Psychology of Effective Studying

Paul Penn has a PhD in psychology. He has taught psychology in higher education for over 20 years and was the 2021 winner of the British Psychological Society’s Higher Education Psychology Teacher of the Year Award. He is a Chartered Psychologist; a member of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Academics, Researchers, and Teachers in Psychology; a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; and a Chartered Scientist. He is a keen advocate for the public communication of psychology and runs a YouTube channel—Presenting Psychology—where he explores how psychological research applies to life and learning. Visit his website at www.drpaulpenn.com.

"Imagine the ideal academic advisor, who knows all of the tricks of the trade, is up on the latest technology and how to use it effectively, and is happy to take the time to guide you. Now make that advisor not only deep and wise, but also very funny. If such an advisor exists, it is probably Dr. Penn. This book is a marvelous tutorial on how to succeed as a student and scholar. It is steeped in the author’s up-to-date knowledge of numerous scientific literatures and technical (including AI), and it does a remarkably good job of distilling what is most important and explaining clearly how to use this material to good end. This book is about much more than effective studying―it is also about functioning effectively in a wide range of situations, from academe to business. I recommend it with enormous enthusiasm."Stephen M. Kosslyn, President and CEO of Foundry College, and former Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate Institute, USA“One of psychology’s unsung gifts to the world is evidence-based advice on how to understand and remember material. Dr. Penn’s book is an excellent invitation to these fascinating and enormously practical discoveries—including guidance on how they can be applied to studying in the age of AI.”Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, USA, and author of 'When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows…: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life'"This irreverent and conversational book will be really helpful to all who want to use psychology to foster success at degree level study. The second edition is considerably updated, not only to take account of recent pedagogic literature but also the seismic changes in university learning brought about by the use and abuse of Generative AI, seen here as a positive boon as well as a hazard to be taken seriously to avoid accusations of academic misconduct. I bought the first edition for undergraduate family members and will do so again with this edition.”Sally Brown, Emerita Professor, Leeds Beckett University, UK, and Independent consultant

• I. Metacognition: The Foundation of Successful Studying (or at Least How to Avoid being ‘that Person’ on the TV Talent Show) II. Conquering Procrastination: Why it’s so Hard to DO IT. JUST DO IT! III. Academic Reading and Note-taking: What we Can All Learn from 50 Shades of Grey IV. Academic Integrity, Citation, Quotation and Referencing: Credit where Credit is Due V. Producing High Quality Written Assessments at Degree Level: It Doesn’t have to be Rocket Science, Even if You’re Studying Rocket Science VI. Working Collaboratively: There is no ‘I’ in Team, but there is an ‘I’ in “I Really Hate Teamwork” VII. Delivering an Effective Presentation: It’s Not About You! VIII. Revision: Cleaning up a Dirty Word