Study

Brilliant Beginnings, Marvellous Middles, Excellent Endings

When a piece of work presents itself to you, what are your reactions throughout the creative process? Unless you’re a consistent master, at least one of these problems will have cropped up along the way:

  • You just can’t start on it. You just dwell on it and ignore it for days;
  • You begin enthusiastically, you reach your conclusions convincingly, yet the bulk in between those two posts feels like a drag;
  • You get the majority out of the work out the way, but never fully close the door on it. The end never comes.

Let’s take each point individually and go through five ways you can improve each section:

Finding a brilliant beginning

photo by Clearly Ambiguous

1. Stop worrying about it – The more you build up starting, the worse it’ll feel. In no time, you scare yourself into never wanting to look at another piece of work again. Your fears just get in the way of progress. The more you deal with getting the work started, the easier it will be to crack on with the rest of the project.

2. Just start! – No matter how little you’ve planned, and regardless of how little you think you know, just start writing. At this stage, you don’t need to be convincing and you don’t need to treat the work like a final draft. Even if you discard 90% of what you write later, that 10% you keep could be where all the drive and magic comes from.

(more…)

Which Athlete of Learning Are You?

A degree is about an individual’s work.  You know that your modules aren’t run as a competition between others.

Accepting that inconsistency, I wondered what it would be like if everyone’s study methods could be compared to athletic runners that you see in the Olympics and suchlike.  Here’s what I came up with:

The Sprinter

photo by je1196

 – As soon as the questions are set, you’re off and away.
 – You want to get the work done as quickly as possible.
 – You see no reason to dwell on things.  What comes to you first is usually what works for you.
 – You give it your all in a short burst.
 – The euphoria of finishing first is great.  A huge hit of happiness when it’s handed in.
BUT:
 – Be careful you do consider all angles.  Slow down at the final stages and seriously consider what you’ve achieved.  Is it enough?  Have you missed out on a particular argument/working/explanation?
 – Do you have a backup plan if your sprint isn’t enough?  Giving up should not be an option.

The Long-Distance Walker

Walking

 – You take in a bigger picture as you slowly survey the surroundings.
 – The focus is often on style and research and consideration.
 – Getting the words on the page comes a lot later.
 – You pace yourself strategically so you can speed up just a notch when it’s necessary.
BUT:
 – Are you confident that the determined walk won’t turn into a relaxed stroll?
 – By considering so much, you risk running out of time and missing that finishing line completely.

The 1500 Metre Runner

photo by Suicidal

 – You are organised in your approach.
 – Different styles come in handy at different stages.
– You consider the options and don’t like to miss out on an opportunity.
– You use reasoning and consideration to stay one step ahead.
 – If possible, you like to see things objectively.
BUT:
 – Do you have the pace to catch up if you’re caught off guard?
 – When you’re in a situation that has more than usual to consider, do you prioritise and keep an eye on the most important factors?  You can’t do everything at once.

The Hurdler

photo by mzacha

 – You thrive on small challenges along the way and try to keep them uniform.
 – If you stumble along the way, you pick yourself up and keep going.
 – Sometimes you clear all obstacles without thinking about it…other times, you’re close, but it’s all part of the plan.
 – Even on the uncomplicated straight moments, you are focused and ready for the next challenge.
BUT:
 – Would a series of difficult challenges tire you out?
 – Crashing down too many hurdles could bog you down.  Are you ready to adapt your pace to suit the hurdles?

The Marathon Racer

photo by Ian Wilson

 – Each task is a quest.  You’re in this for the long haul.
 – You seek a balanced approach to your work, splitting things up in short chunks of time.
 – You are determined to seek out the facts and gain knowledge from many sources.
 – The motivation for you to keep battling until the very end is high.
 – You look to others and seek to make the most of their skills to benefit your own work too.
BUT:
 – Have you got the power to make a properly crafted sprint finish when it’s needed?
 – Can you modify your approach halfway through your marathon session if it’s not working as you’d planned?

The Cross Country Runner

photo by billac

 – You have a variation of styles and an ever-changing approach to your work.
 – It doesn’t matter if you go off track once in a while.
 – You adapt to the situation, sometimes finding more ideas, sometimes increasing your written output, sometimes reading new texts, sometimes working with others.
 – When steeper hills are up ahead, you take time to watch your pace and work accordingly, so you don’t get tired.
 – A plan is mapped out in your head before the task begins.  You’ve learned where you have to go and how you might tackle more problematic areas.
BUT:
 – Do you have the stamina to keep on until the bitter end?
 – Do you have the right mindset to appreciate the varying conditions?  Not only do you need to adapt, but running off the well-worn path can be intimidating for some.  How would you cover this?

The Pace Maker (best not be one of these…)

photo by szlea

 – Speedily completes all the initial work.
 – Shares enthusiasm with others in the first instance.
 – Drops away just as things are getting exciting.
 – Lacks the stamina after the first flourishes and simply gives up.
BUT:
 – What do you mean ‘but’?  Giving up is already no good.  Thinking further, it looks like Pace Makers and degrees don’t mix!

—

What do you think of these suggestions?  Do they fit?  Can you think of any other possibilities?

Introvert/Extrovert – 2 Ways You Focus Your Study

Do you talk through your theories in groups and relish every moment you have company?

photo by JBaker071

Or do you prefer the peace and quiet on your own as you beaver away with your study?

photo by Worldslandinfo.com

Though it’s not always clear cut, there are two very different routes to learning that depend on how you like to work:

1. Extrovert – Traits include: Studying in public spaces; participating heavily in group work; engaging with fellow students and chewing over different views; starting projects with human involvement and interactive research.

