Independent Learning

See this page for more information and tips for studying online [https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/301/study-skills/everyday-skills/remote-study ].

How much time should you spend working?

You should expect to spend around thirty six hours each week on your academic studies. The University guideline is that all students should spend a total of about 1200 hours on academic study and assessment each year (40 hours per week over 30 weeks). At Level 1, a typical week will consist of up to eighteen “contact hours” of teaching during each week. This means that you should expect to spend an additional eighteen hours each week on upgrading your lecture notes, reading appropriate texts, and working on tutorial/homework assignments.

Office hours

As well as lectures and tutorials, each of your courses will include a weekly office hour, where you are able to get individual help and guidance from your lecturer. You can find out when the office hours are, and arrangements for them, on your course Blackboard page. Your lecturers will likely use Google Hangouts (Meet) for this, with bookable calendar slots.

Ways to access this calendar should be given in your course Blackboard page. Once you've booked a slot, your Google calendar will include the joining link for the meeting. You can also find out more about Hangouts here [https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/it-services/google/meet].

It might seem scary and intimidating to attend an office hour with a lecturer, but remember that your lecturers want to help with your learning and there is no judgement if the topics you need help with are not from the current week of learning.

Discussion boards

Each course on Blackboard will include a Discussion Board, which you can use to post questions about the course material.

Top 5 tips for discussion boards for students

1. Get involved. Taking part in discussions makes your learning active (using your knowledge) rather than passive (only absorbing knowledge). As a result, you’re more likely to remember the facts or ideas you’ve learned.

2. Be clear and concise. Try to keep to a single point in your post as this will make the discussion easier to follow and only post if it's relevant to the discussion. If you want to talk about a different topic, consider setting up a separate thread.

3. Check your spelling. Use a plugin like Grammarly or better still write out your comment in a google or word document first - that way you’ll have a record of them. They might come in useful as a starting point for future assignments.

4. Start a conversation. Have a go at responding to a post that your classmate has left. Use open-ended questions that cannot be answered using “yes” or “no” to encourage discussion.

5. Be nice! This is not a YouTube comment section.

Organising your studies

One of the best routes to being successful in your studies is effective use of your time. As a student you need to find the right balance between relaxation and study. An indication of the minimum amount of time you should spend each week on your academic work has already been given above. Part of this time is fixed with regular lectures, practical classes and tutorials. You will also have deadlines for handling in course work. Examination dates will also be announced well in advance. These fixed times form a framework for the whole academic year, within which you can organise your time. You should make a note of all the fixed dates, in your diary or on a wall planner, so that you can plan your tasks for the year ahead.

Weekly study plans are also an important way of using your time efficiently. Each week you could make a chart, and enter details for that week, starting with the times of your lectures, practical classes and tutorials. Mark in any other commitments you have for the week. You should then allocate blocks of time sufficient to prepare for events such as preparation for practical classes and tutorial work. You may need to plan over a longer time span than a week for some of these. You should aim to plan other study time during periods when you know you can study most effectively (when this is, is a wholly individual matter). Your weekly plan should include reasonable amounts of time for eating, sleeping, travelling, exercising and relaxing. It is only meant to be a guide and so it needs to be both flexible and realistic.

Studying effectively

Everyone works and studies in their own way. There is no one way of studying which can be guaranteed to work for all students. To be successful in your studies you must develop your own study skills - try out different techniques, select the ones that work for you and stick with them. Effective study requires a comfortable place to work, minimal distraction and accessible books and notes.

Length of study periods is important but again this is an individual matter. Long sessions are not always advisable and should certainly contain a few short breaks. Make sure you have a short break between each study session. You need to set yourself a realistic goal within the time limit of your study session. You may wish to use it to check and expand lecture notes, to work on a set of tutorial questions, or to read a chapter in a textbook. Whatever your goal, do not try to do too much in one go.

Try to concentrate while you are studying. Concentration involves actively processing the material being presented. The length of time for which you can concentrate fully will vary, of course, but unless you can concentrate, your study sessions will not be productive. If you are finding it hard to concentrate then try switching to another subject. A short break may also restore your concentration. If you find you cannot concentrate any longer, then take it as a signal to stop studying and relax.

Effective reading varies according to the material you are reading. To gain an understanding of what you are reading you might, for example, first scan the text quickly to get a broad overview of what it contains. Then read it again more slowly, picking out the main facts and ideas and how they are developed. Finally read it again in detail. You should aim to read with attention and comprehension, making sure you understand all the important concepts and, at the same time, carefully evaluating the material in the light of what you already know. This is the stage when you might find it helpful to make notes of the more important ideas and facts and to summarise the key points.

Library Facilities

The University Library provides 24-hour access to a huge range of ebooks and online reading (including online journals) as well as advice to help you find, use and reference information effectively. You’ll find all the information you need on the Library’s Getting Started guide [https://sheffield.libguides.com/gettingstarted].

Finding reading for your course

Your modules may have a list of recommended reading - look for the Resource List link in the Blackboard area for your modules. If you can't find a Resource List in Blackboard ask your tutor about recommended reading for your course.

StarPlus is the Library’s online search tool. Use it to find wider reading for your assignments, such as ebooks, online journals, articles, and more. Find out more by watching our Using StarPlus video, given here.

Developing your skills

The ‘Study’ web pages provide links to the following:

You can find a subject-specific guide here [https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/idlt/subject/mathematics]

Help and support

  • For general enquiries, contact Library Help (by email library@sheffield.ac.uk, by phone 0114 222 7200, by Live Chat), or speak to a member of library staff

  • Each department has a librarian and you can find the name of yours here. Contact them for advice about finding reading for your studies or with any other questions you have relating to library support for your course

  • If you’re looking for a book or article the Library doesn’t have, contact library@sheffield.ac.uk and we’ll do our best to help you

Library sites

There are four different library sites on campus. For the latest updates on accessing each site and borrowing books, visit the Library webpages.