Study Skills

Presentation
1st Year
 Be Organised!
A Study Timetable and Weekly Progress Sheet are
essential

Study Folder & Refill Pad will help you to organise your
studies

Recommended Study for First Years:

40 mins. per night plus homework

(not to exceed 2 hrs)
Subject Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun

Irish 20 m 20 m
English 20 m

Maths 20 m 20 m

French 20m

History 20 m

Geog 20 m

Science 20m 20 m

Business 20 m 20 m

German 20 m

CSPE 20 m
Subject Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7
Irish Litir
Dán
English Poem p9

Maths Sets
Fractions
French Verb “avoir”

History Archaeologist

Geog Primary
Resources
Science Energy
Food
Business Documents
Marketing
German Animals

CSPE Rights
 Your Study Area…
Make sure
the room is well lit

It’s free from distractions and noise

(No mobile phones )

You have everything you need to study

(Calculators/ Books / Work books / Refill Pad)
 Remember….

Listening in class is vital

Review what was learned in class as soon as possible

Try and complete homework on the day it’s given

 Improving Memory…
Studies indicate that 66% of material is forgotten
within 7 days if it is not reviewed or recited again
by the student

88% is gone after 6 weeks

 Tips For Making Study Easier…
Plan in advance what topic you are going to study

Break up tasks into small manageable sections (the

contents page of a book is helpful for this)

Try to base the topic around questions at the end of a

chapter or the topics your teacher has advised you to study

Start with the subject you find most difficult or dislike

Tips For Making Study Easier…
Be active while studying: take notes – recite out loud –
use flash cards – mind maps – test yourself

Take regular short breaks (5 - 10 mins. every 40 -60 mins.)

Eat properly – Take regular exercise – Reward yourself

 Studying Techniques
Mind Maps
Mind Maps are a very effective way of
studying and of trying to remember key
information
 Dairy Meat
Citrus Milk Fish
Oranges Cheese Eggs
Proteins
D (Growth &
C Repair) Butter
Oil
Vitamins Fatty
Fats Meat
Food (Energy &
Insulation)

Minerals

Carbohydrates
Iron (Energy)
(Red Blood Calcium
(Teeth &
Cells)
Bones)
Sugar Starch Fibre
Liver Milk
Cabbage Cheese
Jam Bran
Bread
Honey Brown
Potatoes
Bread
 Memory Techniques

Use acronyms - a word that is made up by taking

the first letters of all the key words or ideas you
need to remember and creating a new word out of
them. (Every good boy does fine- EGBDF)

 Make up a Sentence in which the first letter of

each word is part of or represents the initial of
what you want to remember. (Richard Of York
Gave Battle In Vain)
 Memory Techniques
• Visual image – Associate a visual image with a word or 
name to help you remember them better. (To remember 
the name Rosa Parks picture a woman sitting on a park 
bench surrounded by roses)

• Rhymes and alliteration (Thirty days hath September, 

April, June, and November)

• Chunking breaks a long list of numbers into smaller, 
more manageable chunks. (10-digit phone number 
(555-867-5309 as opposed to 5558675309).
 An Effective Memory Technique
Before starting a study period write down everything
you know about the topic (even if its only a few words)

 Then open the book. Quickly read through the

relevant section, taking brief notes
(don’t write sentences; only key words).

Now comes the important part. Quickly test your

knowledge by jotting down all you now know

Then check your notes to see how you did (if you
forget something write it down in red pen)
 Effective Memory Techniques

This method works for two reasons

1. Because you call on your brain to retrieve the
information before and after the session, your
brain learns that this is information it needs to
store
2. The act of testing yourself before and after gives
you a clear idea of where the gaps in your
knowledge are.
Common Words used in Exams
List: Just give the key words, no need to write long
sentences

Compare: this means you should give the

similarities and the differences between two things

Contrast: This means you need to only list

the differences between two things
 Common Words used in Exams
Analyse Break down a topic into its parts and discuss
the relationships that exist between the whole (topic)
and the parts. Be specific.

Define Give the exact meaning of a word, phrase or

concept. Be specific; use details and give examples

Evaluate Make a judgment on the topic in question

based on the information at hand and your own values
and experiences.
Common Words used in Exams
Outline Organize the main points and give
supporting statements or details.

Summarise Give an overview of the subject.

Identify  Mention the two or three most important

facts about a person or subject area. Watch for
directions that ask you to identify and explain briefly.
These require more than a few facts.
 Exam Techniques
Read the Questions !!!
Read the Questions !!
Read the Questions !!
Highlight key words
Plan your answer
 Doing The Exam…
• Always hand up your rough work with
your paper as you might get some marks
for formulae or calculations
(particularly in Maths)

• Do not leave any blanks – make sure

you have completed all parts of the
question (part of a question might be carried forward
onto the next page and you may not see it)
Recommended Study Time

First Years
40 mins. per day
Plus Homework
(Not
(Not to
to exceed
exceed 22 hours)
hours)
1. Butterfly 11. Guitar
2. House 12. Globe
3. Combination Lock 13. Rainbow
4. Apple 14. Telephone
5. Swivel Chair 15. Light Bulb
6. Pencil 16. Plant
7. Scissors 17. Kite
8. Computer 18. Aeroplane
9. Ice cream Cone 19. Hammer
10. Clock 20. Birthday Cake
GOOD LUCK
WITH
THE STUDY!