usually If you USUALLY find it difficult to get down to study it might be worth thinking about the course that you are doing and whether it is, in fact, the most appropriate for you. Ideally you will have a desk where you will do your writing and perhaps you'll have a comfortable chair near the desk where you can do the less-intensive reading. One way of settling down to study is by not immediately going into your hardest and most demanding work. You can organise your notes (perhaps prioritising the folders or books you are going to be looking at) or tidy your desk so that you have a clear space to work on. But be careful that these tasks don't extend too long; sometimes it's too easy to put off studying by finding small chores to do.
sometimes If you SOMETIMES have difficulty, this is extremely common, and you might consider ensuring that you always sit down in the same place to study. Ideally you will have a desk where you will do your writing and perhaps you'll have a comfortable chair near the desk where you can do the less-intensive reading. Another thing you need to bear in mind is the time of the day when you function the best. There is not much point sitting down at six o'clock in the morning if you're not usually much of a morning person.
usually USUALLY: Keeping well-organised notes for your subjects is one of the easier tasks you will face. It is fairly easy to get hold of separate folders or notebooks and work out whether you are going to put all your lecture notes and tutorial notes in the same or separate sections. You might want to do some colour coding and use the same colour folders for a particular subject.
sometimes SOMETIMES: If you can organise yourself to review notes within twenty-four hours of writing them, you'll be able to recall them better. In the week after you take notes, your recall begins to decline, but if you have already revised them you can usually improve your recall pretty quickly. Ideally, you would schedule your revision sessions after one day has elapsed, then after a week, after a month, and then when you are studying for exams. If you do this, each session helps bring it all back, decreasing the amount you have to try to remember just before exams.
usually USUALLY: Summarising readings is essential for high marks. If you never summarise material from suggested texts, you will find that you have a very narrow view of the material.
sometimes SOMETIMES: Sometimes lectures and tutorials will contain all you need to know to pass a particular subject. However, if you see yourself as a genuine learner - as somebody who is studying to learn something, not just to get a piece of paper at the end - the more understanding you have of a topic or subject, the better for you.
usually USUALLY: Even time spent waiting at a bus stop or on the train can be used to study throughout the semester. As you are finishing off your final assignments, get your notes sorted and organised. Finish any photocopying, borrow any last books from the library, and draw up a study timetable. Realistic time management is the key to successful exam preparation, so you are well advised to make as detailed a plan as possible. You will need to adjust it as you go. It's better to underestimate the time you have at your disposal. It's probably a good idea to begin with your first scheduled exam so you can get the subject under your belt and experience the resulting confidence. Ensure that your family is aware of the extra pressure you will be under for the next couple of weeks. The pattern of the days can be varied by including some time for sport, household chores, shopping, or getting together over coffee with some classmates. Allow time for short breaks to walk the dog or chat to a friend, and don't forget to have lunch and dinner. Be realistic about your needs when drawing up a timetable. The subject you find most difficult will probably need most time. The shorter exam will probably require less preparation. If two of your subjects tend to interfere with each other and confuse you, space them well apart. If the reverse happens and you find the two subjects connecting up take advantage of it. Keep evaluating how you are keeping to the timetable. Don't forget you are the boss of the study timetable not the other way around. It is supposed to work for you, so change it if you want to.
sometimes SOMETIMES: It obviously depends on your timetable whether you do assignments immediately as they are handed out, or whether you need to put them off until you've completed three assignments that are due for other subjects. Some revision for some students is best done - not at the very last minute - but certainly only a short time before the exam. You need to find out which system suits you best.
usually USUALLY: If you worry about your studies all the time, this suggests that you may be going through a very stressful period, and you should probably seek help from CALT Learning Support, where you can be counselled about your study skills, or from the Monash Counselling Service 
. Don't be frightened of exams. The excessive stress created by too much fear can jeopardise your chances more than anything else. Familiarise yourself with the examination process by remembering the features of exams you have sat in the past: the importance of arriving for the reading time, the size of the room, the sight of many students poised to write, finding your seat, shutting out the noise of shuffling feet, etc.
sometimes SOMETIMES: It all depends on what the word worry means, doesn't it? If you never give your studies a second thought, it may mean that you are not particularly interested in them, which would not be good. However, if you worry about them only at exam time, this suggests that there hasn't been a great deal of thought and reflection during the semester.
usually USUALLY: Concentration depends on mind and body. If your body feels good, your mind can work at its optimum level. So remember the three things the body needs: exercise, food, and rest. Twenty minutes of continuous exercise three times a week at least is desirable. Unless you have any particular health problems, a diet high in grains, fruit and vegetables, sparing with meat and dairy foods, and low in sugar and fats will be best for you. Remember too, that coffee can help keep you awake, but it can also keep you from getting the sleep that you need. How much sleep you need depends on your own constitution. Resist the temptation to either have too much or too little. Another suggestion is to think of your goals. Your long term goals might include doing well in the subject, finishing your course, becoming an electrical engineer. If you have a goal in mind it is often easier to concentrate on the task in hand. Alternatively, you can think about short term goals (e.g. "If I finish writing up this prac tonight by 9.30, I can watch my favourite TV program."). If you always find it difficult to concentrate on your work, you need to consider if you are in fact doing the course that is right for you.
sometimes SOMETIMES: If concentration problems only happen sometimes, this is perfectly natural. Make sure you are taking short breaks. If talking and pooling knowledge comes easily to you, maybe you are better off studying part of the time in a group.
usually USUALLY: You might experiment with different notetaking methods. Try not to rewrite notes at length: for revision, you should be abbreviating them. You might concentrate on taking down the notes as diagrams or pictures or using different coloured pens, indenting, capitalising, and so on. You can use any method you like in order to make your notetaking clearer.
sometimes SOMETIMES: In order to understand your notes when revising, it is important to have taken the notes carefully in the first place. Always use opportunities to ask your lecturer if there is something you do not understand - during the lecture if possible, otherwise at a convenient time afterward. For short-answer exams, try writing outline answers in point form as quickly as you can.
usually USUALLY: It's probably not a good idea to always have your studies on your mind. Remember, though, that many experts claim to gain their best insights when they are away from their work doing something quite different.
sometimes SOMETIMES: If questions and propositions often float into your mind even when you are doing other things, this is probably a good thing. It probably means that your studies are engaging you and that you are interested in making connections and seeing similarities between areas you would not have seen when you were trying to concentrate at your desk.
usually USUALLY: Before university, it is very common for students to learn material by rote memorising. Once you start studying at the tertiary level, it is preferable for students to demonstrate understanding of the material, to be able to apply theories to solve problems, and to be able to look for evidence to support a generalisation.
sometimes SOMETIMES: Sometimes rote learning is appropriate. Examinations for some subjects can involve knowing exact wordings, formulas or code which are essential for knowing how to solve problems. In some cases, you may find it easier to learn something by heart before attempting to understand the implications or how it can be applied. You may, for example, find it efficient to rote-learn names, dates, and definitions concerning certain theories before exploring the issues surrounding them.
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