LIBRARY STUDY SMART MORE STRATEGIES TRACKING YOUR SUCCESS
PDF resources included in this section
CONTENTS - TRACKING YOUR SUCCESS 1.
Sceduling your time
2.
Maximising your productivity
3.
Creating your study space
4.
Goal setting 101
5.
Track your progress, success
Tracking your success
Want to become more productive, achieve your goals, and keep track of your progress? Here you’ll find lots of practical resources to secure success. Tracking your success If you feel like you’re not in control of your study time, perhaps it’s time to pause and review your study schedule, spaces and practices? Here you’ll find strategies to supercharge your productivity, monitor and manage your tasks, and use self-reflection to improve your performance.
STUDY SMART WEBSITE
Find this section on the Study Smart website here: https://westernsydney.edu.au/ studysmart/home/more_strategies_ for_success/tracking_your_success
TIME MANAGEMENT MAKING GOOD DECISIONS ABOUT ALLOCATING YOUR TIME BETWEEN YOUR STUDY WORKLOAD AND PERSONAL COMMITMENTS IS A BALANCING ACT. We’ve included information, resources and activities on the best ways to divide your time practices on everything you need, from creating study spaces, to settling into a productive routine to establishing healthy and efficient mind-body habits. And don’t forget to take a Study Break from time to time!
Scheduling your time Assess your workload and commitments Before diving into planning your time for study, it’s important to do a stocktake of: 1. your regular habits when it comes to getting things done [Activity 1]; see ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg. 2. all the components of your life (study time, class time, travel time, sleep time, exercise or sport time, recreation/free time, family time, and work time) [Activity 2]. By identifying the behaviours that interfere with your productivity as well as the activities that make up your daily life, you’ll be able to allocate sufficient time to achieve balance and maximise your study time. Find out more by watching ‘How to break habits’ (video, 3:37) by Charles Duhigg. Activity 1: Personal study productivity Personal study is the time you spend outside of class time (i.e. scheduled lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals, labs, etc.) working on content, activities, homework and assignments for each unit you take. What this actually looks like varies across disciplines. A history student might transform lecture notes by adding annotations, icons and important dates to a geographical map. A business student might transform lecture notes with statistics into a graph or diagram to highlight important features. A nursing student might transform important vocabulary and concepts from lecture notes into flashcards to revise for 5 minutes each day. Before you start planning how to utilise the study time you do have available in your week, let’s explore your general inclinations and habits. Step 1: Think about your typical study day or week (i.e. what do you do, where, for how long, etc.)
Library Study Smart Scheduling your time
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 1 of 3
Step 2: Complete this productivity habits self-assessment: Habit
✓ or ✕
I have a proper workplace in which to do my study/uni work I keep my work environment neat, clean, and orderly I use an organised system to sort and plan my work before starting I use management tools such as a daily planner to keep myself on track I always work from a ‘To Do’ list prepared in advance of beginning a task Once I begin a task, I work steadily until it is complete I handle each particular task only once I always put things away after I am finished with them I have an organised filing system that enables me to retrieve information quickly when I need it I do most important work during my ‘prime time’ I seek help when needed and draw on resources available to ensure I work efficiently Others who know me would describe me as efficient, effective and organised I work according to my schedule and plans, avoiding rushing around I am usually calm and capable of making decisions I am good at staying on task towards completion I typically feel like the work I have to do is also the work I want to do Step 3: Look at the ‘X’ marks you have made in the table above. How can you change these habits?
Activity 2: Weekly and semester planning Step 1: Download the Western Sydney University Weekly and Semester Planners via the Counselling Service: → Weekly Planner (PDF, 31 kB) → Spring Session Planner (PDF, 32 kB) You could also use an interactive scheduling tool such as the daily schedule from Study Guides and Strategies or an Office 365 Calendar attached to your student email account. Step 2: On the weekly planner, mark in your regular, repeated commitments (e.g. class time, exercise/ sport time, work time, travel time, meal time, sleep time, break/relaxation time, etc.). How many hours do you have left per day and per week? Is there enough unallocated time to study for each unit you take? Hot Tip The workload for units (typically 10 credit points) is 1 hour per credit point: 10 credit points = 10 hours study per week = 3 hours class time (lecture, tutorial, etc.) per week = 7 hours personal study (individual, group, etc.) per week
Library Study Smart Scheduling your time
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 2 of 3
Step 3: On the session planner, mark in: 1. your irregular personal commitments (e.g. friend’s wedding, family vacation, socialising, etc.) in the last row of the table 2. your assignment due dates for each unit you are enrolled in. Are there any direct clashes between your personal commitments and assignment due dates (i.e. same week)? Are there any indirect clashes (i.e. a week or two before)? If there are clashes, what will you do to ensure you can still submit your assignment on time?
