How have I improved particular academic skills during this module, and how do I plan to develop my skills further in order to improve my next group collaboration and my overall academic performance?

by rom0512 (student)

University Degree Business and Administrative studies

Academic skills are a collection of study habits, , and time management tools that help people to learn. From doing the academic skills audit I found through the feedback, the skills which I need to improve on the most were presentations skills, referencing, time management and goal setting. On the other hand my strengths were note taking, essay writing and statistical problems. Even though they are classed as strengths, they can always be improved “practice makes perfect ... it takes 10,000 hours to be a success at anything” (Daily mail reporter, 2008). Good group working skills were extremely important for this portfolio work as we had to work in a group of four or less.

One of the most important skills is said to be goal setting. This is due to the fact that if you set yourself goals, you will have the ambition and motivation to do tasks, become successful and in a stronger position in life (Richard Addy, 2012). However when setting your goals they need to be realistic and achievable. If they are not, this will result in lack of success. To improve this academic skill you should start off with small goals such as completing an assignment and then gradually build up your goals.

Time management, is a weakness for me as I tend to leave things until last minute, then have to rush it. Meaning that the end result isn’t as good as what it could be. By looking at different sources I have been able to find some strategies, such as making a timetable, avoid distractions, splitting up tasks into manageable sections, improve your study environment, schedule important activities for when you generally feel most intellectually active and giving making sure you praise yourself for completing a task. (Burns, T. & Sinfield, S., 2012, pg 84) and (Price, G. & Maier, M. 2007, pg 54-75). To improve this skill I made a study timetable, where each day I dedicate a certain amount of time to do work for each module. This therefore means that I get more work done over a longer period of time, and as result I don’t have to cram it all in at the last minute. Time management also helps with essay skills as you need time to plan, write and proof read an essay. Before I improved my time management skills I would proof read my essays straight after I had written them, “but if possible, wait 24 hours, at least, before starting to proofread”. (Jolyon Dodgson, 2010)

Another one of my major weaknesses was referencing, this is because I had never used the Harvard referencing technique before. To improve on this skill I went on to the London metropolitan university library services website, where they tell you how to reference using the Harvard technique, by using examples. As a result of this I found that you have to always write the authors name first then the date the piece of text was published (London metropolitan university, 2002 - 2012).

Even though note taking is one of my strengths I have improved on this skill by learning ...

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Even though note taking is one of my strengths I have improved on this skill by learning new strategies. One of these strategies is to use mind-maps as you can easily annotate them, use them for revision purposes and bullet pointing notes make the work easier to remember. This type of strategy is considered to be better for visual learners, on the other hand if you are not a visual learner then you may prefer to use linear notes or Cornell notes. (Burns.T. & Sinfield.S., 2012, pg 168-171).

My biggest weakness is presentations; this is due to that fact that using PowerPoint and Prezi is very confusing, and I find it extremely daunting to perform in front of a large group of people. To become less nervous, rehearsing, planning and timing your notes is the key. The more you practice this strategy the better you will become at being in control of the presentation. Therefore when you feel in control you tend to panic less and this will help to eliminate your nerves. (Burns.T. & Sinfield.S., 2012, pg 153-172). To improve on the computer skills, I have been watching short videos from YouTube, which show you how to use both PowerPoint and Prezi software. However I still need to practice these skills to develop them even more, by watching more videos, to give me a better understanding of what to do. (Jamie Smith, 2010) and (Clipay, 2008).

Working in groups you use a lot of academic skills, such as leadership, motivation and communication skills. The first thing you have to do in a group is to assign each group member with a role; these would be a team leader, a researcher, a team presenter, a writer, the motivator and a team recorder. The second stage is to assign each member a task to do. Each week the group should meet up to see how everyone is doing on their tasks and to listen to each other’s ideas. In all groups someone needs to be the motivator, otherwise some members may lose enthusiasm and as a result they may not do their tasks. (Price.G. & Maier. M. 2007, pg 141-146). This plan has helped to improve my skills because having a task to do and a role to play in the group; it gave me more responsibility and confidence to motivate others. Although there is still one skill that I haven’t improved on much, which is leadership, I now have the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and become a team leader in the next group collaboration.

In conclusion I plan to continue using the strategies that I have learnt so far because they are helping me to improve my academic skills considerably, however there are other strategies which I can try, that may benefit me more. So in order for me to improve my skills further then I should try the other strategies. These may help in the next group collaboration because I will have more skills to offer and I will be more able to help others with my strengths. Also when picking a group I shall look for people whose strengths are my weakness so that they can help me to improve on my skills. By doing so this shall help to increase my academic skills and academic performance in all modules.

Word count: 1000

Bibliography

Burns, T. & Sinfield, S. (2012), Essential Study Skills - the complete guide to success at university, 3rd ed., London: SAGE

Clipay. (2008). How to use Microsoft office Power Point 2007. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvNanYXUBI. Last accessed 3rd December 2012

Daily mail reporter. (2008). Practice makes perfect: why it takes 10000 hours to be a success at anything according to a top academic.Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1078842/Practice-makes-perfect-Why-takes-10-000-hours-success-according-academic.html. Last accessed 2nd December 2012.

Jamie Smith. (2010). Prezi tutorial. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMHBNa5KGJ0. Last accessed 2nd December 2012.

Jolyon Dodgson. (2010). Proofreading techniques. Available: http://www.excellent-proofreading-and-writing.com/proofreading-techniques.html#axzz2EGCpClu5. Last accessed 1st December 2012

London metropolitan university. (2002 - 2012). Harvard referencing.Available: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/library-services/referencing/referencing.cfm. Last accessed 4th December 2012.

Price, G. & Maier, M. (2007), Effective Study Skills - unlock your potential, Harlow: Pearson

Richard Addy. (2012). masterclass in being successful. Available: http://www.cms.gre.ac.uk/empandpgstudies/events/Adab/RA.pdf. Last accessed 28th November 2012.

By Rosie Manning 12018679 EC4006 coursework