UED 102 STUDY SKILLS PORTFOLIO

Name: Ellia Nuremelyn Binti Mohd Yusoff
Born: 22nd October 1998 in Kajang, Selangor
Hobby: Reading
Ambition: Veterinary Pharmacist
Programme Code: PH110
Lecturer's Name: Dr Suraya Sulaiman, Madam Ainun Mokhtar

1. LEARNING SKILLS INVENTORY

There are 3 types of main learning skills, which are visual, auditory and kinesthetic. According to the Learning Skills Inventory, I am a visual learner. I have good visualisation skills and the ability to memorise information visually, as an example, pictures, videos and demonstrations. My mind is the best at processing information in the form of pictures. I talk in a fast way and is a neat person.

On the other hand, every student actually uses various methods or style of learning but usually tend to muster towards one method that works best or in which they are most comfortable and feels not burdened to carry out in order to be a well performing student.

What Kind of Student am I?

I am a student who cares deeply about my grades and my performance in class. I like to answer questions and interact with my teachers/lecturers and fellow classmates. I never like to sit behind in class and also skipping class.

Which Study Habits I can Improve?

Plan to do:
1. Study at least 2-3 hours per day.
2. Find a place that is comfortable to study at.
3. Study according to my learning style.
4. Study early!
5. Pay attention, revise or put more effort on harder topics first, then only the easier topics.
6. Reread and look at my simplified notes often, for better memorising.
7. Self-reward – give myself a pat or a treat (food or snacks) after a good study session.
8. Quiz myself on what I studied – try to find past year papers and revision sheets.

Already do:
1. Turn off phone / WIFI when I study.
2. Listen to music / soft music / foreign language music / classical music.
3. Ask someone who understood well any topics I have problem with.
4. Rewrite notes into simpler notes with colour codes / mind maps for easier understanding and memorising.
5. Stay organised with notes – separate notes into respective files and notebooks.

2. GOAL STATEMENT 

A GOAL must be positive and have 5 characteristics:

S – Specific – The goal must be specific. What is the goal? How much and where must it be achieved?

M – Measurable – The goal should be measurable to confirm whether it is already achieved, or not.

A – Attainable – The goal should be attainable by me. Something that is not possible to be achieved.

R – Realistic – The goal must be sensible to be accomplished.

T – Timely – There must be an end date to achieve the goal.

  

My Goals:

Personal Goal	Academic Goal
[ST] Pray early and on time every day.	[ST] 4.00 GPA for every semester. – 4.00 CGPA
[ST] Recite 2 pages of al-Quran a day.	[LT] Pursue B. Pharm by 2021.
[ST] Stay organised all the time.	[ST] Become a holistic student by graduation. – active academically and in curricular activities.
[ST] Stay positive and happy every day.	[ST] Complete assignments before they are due.
[ST] Spend less money on unimportant stuff and consistently save money.	[ST] Pay more attention to Chemistry-related subjects – I am weaker in that area.
[LT] Travel Malaysia – Sabah & Sarawak before I turn 30.	[ST] Remember and not procrastinate to rewrite notes every day.
[LT] Visit Makkah & Madinah – with family members before I die.
[LT] Attend Super Show & SM Town concert before they disband.

Key:

ST: Short Term Goal
LT: Long Term Goal

THE FIVE STEP APPROACHEffective Goal Statements:

GOAL SETTING

GOAL STATEMENT: GPA 3.90 for Semester 1

LIST OF OBSTACLES AND RESOURCES

Obstacles	Resources
Laziness and procrastination.	Motivate myself – positive thoughts – always remind myself that I can achieve my goal if I work consistently and diligently.
Distractions – Social media – Super Junior and NCT updates	Set 2 hour per day to scroll through social media
Distractions at home during weekends (if I go home, it’s difficult to do revisions)	Not go home if there are no important matters – call home often
Excessive worrying	Busy myself with work / assignments / revision / read – fiction novels or watch funny videos – short escape from reality or burdens
Poor time management.	Organise and list down my daily goals – make a daily schedule so I can use time wisely
Afraid that I might not be able to catch up lectures.	Wake up early and go through materials before attending class – sit in front – ask if I don’t understand.