Library Study Smart Scheduling your time
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 3 of 3
Maximising your productivity Establishing a routine If you were to survey successful and productive people from all fields and industries you would see that different approaches work for different people. Author Sylvia Plath preferred to wake at 4.00am, whereas Leo Tolstoy preferred a 9.00am start. American President Barack Obama prefers to exercise first thing in the morning, whereas the late American information technology entrepreneur and inventor, Steve Jobs, focused on setting the day’s top priority. Setting up a routine, from wake up to wind down, allows you to get into habits that will soon become automatic. Augmenting a routine Sometimes we already have a routine and want to transform it into a better or more efficient way of doing things (see Charles Duhigg’s flowchart on how to change a habit). For example, instead of checking emails every time you get an alert, take only a 15 minute period each day to check and respond to emails (find out why checking email constantly is bad for you; video, 1:57). Be smart and use the delete, respond, or file actions when you manage your emails at the first instance. When sending email, keep in mind the five sentence email approach: → → → → →
Who are you? What do you want? Why are you asking me? Why should I do what you’re asking? What is the next step?
For more email tips, see Asking questions: Communicating with staff. Staying on task Completing each small task on your to-do list requires focus, clarity, and commitment. You can easily achieve this when you plan your day: → → → →
identify the most important actions create a picture of you completing the task cut out activities that are not important set a reasonable reward
Mapping out the day Every day has different personal commitments that affect the time available for study. Take five minutes the night before or early in the morning to plan your day. Do you want to get up an hour early to calm your mind and to slowly ease into the day with a big nutritious breakfast? Or do you want to do your workout first to energise you for the whole day? Rather than declare ‘I have six hours so I’m going to work on my major essay assignment’, break the time up into smaller chunks. For example, have you ever had someone tell you ‘work smarter, not harder’?
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 1 of 7
According to the research of physiologist Kleitman and psychologist Ericsson, the human brain can focus for a maximum 90-120 minutes before it needs to take a break. Successful people in all fields utilise the natural ultradian rhythm, i.e. cycles of 90 minutes followed by 20 minute breaks, as a way to plan their work for the day.
Figure 1. Ultradian rhythm Alternatively, the Pomodoro Technique works in 25 minute periods (a.k.a. a ‘pomodoro’). How many pomodoros would it take to complete your first draft of an essay? No matter the approach you take, what is important is that you monitor the times of the day at which you feel energised, with a clear and focused mind. Prioritise Making a list of all the tasks you need to complete can quickly get out of hand if you do not apply some boundaries. There are lots of apps to assist you to compile and access your list, from Wunderlist to Evernote, and even the Tasks feature in Office 365. If you’re old school and like a low-budget approach, you can use Post-Its and the Personal Kanban system:
Figure 2. Personal kanban To be productive on any given day, you need to consult your lists and decide which sub-tasks from your big goals you can complete today given the time available. To further cull your list, try to identify errands that other people can do (e.g. get your partner to pick up the groceries on their way home, ask your roommate to call the landlord about the aircon, etc.). This whole review and decision making process is most commonly done the night before when you are planning your day.
