Adult study skills

Your tutor may not have an in-depth understanding of dyslexia. If you tell them what your particular difficulties are, they may be able to help. For example, they could give you extra time, or identify essential reading to enable you to prioritise tasks.

To help with your studies try different strategies to find out what works for you.

Strategies

• Visual (spatial): make large colourful posters of important information, or highlight key passages in a different colours. Stick post-its where you will see them e.g. by the sink so you read them whilst brushing your teeth. Dekko Comic creator Rossie Stone came up with the idea for his comics because he found that turning information into pictures worked for him.
• Aural (auditory-musical): record lessons or lectures, or record and listen to your revision notes.
• Verbal (linguistic): explain your essay structure, or key concepts to someone else. The act of having to mentally structure and then verbalise a concept to someone else can help with your own understanding and ability to remember.

Students have to keep track of a lot of study materials and also organise their personal time effectively. Many people with dyslexia find organisation a challenge.

Organisation strategies

• Deal with printed materials as soon as you receive them, check the contents list to make sure everything is there.
• Colour-coding: keep all lecture notes, essays and materials on a particular subject colour coded and filed together.
• Identify what's important: use highlighters, post-its or annotations so you can find information easily.
• Use a planner: use your phone, computer or a handwritten planner to keep track of projects and deadlines on a daily basis. Work back from the deadline and set yourself realistic goals to complete the assignment on time.
• Reminders: set yourself reminders on your phone for lectures, tutor meetings and course deadlines.
• Minimise distractions: set yourself time for a task and switch off your phone, tv and radio. It can also help to keep your study sessions short, but regular.
  

The BDA has eLearning modules available on both organisational skills and study skills that may be of assistance in providing ideas and techniques.

For more information contact: ELearning@bdadyslexia.org.uk