Training in higher educational institution is quite different from the process in school and involves many hours of independent work. Especially in recent years, when with the advent of the Internet, students have access to multiple sources of information, tutorials, and can grip a huge quantity of information without the help of a teacher.
The diversity of contemporary literature enables us to find the book, even of the most rare publications. Foreign textbooks are given in translation agency and made available to students around the world, lecture materials are “filled” in the network – all information is available to anyone who wants to learn.
In order to achieve success in studying at higher education institution, to get only positive marks and demonstrate own knowledge from the best side, a systematic hard work is required. Only the proper organization of the educational process will help to master the total knowledge, skills and abilities that are required for a graduate in job search.
According to the researches of the institutes’ and universities’ work the training lessons for students are planned for average of 6-7 hours a day. But in order to assimilate the knowledge and use time in the most effective way, it is preferably to spend 9-10 hours for training daily, from 54 to 60 hours weekly. Thus, approximately 3-4 hours per day must be spend on the self-study, which is at the correct load distribution would be sufficient.
The experience of higher education institution shows that during lectures a student can remember about 65% of listened information and store it in the short term memory. In order to transfer the information into long-term memory, it is necessary to repeat and consolidate lecture material as soon as possible (preferably immediately, in a few hours after listening to a lecture or even the same day).
Depending on the specialty and the faculty, the duration of independent study student divides in different proportions between:
- Study of the lecture material, which is based on lecture notes;
- Solution of tasks that are given by the teachers on practical training;
- Homework, which are given at the lecture;
- Reading and note-taking of individual sections of the recommended textbooks and teaching aids that supplement the lecture material;
- Preparation for laboratory work, practical training and seminars, workshops, test papers;
- Fulfillment of course work;
- Translation of foreign text, etc.
The better memorization of the lecture material should not be limited solely to lecture note-taking – the use of recommended textbooks and manuals is desirable. This will give the opportunity to not only get additional new information, but also a better understanding and memorization of learning information during the lecture.
The best option is to plan independent study during late afternoon – coming home after a lecture, it is desirable to relax, escape for an hour or two and then start studying. Do not leave training for the late evening, when the body already requires rest and drowsiness does not let to learn material currently – time will be simply wasted.
The fulfillment of case studies, laboratory and test works should be made after repeating the lecture material and reviewing recommended reading. Indeed, certain tasks are required to test and reinforce the knowledge, which after listening to lectures is not enough. Therefore, the written and practical work are carried out in the last turn, when the student’s head already has a systematic picture of the information.