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 2 of 7
Expel distractions and say ‘no’ Any number of things can distract us from the work we need, have or want to do: from personal commitments, to interest in anything but study, to physical and mental fatigue. It can be difficult to overcome this in the moment if you are not prepared. There are actions you can take to address your intrinsic (internal) distractions, such as boredom, anxiety, disinterest with a task; and extrinsic (external) distractions, such as colleagues, family or friends disturbing your work space. Once you’ve identified potential distractions, you can pre-plan ways to maintain control of your study environment. Activity: Triggers and interruptions 1. Think about the triggers that cause you to stop or delay your work. What is the cause of this trigger? What possible solutions can you propose? Example Trigger
Cause
Anxiety about task / The appeal of checking out my indecision / unsure about how to do it Facebook or Twitter feeds
Possible Solutions → Talk about it with a classmate / tutor → Set it (the hardest task) as the first thing on my to-do list → Remove the temptation – switch phone and tablet off, put them in another room / in bag → Schedule time to check social media at the beginning and end of work, not during → Put headphones on, listen to study / focus music, free write about it for 90 mins
2. Do the same for interruptions caused by colleagues, neighbours, friends, pets and family. Example Interruption
Cause
Possible Solutions
Sound of TV travelling into the study, disturbing my train of thought
Roommate / family
→ Ask roommate / family to turn the sound down → Close the study door → Wear headphones Note: Say ‘no’ when they ask you to join them
Rewards The act of treating yourself to recognise the completion of a task, whether small or big, does not work for everyone. Some people focus on the reward so that it completely distracts them from doing anything on the task (see YouTube: The Marshmallow Test (video, 3:27) and TED Talk: The Art of Finishing (video, 3:30)). Others are able to put the reward out of mind until they have officially checked off their list. So be careful if you want to use rewards as part of your motivation strategy. Perhaps a better way to approach rewards is to see them as part of the process of working or working-in-progress – a part of life. Equally so, you could view it as self-care, to renew and re-energise you mentally, emotionally, and physically as well as personally, professionally, and intellectually. It also doesn’t have to be extravagant. Remember, ‘the making is in the doing’ and ‘consistency is key’. By showing up and giving it your best effort on any given day you are working, contributing, and making progress. If you put off the fun, the ‘me time’, the rest, the reward, you are only derailing your productivity in the long-run. What are you currently doing to take care of yourself?
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 3 of 7
Activity: Personal rituals 1. What are your daily personal rituals? What is your weekly treat?
Example
Daily (options)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Reading my book
Reading my book
Reading my book
Reading my book
Reading my book
Mid-week early dinner with friend
Hump day Switch off T&C (tea and devices for chocolate or the day cupcake)
Weekly (options)
Saturday
Sunday
Dancing and Gentle yoga singing to music Play on the Brunch with Early swings at the friends morning park family long walk
2. What are your semester milestone markers? What do you do to mark them and your efforts? Example Milestone
Reward
First Assessment
Coffee and ping pong with classmates at the Bar Cafe
Week 8
Volunteer work with friends
Week 13
Fancy cafe breakfast for one
Last Exam
Field trip to park for picnic and games with family
Manipulating the mind-body connection Stress on the human body, whether it be psychological, physical, or biochemical, can be beneficial (eustress) or not (distress). The feeling you get from another person smiling at you, the endorphins from exercise, or oxytocin from patting your pet all demonstrate the powerful connect between body and mind. To ensure long-term success in your studies and beyond, you should start to incorporate healthy mind, healthy body practices. Move your body Researchers are beginning to show that sitting is the new smoking (video, 3:02). More than four hours per day dramatically increases your risk of dying earlier. Every hour of TV you watch cuts 22 minutes from your life. This is because the act of sitting requires almost no energy, and very quickly slows your circulation and calorie burning. When you conjure a picture of studying in your head it is almost always of you sitting at a desk. There are three important things you can do to ensure your longevity and productivity: Movement The experts recommend taking a short (two minute) walk every hour when you’re sitting to do your work (see the infographic on the health impacts of sitting). If you can, try a standing desk (custom made or DIY) -- sometimes even the kitchen bench or low shelf will do. If you have a long commute on public transport try standing for part of the trip. As the fitness experts always advise, take the stairs instead of the lift and park further away or get off a stop earlier and walk to campus or work. Back in ancient Greece, Aristotle was all about the walking and talking. His students followed him around the Lykeion (a public meeting place) as he taught. This has inspired the recent advent of walking meetings (video, 0:40). You might like to try it with your study buddy or study group.
