Summary of Easter Break and what's to come ...

Do the words routine and student fit in the same sentence?

My week is hardly routine, just when I think I’ve got it sussed, is when something else pops its head up to throw things around again. Perhaps it’s what being a student is all about; perhaps it’s because I enjoy it. From Society events, volunteering opportunities, to having an impromptu review with a peer.

The first regularity is my work life, which is related to what I am studying (hence why employers feel I am getting more educated and can load more work on me). But I keep reminding myself how valuable this is as this is what will guide me into the career of my dreams once I graduate, nothing gets a job better than having a job. Ironic I know.

Secondly, I daren’t miss lectures, seminars or even the workshops; I guarantee you that the ONE you miss will end up being the one that has THE most important piece of information just happening to crop up in conversation. I have missed some due to illness, and even when I couldn’t help it I wished I had been able to make it in. I also find that if I go to teaching hours then it gives me less to review in my research time as I have already been able to ask my questions and learn it well in class. NB: Your lecturers are likely to tolerate your incessant questions more when they know you've made the effort to come to their teaching. I mean, can you blame them from staring at you when they've already been over the same question with everyone else a hundred times already?!

Lastly I cannot go a week without going over my notes and reading up on what we have learned or dabbled in. I find this keeps my interest even after those few teaching hours when you’re struggling to stay interested (or at least trick yourself by pretending to be), something will ring in my ear and I’ll be like “Hmm…I wonder what that is all about.” And quite often it will be more than useful in the long run. I’ll end up watching a movie /documentary about it or researching online and finding that golden nugget - and commence the Hallelujah chorus!

Dialectical Thinking

In my last two years as a student I've experienced as many as, if not more, emotions as the next student.

Excitement, anticipation, ambition, enthusiasm.

Disappointment, disillusionment, frustration, apathy. 

You name it, negative and positive I've felt it. 

But I've plodded on, for many reasons. It was only during research for my assignment on Perceptions and Discourses of Childhood, that I identified the type of thinking I had developed, and how powerfully it can be used.

Firstly I would like to disclaim any understanding of this mode of thinking, analysing and reasoning. I'm going to give my take on the matter and how I apply it in my own life and learning, but if you are join going to reference it please make sure you understand it well before using it.

Referred to as dialectical thinking, I have read Basseches' takes and examples of this mode of thinking, and to be honest I love it! It's a way of taking life but the 'horns', not letting it effect you negatively or ride you, but using what life throws at your to your advantage.

Person A might think … let me dump these assignments, I don't like them and I won't be controlled by grades and universities, or future corporate agencies for that matter. I'll do my own thing whenever I want however I want.

Person B might think … I've GOT to get these grades! I have to agree with everything that theory says. This is the only way that I can get anywhere in the world.

But Person C meanwhile thinks … well I've got this opportunity for learning and experimenting with some of the great theories out there. I've got lecturers that want me to get good grades and tell me what I should do. I don't HAVE to do all these things because I have my own mind and my own agenda, but I will utilise what I have been given. I will listen to what they have to say, I will do my best at my assignments according to my learning and what I get out of the research. I will try to get the best grades I can but I will not compromise on what I believe in and dream of doing with my life.

It's a type of thinking that takes everything into account, doesn't make harsh, rash decisions, but thinks for the long term and with the respect to who and what is around. It's not letting situations use you, it's utilising your situations to build your life! And today is the beginning of the rest of your life!

Here's a little more reading on the topic, please comment if you understand something different as I am curious if I'm the only one who sees it think way.

Michael Basseches 2005

CriticalThinking.org

Transitions and Transformations in Learning and Education

Note-Taking and Revision Ideas

Writing on the lines


 The old-school way of learning, and to be honest it still works perfectly for some people. You follow the lecturer and write down the things that are important, that stand out to you, or (if you're a visual learner like me) just so you can see it on paper and print it in your mind before filing it away and never looking at it again (okay, do as I say but NOT as I do on that one!).

Bullet Points


 I LOVE my bullet points, and to be fair they get involved with all kind of note taking, but rather than write odd words here and there, or complete sentences or phrases that are often repetitive and unnecessary, incorporate bullet points.

Highlighting and Different Coloured Pens!

 Okay, maybe  this is my OCD side coming out, but I highlight in a colour co-ordinated fashion, purple is references, yellow are key facts, and when it comes to trying to find out that key bit of information from hundreds of notes, it really helps.

Interacting with Printed Slides

 Lecturers will often put up their slides on BREO prior to their talk (and if they don't you can always ask). I did this a lot in my first year AND used it for revision to remember everything I had learnt.

Mind Maps

 I actually picked this one up recently at a training day in my school, and I realised I already used mind maps but perhaps not to its full potential! You start with your main theme, ideologies for example (but it could be childhood perceptions, welfare systems etc.) and create branches on the different stems like Marxism (or Universialism, Feminism, etc.). Marxism would then have branches to define what it stands for, how it is perceived in today's world, or you could even start a new mind map on a new piece of paper. This is great for in class note taking or for revision too.

 Check out this youtube clip on Mind Maps for language learning (we're learning our own academic language remember) and the guy explains how powerful it is for our brain connections.

and don't forget the Recommended Books

Essential

Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3^rd edn., Houndmills: Palgrave

Moore, S., Neville, C., Murphy, M. & Connolly, C. (2010) The Ultimate Study Skills Handbook, Milton Keynes: The Open University

Background

Greetham, B. (2008) How to write better essays, 2^nd edn., Houndmills: Palgrave

McMillan, K. & Wevers, J. (2006) Smarter Study Skills Companion, Harlow: Pearson

Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2010) Cite them Right: the Essential Referencing Guide, 8^th edn., Houndmills: Palgrave

Stogdon, C. & Kiteley, R. (2010) Study Skills for Social Workers, London: Sage

Top 5 Luton Night Life Locations

…as told by my lovely friend who's name is also Anna :)

Term 2 Portfolio Executive Meeting/Student Representative

This week is my second Portfolio Executive Commttee (PEC) where I get to play my part as Student Representative and bring up issues in the course, or conversely, positives that students want more of (i.e. effective teaching styles, support they have received, etc.).

To be honest we usually bring up negatives, but as a mentor of mine used to say: if a place is clean nobody notices, but if it's dirty you'll hear of it! So as Student Reps we usually take the opportunity to mention changes we would like to see, further clarification, issues among students, anything really that has impacted the positive experience of students that they have spoken to myself or other representatives about. Last PEC it was student behaviour, how some students had impacted negatively on others by consistently talking in lectures and we wanted to work unitedly to discourage this kind of behaviour. This PEC one of my current issues is a need our dyslexic student have with getting coloured handouts, handouts are not policy but for those who need extra help or cannot read clearly the information on presentation slides, this was a recognised need. One lecturer is very up to date on policies for the disabled or students with special educational needs backed up my point and we are now addressing it for our students.

I was terrified when I first was nominated for this role, public speaking it not my forte and I hated the idea of having to speak for a whole class. But I was flattered that I'd been nominated, and figured you can only try and learn from the experience. I'm really glad I have now, as it has boosted my confidence levels amazingly, on a personal level but also in my relationship with my lecturers, naturally we don't always see eye-to-eye, but I've come to respect them as individuals each with a professional history, with great ethics and wanting the best us and our dreams. I feel my levels of diplomacy and tact have developed also, and I've learnt to present my own ideas, refer to others and to come up with some solutions! Which is the whole point of a PEC meeting, not just to criticise but to find solutions and keep improving on what we have.

I would definitely recommend give Student Rep a shot, or utilising the one on your course for support.

Happy (We Are From Luton!) - Pharrell Williams