Effective study skills are the sole foundation of a sound education

The above is achieved through long term development and the desire to invest time and effort into enhancing greater knowledge. We all bring our own skills to the table from our own life experiences, but by developing skills through genuine study activities will lead to self-development and finding out which study skills work best for you. “If you are to succeed as a student, you have to believe that success is possible for you.” (Cottrell, 2013 pg. 43).
In the book “The Good Study Guide”, Northedge 2007 explains Kolb’s principal of the learning cycle and how to become a reflective learner. (Northedge, A 2007, pp. 20-21).
Planning; knowing what the task is, and the deadlines you have to meet, and how you family, work, and social life works round about it. This will help you develop your time management.
Reflecting; looking back over you studies and asking what you have achieved. Did you achieve everything you set out to do within the time lines and what challenges were put in your way and how you dealt with them.
Conceptualising; by reviewing how successful the task in hand was.
Another consideration is individuals learning abilities and opportunities. The modern world has greater expectation for success. Society plays a huge part in our certain values and beliefs. Often children tend to follow in the paths of their parents or peers regarding education whereas many surrounded by a situation of hopelessness and despair have an inner determination to achieve better things. Past experiences may also affect student’s ability to believe that they are capable of doing well. Sternberg (1985). Cited in Cottrell, (2013). People learn easier in different learning environments and what works well for one may be totally different for another.
To achieve well a student must have the ability to take control of their work. Rolling along with no direction or no real plan of attack is hopeless. Managing to study with full concentration enables the mind to expand and to engage you in a whole new way of thinking. Connecting with your studies opens the mind to new realms, where half-hearted concentration will only lead to low self-esteem and disappointment.
In order to learn we must be exposed to new ideas, information, situations and new challenges. (Cottrell, Fourth Edition 2013 pg. 69). Personal learning and thinking skills as supported by the Department of Education and Skills will enable people to become more confident and successful learners. A Confederation of Business Industries Employments Trends Survey (eurofound.europa.eu 2006) stated that high proportions of employers were dissatisfied with the business awareness (70%), self-management (65%) and foreign language skills (61%) of school leavers and many young people are lacking even in communication skills. Would it be fair to say that our education system is in some way flawed in respect of many children leaving school without a basic understanding of learning skills?
It is therefore understood that effective study skills are not the sole foundation of a sound education but it is a combination of study, generic background and self-development.

REFERENCES

CBI survey highlights adverse impact of recent employment legislation http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2006/10/articles/uk0610049i.html [accessed online 02/08/2013]
Cottrell, S. (2013) The Study Skills Handbook, Fourth Edition, London, Palgrave MacMillan
Northedge, A. (2007) The Good Study Guide, Second Edition, Malta, The Open University

References: CBI survey highlights adverse impact of recent employment legislation http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2006/10/articles/uk0610049i.html [accessed online 02/08/2013] Cottrell, S. (2013) The Study Skills Handbook, Fourth Edition, London, Palgrave MacMillan Northedge, A. (2007) The Good Study Guide, Second Edition, Malta, The Open University