Guidance for your studies, and for planning your studies

Studying is work. A grown-up student like you has to come at things from their own angle, and pay special attention to their own learning, their own activity, their own commitment to their work, and their ability to work on their own. Studying can be easy and enjoyable; and at times it can be hard. You will learn study skills as you go along, and we here at the open university will help you with this, too. If you have problems, do not be miserable alone, but ask for help.

An open university student rarely studies full-time; you have other things going on that take up your time and energy. Because of this, you need to plan things out to keep your studies moving forward. Write your goals down as concrete steps: just writing something down helps tremendously, and you can better keep on track and evaluate your progress once you have a plan. Have goals, but also be realistic.

We encourage you to write down your own personal study plan (PSP): a list of what you will be studying and when, when the deadlines are and what you have to do (and when you have the time to do it), and what are your goals. Your PSP is not something for us, but your own tool for making sure you can do what you want to do. It is meant for you to keep your eyes on the goal, your feet on the schedule, and your mind on why you do what you do. Planning ahead also helps you understand the structure of your studies and keeps you motivated.

While you do your plan, consider how much time each part of it takes. One ECTS credit of studies means roughly 27 hours of work. Read the course information carefully to find out what sort of work this is: lectures, exercises, independent work, projects?

It is good that you are planning ahead; if you need any help, ask us here at the open university.

To look ahead, the Töissä website has career stories of university graduates for your inspiration.

How to concentrate better

• Build yourself a clear studying rhythm. Plan a time and a space where you can study.
• Make sure you can study in peace and quiet. If your home is noisy, libraries and campuses offer self-study spaces. If you are at a UEF campus, you as a student are free to use or reserve any room fit for this purpose.
• You can try noise cancelling headphones or music. Some people prefer complete silence, and others find proper background music good for keeping up the necessary energy.
• Studying doesn't need to mean sitting still. You can sit on an exercise ball, read or listen as you walk, or just sit up and stretch.
• Try time management tricks, such as pomodoro: first 25 minutes of work, then a five minute break, and then repeat.
• Put your phone on quiet. Give yourself time to concentrate.

You learn your way

Remember that quite often you are free to study in your own best way, and to find your own best way of studying; 27 hours per 1 ECTS credit is an estimate, and recommendations are recommendations. (While, however, deadlines are deadlines.) Some courses are harder than others, but that just means a bit more work before you're done.

To talk with our student guidance counsellors or a special education teacher, use our service for reserving a meeting online.