Reflection on Skills Studying - Essay Example

?STUDY SKILLS- INITIAL REFLECTION As a I have to grapple with a lot of issues in my life because there are many thingsthat catch my attention. Without a clear study plan, concentrating on studies may be very hard or unachievable (Jones, 2003, p.130). However, since am currently in school my main objective is to study effectively to succeed in my coursework. I have come to realize that the important thing in studying effectively is neither how long one studies or crams but how smart they study. The mistake many students commit is to look at studying as an obligation imposed on them by their guardians and teachers, making them to develop a negative attitude towards studying. With such an attitude, you can never achieve anything since you will feel that you are studying just to please someone else. Freeman (2002, p.44) suggests that the first thing you should instill within yourself is a positive attitude towards studying by setting your study goals, and developing appropriate means on how to achieve them. When I joined this institution as a first year student, I can confess that I too had a negative attitude towards studies because, I hated the act of going to class, listening to a lecturer, and then exams (Jones, 2003, p.102). I thought that if we only came to school to spend our time with friends and sharing our life experiences, then all could have been well. Unfortunately, the thought of exams and assessment tests really upset me. I already had developed a negative attitude as I attended lectures to wait for the lecturer to do his part, without even caring about what I had gained from the lecture. I rarely carried out my own research unless when ordered by a lecturer to do so. Moreover, I only studied for exams through cramming after which everything was gone and forgotten (Armstrong & Lampe, 2000, p. 64). Little did I know that school was preparing us for the challenging life out there, and it is meant for our own good. The education and training I have been exposed to in this institution has really changed my attitude as well as my perception towards studying. First, here you are introduced to an environment of freedom where you are expected to be responsible for your own actions (Freeman, 2002, p.44). At first, I felt that it was the best feeling ever since I was now of age and my parents/teachers had no full control over my life. I thought that life had presented to me a perfect opportunity to do all the craziest stuff I have been longing for in my life. Fortunately, with the endless words of advice from my lecturers and parents, I have learnt that society expects us to be morally and socially responsible individuals. I have been taught how to communicate, interact and live with other people effectively without any form of conflict among us. Furthermore, I have widened my knowledge and skills through the technical skills I have gained, to ensure that I will cope well with working in the real field out there (Jones, 2003, p.142). Whichever way you may look at it, it all streams to one thing; when my effort is demanded rather than required, I will struggle through to see that I have provided it no matter how I feel (Armstrong & Lampe, 2000, p. 88). This can looked at as an effort of trying to get things done, and it might not be the best way of doing things. I have learnt that the key thing into getting things done without much effort and struggle is motivation. Through motivation, everything you engage in will be enjoyable as you are likely to gain some satisfaction upon accomplishing it. However, before you get motivated you have to find your purpose in life. As a student my ambition is to be a great person in the future who the young generation will strive to emulate. Freeman (2002, p.67) asserts that this calls for a proper setting of priorities right from this moment. I have to know that I study to acquire more knowledge and skills so as to know how to face challenging situations that come my way, but not just for exams. I can clearly admit that personal reflection has done wonders in my life because, through it have been able to focus on my life in order to know what exactly am doing right or wrong (Armstrong & Lampe, 2000, p. 73). As a result, I have been able to identify some of my strengths and developed strategies on how to strengthen them. On the other hand, no one is perfect hence I have also been able come up with a list of my weaknesses which I really need to work on. In my previous development plan, my main focus was to develop a positive attitude towards my studies. It is encouraging because with the help of my lecturers, I have been able to instill this virtue within me though a few adjustments need to be done here and there. At this point, my greatest weakness was poor time management as I could spend most of my time with friends doing unconstructive things (Jones, 2003, p.148). In addition, I did not balance my study timetable hence I ended up studying only the courses that I enjoyed. Although my performance has been improving gradually, I still believe I have not attained my full potential. According to Armstrong & Lampe (2000, p. 92), I need to perfect my time management skills in order to know how to balance among my priorities. Similarly, friends play a very important role in ones’ life since it is through them that you get exposed to various life experiences. However, as a student I should choose friends who motivate, inspire, encourage and direct me towards the ways of success. Moreover, I should allocate equal study time to each course and seek for assistance for courses that I have a problem with. I order to improve my performance further this semester I will ensure I carry out extensive research on my own for every course, and consult respective lecturers whenever a problem is encountered. Finally, I will adopt the “refresher shot” strategy of study where I will be spending a little time to review what I learnt previously before I assume my current study session (Freeman, 2002, p.56). I believe that if I incorporate all the above study techniques into my life, my performance will be more than just amazing. References Armstrong, W. H and Lampe, M 2000, Study tips. New York, Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Freeman, R. T 2002, How to study effectively. Cambridge, MA, National Extension College. Jones, S 2003, Seven secrets of how to study: mapping your strategy for better grades: teach yourself how to earn an A+ in 12 hours. 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