REVISE & REVIEW GOAL STATEMENT 

GPA 3.90 for Semester 1
- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

PUBLISH GOAL STATEMENT

I must achieve GPA 3.90 for my first semester as a Diploma in Pharmacy student.

3. FIXED COMMITMENT CALENDAR

Key:

Hours available for study: 40 hours per week

Hours needed for study: KIV (I need to know how many total lecture hours to determine how many study hours are required in 1 semester)

4. JOB TASK ANALYSIS

5. PRIORITIZED TO-DO-LIST

Prioritized To-do-List for August 6-12:

6. MEMORY STRATEGIES

Summary:

From the activity above, I found out that I have to improve my memory strategies as I scored very low.
One of the memory strategies that can be carried out is active learning, which involves discussions, watching videos of demonstrations, and experiencing a hands-on experience.
I should also consider doing spaced practice instead of massed practice. I should take time breaks in between learning so that I can organize information properly.
Besides that, I should also practice to break materials down, e.g. 2 chapters to be revised per day.
Repetitions, and also the use of association, acronyms, acrostics, imagery aids, organizational strategies, SQ3R method and so on can help to improve my memory.

7. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES

Summary:

From the activity above I was able to list down the words in this sequence after 10 seconds:
newspaper, pencil, bus, magazine, chalk, automobile, pen, boat

I found it difficult to list down all 12 words because I am not aware of the grouping method. Classifying information that we have to remember into specific categories helps us to recall the information back more easily.

8. CONCENTRATION STRATEGIES

Summary:

I scored an average mark for concentration strategies. Therefore, I need to improve my concentration to ensure that I can enhance my memory in studies.
One of the concentration strategies that can be carried out is creating a positive time management and goal setting as a motivation to keep concentrating. This is will reduce procrastination, thus stress can be avoided. I will be able to concentrate better in a positive environment.

I should also study using my own learning style and have an active long term strategies aside from monitoring my own concentration level.

9. CONCENTRATION CHART

10. READING TEXT

S - Skim Through - Survey the material - e.g. titles, subtitles, figures, charts, bold words

Q - Questions - Ask questions based on the survey

R - Read - Read the material to find answer of the questions

R - Recite - Talk to yourself about the answers, in your own words, easier memorization

R - Review - Test yourself and Write - ask again the questions and figure out if you can answer them. rewrite notes. 

Activity: SQ3R

11. NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES

Summary: From the activity above, I scored an average mark in note-taking strategies. Thus, I still need to find more effective note-taking strategies to improve my performance as a student.
Among the note-taking strategies that I can practice is to read text assignments or lecture notes prepared before attending lectures. This will help me plan my note-taking, therefore I can write a more systematic and understandable notes.

12. NOTE-TAKING EXERCISE using the CORNELL METHOD

Title: How To Take Great Notes 

Source: Crash Course Study Skills: Note Taking

13. GPA WORKSHEET

My target CGPA for this program is at least 3.90. This is because I plan to pursue my studies to degree level, thus I must graduate diploma level with flying colours. In addition, it will be easier for me to apply for scholarships or any financial aid if I have a good CGPA record in my studies. It is never wrong to aim high as higher goals motivate me to work hard. Nothing is impossible as long as I do not give up and always learn from my past mistakes. 

BULLET JOURNAL

I am starting my own bullet journal through August and will continue to update and use it well to stay organised and keep track of my commitments, goals, tasks, deadlines towards a better time management. Good time management is important to avoid stress, to come up with effective study plans and carry out daily activities in a proper and wise manner, reducing any waste of time for unimportant matters.

Since I am still new to the idea of having a bullet journal that is more simple and easy to read compared to the journals that I kept in the past, I will reflect at the end of Semester 1, whether my performance as a student has been improving or not, aside from whether I will have the sense of achievement and self-satisfaction by keeping track of my schedule and activities.

That is all from me. Thank you for reading.

:)