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 4 of 7
Breaks By scheduling brief interruptions such as task variation, pause breaks, and coffee/tea breaks in your working day you allow your mind to wander and daydream -- which actually increases your brain activity, and relieves your muscle strain and fatigue. These short breaks are recommended every 20 minutes when you are working in a seated position. You could use apps like EVO or PC WorkBreak on your computer, a timer on your phone, or your computer clock regular alerts to remind you throughout the day. Mental breaks include working on something else, chatting with a friend, making a cup of tea, doing a short meditation (e.g. Smiling Mind’s guided body scan meditation) or looking at cute baby animal pictures (scientifically proven to improve performance; see Nittono, Fukushima, Yano, & Moriya, 2012). Eye breaks include looking out into the distance and blinking. Body breaks include anything that gets you moving, from gentle stretches to walking, running, push-ups, star jumps, and dancing. The university has made neck, shoulder, arm, back, and leg stretch tutorials (video, 7:08) that you can use in your daily study practice. Workcover NSW also provides instructions on at-desk stretching. To put the mind-body connect in perspective, you can improve your brain function and boost your exam performance by doing 20 minutes of exercise before you start the exam (see Hillman et al, 2009 looking at exercise and academic performance in preadolescents). Some say exercise is the brain’s fertiliser. Rest Getting a good night’s sleep is paramount to restoring and re-energising your mind and body. Watch The Science of Sleep (video, 2:59) to find out more. During REM sleep the mind is active to restore the body and brain, repair cell damage, and help with digestion and memory. Sleep deprivation impacts on your capacity to pay attention, concentrate, learn efficiently, focus your actions at work and on the road, and metabolise energy. If you feel tired and lethargic it might be wise to speak to your GP or a counsellor (Western’s Counselling Service) or see if a power nap works for you. Power naps are tricky to master. According to the latest research (see Sara Mednick’s TED Talk on sleep; video, 17:44), you need to go short (around 20 minutes) to improve your alertness, or long (around 90 minutes) to stimulate creativity and emotional and procedural memory. If you fall somewhere in between (around 60 minutes), however, you’ll be rewarded with improved memory but also sleep inertia (grogginess) – think post-family holiday meal afternoon slumber. If you want to try this out, you can use the sleep pods in every Western Sydney University campus Library.
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 5 of 7
Activity: Increasing physical activity What could you do throughout the day to increase your physical activity? When do you plan to take breaks? Example BREAKS TIME
Mental
MOVEMENT
6am
Eye
Morning meditation
Body Morning exercise
7am 8am
Remain standing on bus and train or Get off one bus stop before uni
9am
Take the stairs up to the classroom
10am
Take a quick walk around the lecture theatre during the half-way break
11am
Set my laptop up on a bookshelf in the Library while I work Tea break standing for 20-30minutes
12pm
Take a short walk around campus with friends after we finish lunch
Shoulder and back stretches
1pm 2pm
Organise a walking-and-talking study group with classmates using flashcard Q&As
3pm-
Do at least 10 push-ups and 50 jumping jacks every 30 minutes during 3 hour study time session
5pm
Short break – cute Looking at Neck and baby animals trees/ shoulder image search dusk stretches skyline Blinking
6pm
Remain standing on bus and train Or Get off one bus stop before home
7pm
Walk the dog after dinner
8pm
Evening stretches
9pm
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 6 of 7
References Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Castelli, D. M., Hall, E. E., & Kramer, A. F. (2009). The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Neuroscience, 159(3), 1044-54. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.01.057. Nittono, H., Fukushima, M., Yano, A., & Moriya, H. (2012). The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes a Careful Behaviour and Narrows Attentional Focus. PLoS ONE, 7(9): e46362. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046362.
Library Study Smart Maximising your productivity
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 7 of 7
Creating your study space At home and on campus It’s important to know that there is no perfect study environment: there is only the study space that works for you. Below is a short list of some things to consider when setting up or reviewing your study space. You can also check out Lynda.com for tutorials on organising your office for maximum efficiency (see login instructions for Lynda.com; PDF, 45 kB).
Furniture For the majority of your study time you’ll likely need a desk and a chair. Depending on your task, you might need a lot of table space to spread out all manner of books, readings, Post-It notes, and mind maps in addition to your computer or device. Huge group study room tables in the Library are useful for this, as is the kitchen table at home. Individual desks at home and private study pods in the Library are most often utilised for unit and research reading and short individual assignments and tutorial tasks. Keep in mind that the occasional change of scenery can help manage the ebbs and flows of productivity. Is there a comfy armchair or rug nearby to do a portion of your readings? Is there a quiet time at the campus cafe or your local cafe to enjoy an afternoon caffeine boost and some brainstorming or mind mapping? Is there a picnic blanket and cushion nearby that you could take to the backyard, local park, or campus grounds for a sunshine-infused free-writing session? Light and temperature Speaking of natural light, are your study spaces on and off campus well-lit during the day? Do you have a good study lamp for any late night sessions? Ideally, you should have three or more sources of light from above, beside, or behind you. These multiple sources should work together to reduce the shadow you see over your work area. Have you ever had a single light in the centre of the room cast a shadow of your head on to your book or laptop? When you position your desk and chair next to or at an angle to a window it makes your study space appear a little bigger. Remember, too, that since lighting is connected to our vision, and over 80 per cent of our perception of the world is through our eyes, it’s important to monitor lighting for our visual health in the long run. Study space temperature is a hot topic – pun intended! Safe Work Australia advises that sedentary (i.e. inactive, seated) work zones should be 20 to 26 degrees Celsius, depending on the season and the worker’s clothing. In contrast, researchers exploring temperature and productivity have identified 21 to 22 degrees Celsius at the temperatureproductivity hotspot. Anything above 23 to 24 degrees Celsius shows a marked drop in productivity of workers. Fortunately, on-campus facilities have temperature control. While at home you may need to invest in a fan or heater (or snuggie). Don’t forget that four-legged study buddies (pets) double as excellent hot water bottles in winter!
