Three concepts that will help me in completing my graduate degree
In this lecture, I have gained insight into several strategies that will help me with the successful completion of my degree and achieve my career goals. Among the many, the three main concepts that I have learned in this lecture, which have appealed to me the most as a means to successfully complete my graduate degree are: * Time management * Preview of assignments * and Lecture note taking.
It is an essential component for the progress and successful completion of any course. We all have a set of goals, but all goals do not weigh the same importance. Managing time properly helps to prioritize goals, after which one’s daily routine can be organized to achieve these goals (“Time management guide”, n.d.). Procrastination of work is commonly seen when an individual fails to manage one’s time. Also, it is seen often times, that students, without proper time distribution, devote a lot more time than required to certain study activities, while many other important activities are neglected (“Time management guide”, n.d.). For a higher education degree, such as a Masters, time management plays a key role in every stage of the coursework. A sense of time is critical for the following: a. Setting aside time for self-study on a weekly basis. A timed self-study can help an individual to preview and review course materials. b. For assignments, it is critical to assess time carefully in order to meet deadlines. c. For test or exams, setting time aside specifically for exam preparation each week is beneficial.
In my personal experience, if time is not managed properly, it can badly affect one’s grade and performance. For example, for me, weekly studies are important. For this, along with charting out the weekly study time-table, which includes preview of the course materials, a revision of topics, working on assignments, and group discussions, I find it necessary to assign a specific amount of time to each of the study activities. Without proper time allotment for each task, I believe all areas of study won’t be given equal importance. Allotting a fixed amount of time for each activity, helps to focus entirely on the task at hand without having to worry about how and when I will complete the other study activities. Time management also helps to plan things ahead of time which can assist to arrange tasks in the order they need attention (“Time management guide”, n.d.).
Assignments form an integral part of any Masters level studies. Performing well in assignments is essential because they test an individual’s level of understanding of the course material, via them a student can gain important study skills such as team work, time management, leadership, and grading in assignments is critical for progression to higher education or for job placements. In order to perform well in assignments, I find the concept of complete preview of an assignment vital. In my opinion, assignments are not something to work on without a thorough understanding and planning of the subject matter. For instance, for successful completion of an assignment I like to follow the following pattern while previewing an assignment:
1. Understand the assignment objectives, and highlight the main points, so as to get a concise format of what is expected out of the assignment.
2. Read and highlight the main points in the discussion questions and activities.
3. Make a list of the main points of the assignment objectives and the discussion questions.
4. Read and understand the assignment description while highlighting the answers to the questions marked earlier.
I believe, once a student knows what is expected of the student from the assignment, has built a concise and clear list of the questions to be answered in an assignment, and has read the course description thoroughly, it becomes much easier to work on the assignment.
The third concept which I believe can help me greatly in my graduate degree is Lecture note taking. This study skill is important because many times classroom lectures contain information which may not be available in books or other sources. Classroom lectures often have tips and techniques which cannot be learnt via reading texts (“Lecture note taking”, n.d.). This information is something that the lecturer has gained through years of experience and students get to gain this exclusive knowledge during lectures. Making organized notes during lectures helps a student to keep a permanent record of the core ideas of the subject matter (“Lecture note taking”, n.d.). Also, the content of exams and assignments usually comes from core content of lectures. Due to these reasons, I value lecture note taking. The method of taking notes that I follow is: 1. Preview the lecture topic by outside reading, making outlines of the topic, jotting down questions that I might have about the topic, and also review notes from previous lectures.
2. Listen carefully to the lecturer, and follow the topic outline.
3. Note down all the information from the blackboard.
4. Summarize the notes in my own words.
5. Jot down examples given in class lectures, as they help to understand main ideas better.
6. Use signal words to highlight the most important concepts.
7. Use abbreviations and Mnemonics wherever possible to remember information better.
In conclusion, from my personal experience, managing one’s time effectively, previewing assignments and taking notes during lectures are essential for the successful completion of any course. These concepts, not only help to perform well in the course itself, but also prepare an individual for future job prospects and other higher education.
References
Lecture note taking, Study Skills Guide, Retrieved on July 2, 2015 from http://www.csbsju.edu/academic-advising/study-skills-guide/lecture-note-taking
Time management guide, Retrieved on July 2, 2015 from http://www.time-management-guide.com/time-management.html