Study Skills Essentials: Oxford Graduates Reveal Their Study Tactics, Essay Secrets and Exam Advice

by Patrick McMurray

Knowing how to play the game at school and university allows you to achieve exam success while having more fun than you might have imagined possible.

Drawing on the experience of twenty Oxford graduates, Study Skills Essentials gives an extremely useful insight into the study and exam techniques that work in the real world.

With the right tactics it is very possible to get excellent results while still actually having a life.

This book will be amazingly useful for students at university and in the later years of school.

How to do really well at exams
1: Finding out what they want to see
2: How to never waste a moment’s work
3: Organising your success
4: Taking notes and what to do with them
5: Perfect essays made easy
6: Coursework and presentations
7: your formula for success
8: say bonjour to better grades
9: The vital importance of having fun
10: Understanding
11: How to learn stuff
12: Exam technique (preparing for success)
13: Exam technique (giving them what they want)
14: After the exam (you’ve done it!)

242 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2011

Reviews

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYONE STILL STUDYING/ GOING TO SCHOOL, READ THIS. Seriously, I wish I had read this 3 years ago when I started my bachelor. I am not a lazy student, my grades are quite decent, but there are still so many useful tips in this book. I'll list a few of the most important:
- Do not do "fake work:" tell yourself you're working while you're not, sitting at your desk pretending to be at work.
- Do all the work with the exam in mind.
- Make sure you understand everything really, otherwise it is almost always useless.
I will surely make use of the knowledge in this book!

[Shakaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and bad tips, but nothing substantial that one doesn't figure out in the first 6 months. Now some good parts on mindset, but using a children's book to prepare for a university history exam? Laughable bad and I would assume anyone told me that in my face were doing a comedy sketch.... Or the way that teachers and tutors will respond to questions and how to improve is also highly improbable. No mention of the large library of free lectures online or summaries written by professors. And that is somehow the solution to someone with little time. It often takes more time in order to find, rank and discard sources which doesn't deal exactly with what your professor wants you to learn.

Sure if you have no idea and are going to start studying in hich school or above it's a great first start and I would higly recommend mass publishing this (with the above errors fixed and contextualised lots more knowledge and principles) to every 15 year old or whenever the students starts to get grades.

[Michelle Swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Study Skills Essentials: Oxford Graduates Reveal Their Study Tactics, Essay Secrets and Exam Advice is a practical and insightful guide for students aiming to master the art of academic success. Written with clarity and authenticity, the book captures the real experiences of Oxford graduates who share not only their proven strategies but also the mindset that helped them excel under intense academic pressure. It covers essential topics such as effective note-taking, time management, critical reading, and essay planning, offering concrete steps rather than vague advice. What makes it stand out is its focus on intelligent efficiency—working smarter rather than harder—through disciplined routines, deep understanding, and strategic revision. The tone is encouraging yet honest, acknowledging the challenges of higher education while showing that excellence is achievable through methodical preparation and intellectual curiosity. Whether a student is entering university or striving to improve existing habits, this book offers a valuable roadmap to academic confidence and performance.

[Ebrahem Droobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very helpful, I loved how you can leave it and come back to it later. I also loved how the author tells you how to read the book i.e (you can read the chapters you want and that there is no need to read chapters that don't relate to what you want).

The book has helpful tips, some of them I didn't know, others I knew but got a different look at them.

Who is this book for?

Students at college/university or for high school students. It gives lots of information about how to study, how to manage your time between studying and having fun while including statements of Oxford graduates experiences.
It also includes tips about how to take exams, stuff to watch out for and stuff that are a must do.

The book can be tough to read in one go, it has lots of information that you need to learn so you can't just read without focusing on what is said, hence I recommend reading it chapter by chapter as they aren't long.

[Jade Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a student, you need this book. It comes from the star pupils themselves. Read it, relish in it