The following was posted by user tonype in the student forum on the Open Universities Australia web site and contains what I think is a very sensible and effective approach to studying externally:
I have completed my Bachelor of Arts degree through Monash/OUA and I took great pleasure today in sending off my application to graduate. I have never participated much in study groups or discussion boards but I decided that I would lodge my study tips on this forum before I logged off from OUA for the last time. Other people might take a very different approach, but this is what worked for me.
Firstly, motivation is very important. I find that studying is fun and I thoroughly enjoyed almost all my courses. It is almost impossible however, to enjoy everything and there are times when the course material is boring, frustrating, or difficult. At times like this you have to be truly motivated to get that degree.
Secondly, being organised is vital. I planned my degree through detailing all 24 units on a study plan. I looked up when courses were available, took into account likely holidays, Christmas breaks etc. and determined exactly when I was going to do each course. My study plan changed frequently, particularly when new courses were offered or courses were dropped, but I always took care to keep an up to date study plan in front of me. As soon as I received each study periods course materials I noted the assignment due dates and the exam dates on a calendar. Then I started each course by focusing almost exclusively on completing the assignments. Very often it was not possible to commence the assignments until I had worked through a great deal of the course material, but I always kept focused on working out what I needed to know in order to complete the assignments. Only after I had completed all the assignments did I focus on the exam. In some courses the effort required to complete the assignments meant that I had to do little more than revise for the exam. In other courses I had to prepare for the exam by covering the material I had omitted while tackling the assignments.
Thirdly, it is essential to study systematically. It is very hard to complete a degree through part-time distance learning without being systematic. Some sacrifices are required but it is also a mistake to allow studying to disrupt ones entire life. I was fairly disciplined in sticking to a study routine. There were exceptions, holidays, work trips, work and school functions etc., but in general I always studied on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I played tennis on Wednesdays and I kept Fridays and Saturdays free. On those occasions when I found myself under pressure I got up early in the mornings to get in a few hours extra study. It is however, most important to keep up to date throughout each course. I never once had to defer a course or apply for an assignment extension, and yet, in common with many others, I had my share of personal dramas during the three and a half years it took to complete my degree. This is just a provocative thought, but I suggest that the day you apply for a course deferment or assignment extension is the day that finishing your degree is going to get just that tiny little bit less likely.
Fourthly, it is important to study in an efficient manner. Some material needs to be read very carefully, digested and understood. Background reading can be fun and enriching, but it is important to distinguish between material that needs to be read for background purposes and material that needs to be studied. I found that the only way to get to grips with “study†material was to read carefully, make notes and summarise the main points and arguments. I read plenty of background stuff on the beach, next to the pool, in aeroplanes, or with on eye on the TV, but I sat at my desk and made notes when it came to the serious bit of extracting information for assignment essays or preparing for an exam. The only material that will truly sink in is the stuff you read with a pen in your hand – or should I say keyboard at your fingertips?
Fifthly, passing or doing well is all about scoring marks. It is an old mantra but it needs to be repeated endlessly – answer the question! It does not matter how much you know, you will not score good marks if you do not answer the set question/s. Then never forget the age-old formula of introduction, argument, and conclusion. It works every time. Tertiary study, and distance study in particular, is a lonely activity and usually the only feedback is from tutors assignment comments. I benefited enormously from adopting the various tutors recommendations, but it was occasionally frustrating to receive contradictory advice. Only once did I find it necessary to contact a tutor directly to seek clarification – over an ambiguously worded question. Beware of wasting too much time on so-called study groups. They might help in terms of motivation or in providing a form of social interaction, but they are no substitute for doing the hard yards yourself.
Thats it. Getting motivated and organised, studying systematically and efficiently, and becoming a mark scoring machine is all that it takes! The Open Universities system is fantastic and I can not praise OUA highly enough. Work hard, enjoy learning and hang in tough – it is worth it in the long run.
Regards and best wishes,
Tony