Organizing your course materials
Well begun is half done. Organizing your course materials at the onset is crucial to success in distance-learning study, and CHEM S251 has five blocks of study materials and some supplementary booklets. So it's a good idea to create a filing system in which you can get easy access to each item. You might want to consider a system of box files for your convenience since the boxes stack easily and hold lots of paper and booklets.
Your first package will include several types of printed materials that you will receive regularly throughout the course such as a content checklist, stop presses, errata sheets, as well as texts. A summary list of these materials is given below.
First, always check against the content checklist to ensure you have all the items listed. Then transfer the information from the stop press, errata sheet or Tutorial/Surgery/Lab Schedule to the appropriate places in the Academic Timetable and Study Calendar.
Administrative materials | Course materials |
Student handbook | Notes from Course Coordinator/tutor |
Material from the University | Content checklists |
Conditional registration information | Stop presses |
Academic timetable | Errata sheets |
Study calendar/lab schedule | Study text/glossary/lab manual |
Tutorial/surgery schedule | Notes from tutorials/study notes Assignment booklets Assignment feedback |
Once you have set up your filing system, it will be easy to sort each package you receive. It's also a good idea to pin up the academic timetable so you can easily check your schedule and your assignment due dates. This will help you schedule your time of study.
Organizing your study time
Set up a timetable for regular study. We recommend that you spend around eight hours a week. In the first couple of weeks, you may need a bit longer while you're getting used to the course, but after that, if you're spending more than 10 hours, review the way you are working and reduce the time.
Read the introduction and summary sections of the block you intend to work on before you go straight to the actual content. Don't try to read for too long at a stretch — you should take a short break every 30 minutes or so. You may find that it's helpful after the break to do the review questions in the textbook. This approach should help you use your time more effectively.
Tutorials and self-study group will allow you to discuss what you have learned with other people. Discussion and problem-solving will clarify ideas and concepts, strengthening your textual understanding.
Conclusion
Studying part time is a big commitment, especially when you have to juggle it with work and family commitments. There may be times when you feel a bit overburdened — if that's the case, don't hesitate to call on your tutor and fellow students. But above all, remember that chemistry is a very interesting and engaging subject. You need to work hard on CHEM S251, but we hope that you enjoy yourself as well. Good luck!