Library Study Smart Creating your study space
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 1 of 3
Sound and smell Music can make repetitive tasks easier to complete, which is why music boosts a runner’s performance. It can also help you escape a noisy workplace or your inner thoughts, which is why it’s used for guided meditations. Some music (irregular beats and progressions with lyrics) can, however, interfere with and distract from learning. When it comes to studying, your best bet is ambient noise at a moderate level. Apps like Noisli provide this free and online. You can also try study playlists and nature noises on Australian Live Radio stations for free online, and through other streaming services like iHeartRadio and Spotify. Alternatively, you can make your own playlist at home. Research informs us that baroque music (a study by The American Roentgen Ray Society) and repetitive ambient electronica (a study by Mehta, Rhu & Cheema, 2012) are best for concentration, while your favourite music can be best when you need to focus on work. Scents can unconsciously enhance or impede your productivity. Just as incense and oil burning is used to signal sacred spaces, some people like to use these to create a focused and relaxing atmosphere in their study space. Similarly, the odours from people, perfumes, the great outdoors, and food can disrupt your train of thought. Controlling these environmental factors can be difficult in group study spaces. If it’s distracting you, then relocate to a better suited area. Equipment Personal study spaces and group study spaces in the Library are multifunctional with display screens or writing boards (chalkboard, whiteboard or pinboard). Aside from your device of choice, it’s best to have a bookshelf and/or cabinet space to store all study related items and maintain a clean working space. It’s equally important to ensure basic amenities and resources are accessible or very close at hand. Get to know the location of toilets and water fountains at your campus Library. Invest in a water bottle to stay hydrated, and put snacks on your desk and in your bag to keep your energy up. Online Accessing your units and all manner of learning materials and resources online can quickly become a messy and confusing affair if you don’t develop your own system of bookmarks and quick links. The most time efficient workers set up their devices to cater towards the work they’re doing. Activity: Checking your online sources What are the most common online resources you use for your study at Western Sydney University? Example Bookmark Toolbar
Bookmark Menu
Menu Folders
= Important / Everyday
= Irregularly used
E.g. Assignment Essentials
Student Email
Unit Outlines
eResources (aka Databases)
Learning Guides
(via Library > Resources)
(via Library > Resources) vUWS
Study Smart advisors
Subject Guides
(via Library > Services)
(via Library Guides)
Reserve (for readings)
PASS timetable
Referencing and Citation
(via Library > Guides)
PASSwrite timetable
(via Library > Guides)
Library
MESH
Turnitin and GradeMark
(for catalogue searching)
(Mathematics Education Support Hub)
(via Library > Guides)
Exam Papers (via Library > Resources)
Library Study Smart Creating your study space
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 2 of 3
Projects When you’re enrolled in a full-time study load, it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re working on and where files and resources are located. In addition to bookmarking the essentials, you’ll need to decide on a system that will help you locate and access digital items after you’ve used them. Many people use software and apps that provide for data tagging – from MS Outlook to Gmail, to Evernote. Your unit codes and topic descriptions are a great first level tag to attribute to your notes and files. References Mehta, R., Zhu, R., & Cheema, A. (2012). Is noise always bad? Exploring the effects of ambient noise on creative cognition. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(4), 784-799. doi:10.1086/665048.
Library Study Smart Creating your study space
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 3 of 3
GOAL SETTING AFTER LEARNING HOW TO SET GOALS AND ACHIEVE THEM EFFICIENTLY, MOST PEOPLE DISCOVER THAT IT’S A GREAT TOOL. Goals and action plans quickly quell that overwhelming and out-of-control feeling you have when there’s a lot on your plate or a huge project on the horizon. If done correctly, setting goals helps you work svmarter, not harder, and improve your productivity, learning, and outputs. The system requires you to identify a target and break it down, take action, and monitor your on-going progress. Below you’ll find more information and activities on how to implement this for your study and work.
