Opinion Piece

Throughout this semester, I have conducted research into how university students study, and whether they believe their preferred method of studying is satisfactory or not. Studying is a critical part of life as a university student, as it allows us to build on our knowledge, and eventually pass our exams at the conclusion of each semester (Lairio, Puukari, & Kouvo, 2013). Exam week can be a stressful time, and the appropriately tailored study method can aid in reducing such anxieties in students (Chapell et al, 2005). And so, my aim was to help students determine whether their study method worked for them in order to help them achieve the best possible grades on their journey through higher education. If they are not satisfied, my research findings can hopefully provide insight into what other students are doing that does work, which can be used as a guideline to develop a better study method. As my research progressed, I came to the conclusion that actions need to be taken in order to increase the overall satisfaction level, which I believe can be achieved at an institutional level (Lizzio, Wilson, & Simons, 2010).

But first, a bit of background; my research findings were accumulated through various methods; all including consenting participants that are currently enrolled in BCM212 at the University of Wollongong and are over the age of eighteen. I utilised Twitter as the main communication channel between myself and my participants where I created poles and engaged with students. I also used Twitter to promote my surveys, which allowed for further elaboration on how university students study, and their satisfaction level with such methods. I choose this platform as my main communication method as that is the social media platform that BCM students are most encouraged to use, and so engagement was easier to gain. I decided to split my project into three phases – (1) study methods, (2) how time was used when studying, and finally, (3) satisfaction level. These phases were reflected in my research method wherein I conducted two short surveys for Phases 1 and 2, and interviews for Phase 3. Each survey had a sample size of 36 current BCM212 students. Everyone involved was a willing participant, whom were, and are still able to, withdraw from the study at any time (Sin, 2005). The interviews focused on consenting participants whom were given the chance to further discuss their experience with study.

My most surprising, and pivotal finding was the fact that 69.2% of participants were never taught a specific methodical way to study. I conducted a pole on Twitter, asking the same question, and out of the 23 responses, 87% said the same. This really solidified that study methods would vary drastically amongst students (Credé & Kuncel, 2008). However, when asked whether we should be taught how to study the answers from my interviewees differed; Student A confessed that they were still trying to learn how to study during their first-year exams, and that being taught how to study would have benefitted them. On the other hand, Student B suggested that no, we should not be taught how to study as different methods work for different students. Although, this student also suggested that instead we be taught how certain methods can be harmful, such as “staying up…late just before an exam and skipping breakfast”.

Furthermore, in terms of individual study methods, the survey results varied in range. For example, 53.8% of students prefer to use notes that are handwritten, as opposed to printed. This highlights that students absorb content simply by writing it out, which is a topic that I researched via secondary sources and found that such a percentage was mirrored in other studies (Pauk & Owens, 2013). This could be beneficial to teach students. Further, when looking at how students use their time when studying, 40% of respondents procrastinate for over an hour, 80% said they find it harder to get back on track after procrastinating, and as a consequence, 46.2% believe that they are not studying enough. This highlights that a large number of students are struggling with time management during study periods, which is something that can be improved (Nonis & Hudson, 2010).

With regard to overall satisfaction, I chose to only ask students whether they were happy about their preferred study method in the interviews, as it allowed for more elaboration than a simple yes/no question could provide (Rowley, 2012). When asking about satisfaction, I wanted to focus on grades, and an overall feeling of accomplishment after studying. In their interview, Student A mentioned that they are happy with their grades because they believe they put in enough effort and are consequently satisfied with how they study. Student A also comments on the fact that they would have preferred to have been aware of alternate ways to study than just what they figured out for themselves. Contrastingly, Student B does not believe they are getting the grades they want to achieve in certain subjects and is not satisfied with how long they study for. They do not think they have the right methods in place to keep the grade work up. These differences between the two interviews show that some university students believe that they can further improve their grades by tweaking their study methods.

And so, as mentioned earlier, based on the satisfaction levels, I do believe study method programs should be instilled at an institutional level in the first year of university, in order to give examples to students of how they can study and how they can manage their time. I think that a variety of options should be given to allow for students to be able to decide what works best for them. I also think that discouraging bad study habits is also important. Moreover, as it is clear that most students do not get taught how to study prior to university, I believe it would be beneficial for students to have an optional subject, or even a yearly seminar wherein the university can provide guidelines that help deal with studying in undergraduate courses. This may help alleviate stresses around exam time and help students to achieve their desired marks throughout their undergraduate career (Mashayekh & Hashemi, 2011).

References

Chapell, MS, Blanding, BZ, Silverstein, ME, Takahshi, M, Newman, B, Gubi, A & McCann, N 2005, ‘Test Anxiety and Academic Performance in Undergraduate and Graduate Students’, Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 268-274.

Credé, M & Kuncel, NR 2008, ‘Study Habits, Skills, and Attitudes: The Three Pillar Supporting Collegiate Academic Performance’, Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 425-453.

Lairo, M, Puukari, S & Kouvo, A 2013, ‘Studying at University as Part of University Life and Identity Construction’, Scandinavian Journal of Education, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 115-131.

Lizzio, A, Wilson, K & Simons, R 2010, ‘University Students’ Perception of the Learning Environment and Academic Outcomes: Implications for Theory and Practice’, Studies in Higher Education, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 27-52.

Mashayekh, M & Hashemi M 2011, ‘Recognizing, Reducing and Coping with Test Anxiety: Causes, Solutions, and Recommendations’, Procedia – Social and Behavioural Sciences, vol. 30, pp. 2149, 2155.

Nonis, SA & Hudson, GI 2010, ‘Performance of College Students: Impact of Study Time and Study Habits’, Journal of Education for Business, vol. 85, no. 4, pp. 229-238.

Pauk, W & Owens, RJQ 2013, How to Study in College, Cengage Learning, London.

Rowley, J 2012, ‘Conducting Research Interviews’, Management Research Review, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 260-272.

Sin, CH 2005, ‘Seeking Informed Consent: Reflections on Research Practice’, Sociology, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 277-294.