Introducing The Study Skills Handbook -- Is this book for you? -- How to use The Study Skills Handbook -- Icons used in the book -- Where to begin -- Seven approaches to learning -- A new beginning ... -- Companion site for The Study Skills Handbook -- A. Self-efficacy: managing your success as a student -- 1. Success as a student: take charge of your success -- Introduction -- Make the experience work for you -- Clarity of purpose: your vision of success -- Success as a student: where am I now? -- Success as a student: what lecturers say -- What to expect in Higher Education: teaching -- How is higher-level study different? -- Understanding higher-level study -- Independent study: benefits, challenges, risks -- What is expected from you? -- What kind of study skills do you need? -- Self-efficacy skills: managing yourself for study -- Academic skills -- People skills and task-management skills -- Developing your skills -- Study skills: priorities (stages 1 and 2) -- Study skills action plan -- Review -- 2. Gaining the most from your course: Engage. Enjoy. Excel -- Introduction -- Ten golden rules -- Effective use of tutorials/supervision -- Be well informed: find out -- Engage with technology-enhanced learning -- Gain from scheduled learning: purpose and value -- 'Flip your learning': preparing in advance -- Engaging in taught sessions -- Practicals, studio and lab work -- Distance and block learning -- Self-evaluation: Making good use of taught sessions -- Engage fully with your course outside class time -- Use recorded lectures effectively -- Checklist: Managing independent and online study -- Making sense of difficult material -- Make course material your own -- Get under the skin of your subject disciplines -- Review -- 3. Employability and preparing for your future -- Introduction -- Planning towards your future -- Your personal development so far -- Developing work and career readiness -- Recognizing your skills and qualities -- Your personal skills profile -- Skills audit: current skills and qualities -- Preparing for work with employers -- Articulate your abilities to employers -- Translate academic skills into employment skills -- Building your CV while a student -- Recording your achievements -- Taking further qualifications and training -- Enterprise and selfemployment -- Review -- 4. Successful study: Boost your brain build study stamina personalize study strategy -- Introduction -- Am I intelligent enough? -- What is 'learning'? -- Six conditions for learning -- 'My brain won't work!': boost your brain power -- Build your study stamina and improve concentration -- Optimal learning -- What kind of learner am I? Learning SHAPES -- Identify your personal learning formula -- Your learning preferences -- Develop your personal learning strategy -- Personalize learning -- using technologies -- Study strategy -- individual or social?