Study tips

The format of what follows is rather 'tongue in cheek', but the message is serious. It is primarily meant to apply to my 'Understanding Patterns of Action' module, but I think something similar would apply to a lot of the other work you do in the School too. It describes the main ways my students have approached their studies in the past, and the outcomes they achieved. (A more orthodox description of the levels and requirements for work in the School of Psychology is given in the student handbook and elsewhere.)

How to get a C- (or thereabouts)

Attend some of the lectures. Make some notes. Try to memorise them shortly before the exam. Write exam answers that reproduce some of the lecture material in a superficial, rather muddled way.

How to get a C+ (or thereabouts)

Attend the lectures. Make good notes. Revise them repeatedly before the exam. Write exam answers that reproduce appropriate lecture material clearly and accurately. (This is the strategy that some students think will get them an A!)

How to get a B (or thereabouts)

Attend the lectures. Make good notes. Read some of the main items on the reading list. Write exam answers that use the content and structure of the lecture as a basic framework, adding in additional details taken from your own reading.

How to get an A (or thereabouts)

Attend the lectures. Make good notes. Read extensively using the reading list as a starting point to explore the published literature and the Web. Think about the topic and the issues. Work through them in your mind until you can see them from different perspectives, and explain them in different ways. Write exam answers that reflect your thoughts on, and knowledge of, the topic rather mine. Bring in relevant issues, ideas, evidence, explanations and examples that go beyond the lecture material itself.