Study Tips

Plan Your Time

Where Do the Hours Go? - Time management tips from the APA

Time Management Strategies for Grad Students - from Quinnipiac University

Read Efficiently

Expect to read a lot for your MSW courses.

Pre-reading can help. When reading an article, start with the abstract, then skim headers, topic sentences, and conclusions. In a book, the introduction often will summarize the argument and provide brief summaries of each chapter. Skimming before you read will give you a road map to show how information fits together.

This article by U-M librarians summarizes research on speed reading and recommends strategies for reading more efficiently.

These resources will help you read journal articles more effectively:

How to Read (and Understand) a Social Science Journal Article - from U-M ICPSR
Active Reading Strategies - from Princeton University
Strategies for Reading Scholarly Articles Effectively from Oakland University
Annotated journal article - written by Dr. Laura Lein and colleagues, annotated by Betsy Williams

Save and Organize Your Work

Save Your Work!

Save early and often. Some software will autosave, and some will not.

Save files to a jump drive and/or to your laptop for convenience.

And save to the cloud.

As U-M students, you have vast storage space available to you on Google Drive. Use it. This way, if your device were ever damaged, lost, or stolen, you would not lose all your work.

You can access Google Drive from your U-M email; use the icon at top right. (Here's a screenshot.)

This page explains how to get started with Google Drive.

Note: if you are working with sensitive information, like human subjects data, ask your unit about security requirements for accessing, using and saving information.

Save Journal Articles as pdf Files

Do you want to save the articles you use, and take them with you after you graduate?

If so, plan now. Citation management tools save links to articles, not the full text of the actual articles. After you graduate and leave U-M, you will not have full access to all of the online resources you currently enjoy. So consider saving pdf versions of your articles to the cloud.

Read more about computing services for alumni. (Details may change from year to year.)

Name Your Files Clearly and Logically

Your life will be easier if you can find those files you have saved.

Develop and use a file naming system which works for you. Here are a few suggestions:

For papers and projects for class, your file names might:

include the course number
include the date (If you have multiple versions of one document, dates let you identify the newest. You could also use version numbers.)
include your name, especially if you upload the document

For your resume, goal statement, and cover letters, your file names might:

include your name
include one or two words to identify the position you are applying for
include the date, maybe

For pdf files of journal articles, the filename might include the author's last name and the year of publication.

Organize Your Files

Your life will be easier if your files, with their beautifully clear names, are organized. Many students use a separate folder or tag for each class. Create a system that will work for you.

Store backup files in multiple locations (use the cloud!) and use the same organizational plan for each location.

And whenever you upload documents (like assignments or application materials) to a website, be sure to keep an electronic copy for yourself.

Ask for Help

You are literally surrounded by resources to help you succeed. Please feel free to contact any of the following SSW people:

Your faculty are here to teach you - maintain good communication with them.
Betsy Williams, Writing Skills & Study Skills Coordinator, can help you with writing.
Darlene Nichols, Social Work Librarian, can help you with library research.
- So can U-M's online Ask a Librarian service.
SSW Career Services will help you with all aspects of your job search, even after you graduate.
The Office of Student Services and Enrollment Management will help you with myriad other issues.

We are here for you. Contact us.