2. Introvert – Traits include: Solitary reading; quiet study in library/dorm; reliance on own research and books; shys away from all non-obligatory group activity; attentive, but doesn’t necessarily relish being in the thick of the discussion.

They are clearly two pointedly different styles of learning. Only you as an individual can determine which method guides you along most effectively. Most people would identify one type as preferable.

Other than getting fiercely talkative/argumentative in seminars, I took a more introverted style and left the extrovert tendencies to social activity instead. There’s no right or wrong here. And as with myself, there can be a bit of crossover between styles.

But since I became a student, I encountered many people of one study preference who wanted to improve their grades by adopting the opposite techniques. Let’s say I meet an introverted student who wants to emulate the success of a friend who has been involved in some pretty intense study groups, as well as doing most studying in the kitchen, where all the other flatmates hang around.

The introverted student hasn’t ever been suited to that type of study, but wants to branch out as his friend has, for a chance at better grades.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

A lone worker cannot turn into a sociable studier overnight. They probably won’t make the change at all. An ‘All or Nothing’ approach is unlikely to bear any fruit.

Rather than attempt a move from introvert to extrovert (or vice versa), you’re better off having a good think about your current strengths and weaknesses and working them from within.

Unless you’ve been deluding yourself to the point of bordering schizophrenia, you probably work to a style that suits you already. So it’s not the way you focus your study that’s the problem. It’s more likely to be based on the specific techniques you employ within that focus.

Feel proud about your lot. If enthusiastic group work is your main way forward, make the most of whoever is available and savour those team sessions. Please take great care before ditching it all for a quiet life. It could be a big mistake if you flit from one area to another when you’re not that way inclined.

Consider these points:

  • One person’s successful style doesn’t mean it will be a winner for you;
  • You may love the extrovert study life, but you need to take it seriously, or face the danger of blurring the boundaries between social time and working time;
  • The quieter life may suit you better, but be warned that too much time wrapped up in books can send your head spinning and actually lower your productivity;
  • There’s no right or wrong in terms of how you focus your behaviours, so don’t panic that you should be any more introvert or extrovert to succeed.  The key is in how you utilise your behaviours.

Finally, this is just as important for social life and relationships at uni.  When Freshers first bundle into dorms across the country, there’s a tendency to bahave differently, especially along the lines of overdoing the extrovert act.

From first-hand sight of this, and from hearing many similar stories over the years, people are found out in the end and don’t need to use a different persona in the first place.  The most important advice for anyone doing anything new to them (including starting university) is:

Be yourself!

Kick Down a False Sense of Security

Your first year of university is very different to your following years.

In most instances, first year modules don’t account for much – if any – of your degree award. So long as you pass everything, you get through.

From the second year onwards, I heard a lot of people saying that they were going to need to take a proper reign of their work from now on, as the marks ‘mean something now’.

This is a shallow view, but it’s not really the student’s fault in seeing things this way. If all you need to do is pass something, where’s the incentive to try harder? It sounds like a good get-out, it sounds unimportant, and the first year of university is clearly about experiencing so much that it sounds great to ignore the work aspect as much as possible.

But rather than setting you up perfectly for the rest of your years at uni, the false sense of security can, in many cases, cause problems further down the line.

False sense of security

On this blog, I’ve always been an advocate of making the most of your time and looking at the bigger picture. In this respect, it’s a false economy to treat your study less seriously in your Fresher year than in your following years.

Even if you think it’s going to be easy to put more effort in from Year 2, the reality will soon bite you on the bum. It’s likely you’ll anticipate a sudden increase in workload, but you’ll be shocked at how much more reading you’ll have. And essays. And practical work. And presentations.

I treated my first year as an experiment. For instance, it was great to write essays quickly, ask tutors if I was working along the right lines, and amend the essays accordingly. It gave me a taste of what an academic essay needed to look like. The extra input did take up a bit more time to go over, but not much. It was more than worth it in rewards.

Regardless, because I made sure to get up around 6-7am most days, I got most work out of the way before anyone else was up. It looked like I was doing less work than everyone else!

So treat the year as a time to experiment and understand how to get the good grades next year. See where it takes you and don’t be afraid to occasionally go out on a limb. If you’re not being seriously marked, it’s much better to treat the work with a sense of fun, rather than not bother with it at all.

—

A false sense of security can also lead to wasted time. If there are so many weeks before an essay is due in, it’s easy to sit back and chill. But with the prospect of an essay on your mind over those weeks, all enthusiasm and drive can fall away. Procrastination will only end up giving you more tasks to think about, so you’ll be less inclined to push yourself and do much with your time at all.

So in my first year, I learned to use hidden time as carefully as possible. For instance, my timetable generally consisted of an hour lecture, followed by an hour break, followed by an accompanying seminar.

The hour-long break was spent by many people doing one of three things:

  1. Sitting in the cafe, bar, or student union, having a laugh and a quick drink;
  2. Doing the work that was scheduled to be done in time for the seminar (leaving no time to address problems, confusion, quality, etc.);
  3. Using the computers on campus to surf the net until the hour had passed by.

My thought was to spend time on other study work, even if it was just to read quietly. Whatever study I was considering, it was another hour of work that nobody even noticed me working in.

No wonder people thought I did no work. But it was just an illusion.

It might sound like I just enjoy the studious side of university life. But in utilising my time well, I had more time to be social and enjoy myself too.

You have the same 24 hours that everyone else has each day.

So if I’m asked how I was able to manage so much with my time at uni, I answer, “How could I not have managed it?”

The truth is, I was often disappointed with myself that I didn’t achieve even more with my time. That false sense of security often bit me on the bum too!

But remember, we’re all able to improve exponentially. Don’t let anyone persuade you otherwise.