taking into consideration the other available options.
An effective study group can be formed by avoiding groupthink and adopting the following strategies.
- First and foremost, a list of questions for which the answers are not clearly known is prepared by one of the group members. Once this is done, the questions can be put forth to the professor, provided there is ample time.
-Ample time should be spent on discussing the material. If this is not doe, the first idea is accepted in a hurry.
-Before approaching the group, the members should be well prepared by referring their notes. This helps in indentifying the wrong answers given by one of the group members. For this, it’s necessary that you attend classes regularly and inculcate the habit of taking notes. Do not rely upon the group or expect the members to supply you information.
- Do not waste your time by inviting someone who is not interested to join your group. Such people will not be in a position to make any valuable contribution to the group. Groupthink can be prevented if you do this.
-It’™s important to avoid members who seem to be too dominating. Normally, in a group, one of the members volunteers to be the leader. This is helpful if he or she leads the group in the right way. A good leader is one who contributes ideas and at the same time is willing to listen and accept the ideas of other group members. If this is not the case, do not choose such a leader.
-Being in a group does not mean that you shouldn’t disagree on certain points. If the idea provided by one of the group members is questionable, then you can voice out what you think but without getting into a conflict.

Filed Under: Education, Student Teacher Reviews, Study Groups Tagged With: , , , ,

Tips for Writing a Research Report

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Upon completion of research process and acceptance of the research proposal, a research study is written. Based on the purpose of the study, various formats can be used. The research report may be a thesis, an academic journal or for the purpose of internal review.
Contents of a Research Report
The various sections include summary, preface, techniques used, outcome and conclusion.
Summary
Summary is a concise outline about what the research is. Along with this info, the main findings need to be included. Since this forms the beginning paragraph, it needs to written well. The purpose of the study should be clearly stated and the word count may normally run from 200-400 words in length.
Preface
The background knowledge of the study is mentioned under this section. The length of this section varies and depends upon the research study.
Techniques Used
This section should explain how the research was carried out, in what kind of environment, study size and the kind of methods used.
Outcome
This part of the study deals with what exactly was studied. The information needs to be accurate and reasons for any errors in the data need to be mentioned. The results can be represented with the help of a chart or graph. The data presented under this section needs to be unbiased. The outcome part in the report highlights only the findings and no comments or interpretations are mentioned in this section.
Discussion
This is the last part of the report. Any interpretations made by the researcher are included in this section. In relation to the previous study made, comments on the findings are mentioned here. What was learned in the study is also included. It’s important to mention if the missing data or errors affected the study.
Any research that is carried out has certain limitations. A research report on a good study throws light on how the outcome outweighs the errors or limitations.

Filed Under: Education, Study Groups Tagged With: , , ,
Newer Posts »