Academic and personal development

My goals for this week are to improve my speed further when working at home. I want to work faster but without compromising on the quality of my work. I'm continuing to use different techniques to find what works more efficiently. For example I'm going to use post it notes to help revise my Spanish. I've found that the print outs I stick up around my computer and work space are notes that I remember most. So I will continue to rotate these notes and stick little post it notes up everywhere I can. Another example that I will use is to test myself. With Spanish a few students and myself are going to meet somewhere quiet to speak in Spanish and test each other.
From last week I find myself focusing more. I'm working from my own timetable, I'm absorbing information faster, reading faster and I am spreading my time more evenly over the subjects I have to study. Reading and listening to Spanish on the bus is helping. The more traffic jams I get stuck in the better! I have time to read no matter what I'm doing.
For next week my goals are:
To keep up regular Spanish exercises at home, attending intercambio and testing myself at home. Also I want to have improved the process of planning a project or essay. I have been studying study skills, this really helps!

Week beginning Monday 16th Nov

So I managed to get my head around reflexive verbs for Spanish. I just spent a bit of time on it using different techniques to try and understand like, chopping up pieces of paper each with the conjugation and the verb and kept testing myself.
Since last post I have spent more and more time on Spanish. Even during any bus journey I take I make sure I have my iPod with me so I can listen to Spanish when I have any spare time. I going to the intercambio and hopefully meeting up with a partner next week. All this is helping but I'm aware I need to keep stepping it up a level. For next week I want to work on my fluency in my Spanish speaking. I want to work on my scanning texts while I'm reading information for essays I'm writing. We did a great exercise with Evan today that made me realise that if you concentrate on what you are looking for, scanning is so easy and fast.
So hopefully by next week I can look back and see that I'm working faster by using this technique and also getting more done.
Everything is really linking together now through the subjects. I do wish I could have some specific Spanish homework though. I know we are supposed to be taught this way to become more disiplined, but learning a language is so different to the other subjects.

9th Nov-16th Nov = GOALS!

So this week my goals are to learn more effectively, using the techniques I outlined in my most recent post. Also by next week I want to get my head around Spanish reflexive verbs completely, I also want to get into a routine for studying Spanish. I want to do this by studying Spanish for at least half an hour a day along with whatever else I'm studying that night too. This will hopefully improve my disipline and my Spanish too. I want to get into a routine, become comfortable with this, and continue with the same momentum of effort. Learning a language is hard work, and so I do leave Spanish until after my other studies. If by next week I can spend at least half an hour a day on Spanish, then I can get used it being in my life every single day and it will get easier. So, this is one of my main goals this week. Everyday, Spanish.

Learning More Effectively

I'm assessing the sheet given to us by Dieca: Overview of Strengths. In the Vark test my scores showed that I learn more effectively in a visual/seeing way and also in a practical way. So from the examples from the Overview of Strengths I have chosen techniques I will try to use in the next week from each of the three columns including the Auditory/Listening column as well as the Visual and Practical columns. Here are the techniques I will try:

• Using colour, illustrations and diagrams to help you learn.
• Using coloured pens to spell difficult words: using different colours for complex syllables.
• Using a tape recorder for notes and thoughts.
• Writing things out in a step by step order is a useful way to remember.
• Making a mind map or spidergram (using Tony Buzan resource).
• Using joined up writing to make the flow easier

More Reflective thinking

Here is my test result from the quiz Jordi sent us about learning styles:-

Your scores were:

• Visual: 6
• Aural: 6
• Read/Write: 10
• Kinesthetic: 7

I found this really interesting, and I believe it's quite right! I do like to write things down as a way of learning them. While I was travelling I kept a journal constantly, and I keep a notebook on most of the time so I can jot down thoughts and ideas. I also agree I like to learn in a kinesthetic way too. Although I'm not sure how that learning style would benefit a course like the one we're doing...?
Anyway this week I have taken some of Dieca's tips and have tried to use revision techniques that I dont usually use. Revising with coloured paper and revision cards have really helped. Also I have started really trying to test myself on Spanish and on subjects I'm trying to hold in my memory such as; Chartism and details about my Investigating Europe project.
I'm finding that Communication class is really helping me to get a lot faster and more efficient at analysing and writing. In the last communication class I was really tired and not feeling well, and also worrying about something. So I was really suprised when I sat down to the assessment at my computer and found I could start ok and really get on with it. It felt as if I am already more trained and disiplined, it was really good feeling.
I feel that I would like to spend more time working with the powerpoint application to feel confident, so hopefully I will get a chance on Monday. The idea of the talk still gives me the willies but the more I investigate my project and become knowledgeable about what I will write and talk about, the more that worry falls away.
With my Investigating Europe project I have found that I need to accommodate for things not going to plan. I have been in contact with a few lecturers from Edinburgh Uni who agreed to be interviewed by me about my project subject, but have since not replied, or let me down, which is a shame. But never mind I have a plan B now! I'm going to interview our lovely Jordi!!
I want to become more disiplined on myself and really get loads done, so on Wednesday I studied really hard to a timetable I'd pre-arranged. I kept a pile of chocolate and some fruit nearby, and kept to regular tea breaks too. Although I really felt like going out for a Jack and coke, I stuck to it to the end and felt better for it. I got some really productive study done and realised it wasnt that I couldn't do it (Chartism essay etc) it was that the mind was willing but the flesh wasn't, thats all.
So I'm getting better at believing in myself and still feel so lucky to be doing this course and be given the future opportunities. I can see the end result in my head now, everytime I feel like just flopping on the couch (often) I see myself graduating and making my mum and dad proud and remember, I'm doing what I really want to do!!