Goal setting 101 How to Goals only come into fruition when you work on them! The first step is to think of all the goals you have for all domains of life, and then identify a handful that you want to work on. You can identify things that you want to achieve in the shortterm (the next few hours or days), and the long-term (the next three months, by the end of this year). Define Identifying goals is not as simple as saying ‘I want to raise my grade point average’, ‘I want to read more’ or ‘I want to get a job after I finish my studies’. To really define a goal, you need to make it SMART: S Specific
Think about the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when and why)
M Measurable
How will you know you’ve achieved the goal?
A Attainable
Is the goal feasible?
R Realistic
Is the goal stretching you, but not so much that you cannot reach it?
T Time-bound
What is the exact deadline?
Example Simple Goal
SMART Goal
I want to read more
By this time next year I will have read one book every month, for a total of twelve books a year.
I want a new job
By December this year I will have completed my Senior First Aid course and have applied for at least five jobs to work in after-school care.
I want to finish my report assignment
By April 21st I will have completed a 3,000 word report assignment, using APA referencing, based on five commercial reports and five government reports.
I want to do better in my tutorials
By next week’s tutorial I will have completed my readings, written notes including questions, and had a brief study group with two classmates to discuss and brainstorm the topic before attending the tutorial.
Library Study Smart Goal Setting 101
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 1 of 2
Break it down After you clearly articulate your goal, make it SMART, and write it down, it’s time to chunk it into manageable tasks. Let’s take the report assignment example from above: SMART Goal
Steps to achieve it
By April 21st I will have completed a 3,000 word report assignment, using APA referencing, based on five commercial reports and five government reports.
→ Research (Start around 2-3 months before due date) → Drafting (Start around 21 days before due date) → Editing/Proofreading (Start around ten days before due date) → Submission (Due Date)
Make an action plan An action plan is a list of all the tasks required to complete the goal. Remember, a list is nothing until you start making your way through it! And as you do, your ideas may change and so, too, your action plan. This is a part of study and work life. What you need to do is learn how to adapt as you go. It’s a good idea to refer to your action plan when scheduling study time daily and weekly. This will keep you on track to complete on time. Here’s what an action plan could look like for the assignment example used above: 1. Search commercial business websites for annual reports; locate five recent reports from five companies 2. Search Library databases for five government reports on the topic 3. Read, analyse, and take notes on commercial reports 4. Read, analyse, and take notes on five government reports 5. Brainstorm and mindmap appraisal/assessment key points 6. Prepare report outline with headings 7. Add dot points for content to address each section of the report 8. Allocate time to do draft writing (500 words over six days) 9. Review first draft 10. Complete second draft with APA referencing ten days before deadline then submit to YourTutor.com.au for feedback and Turnitin for an originality check (both available via vUWS, although some units may not enable the use of Turnitin for draft submissions) 11. Read through and address YourTutor feedback recommendations 12. Complete final proofread of third draft 13. Submit through Turnitin before deadline
Library Study Smart Goal Setting 101
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 2 of 2
REFLECTING ON PROGRESS JUST AS IT’S WISE TO REFER TO YOUR MAP WHEN BUSH-WALKING IN A NATIONAL PARK, IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO REGULARLY REFER TO YOUR GOALS AND ACTION PLAN TO MONITOR YOUR DEVELOPMENT. Instituting these simple daily, weekly, fortnightly and/or monthly practices can improve your productivity, success and outcomes - as well as self-confidence in your ability to manage tasks and produce results! Tracking progress is also the first step towards intrinsic (self) reflection to identify strengths and address areas for improvement.
Track, progress, success Monitoring to improve It is impossible to make progress, identify strengths, and address areas for improvement if you do not track what you do and reflect on it! A nutritionist will ask a client to maintain a food diary; a coach will ask a marathon runner to chart their weekly running distance totals; a manager will ask an employee to regularly report on their progress towards key performance indicators. The best mindset to take when you approach monitoring your study progress is to frame it in the context of improving your productivity in the short-term and improving yourself in the longterm. We often forget that successful people have practised for thousands of hours. What most people neglect to recognise, however, is that a lot of time has also gone into reflection to learn from mistakes and act differently in the future. Do not equate making a mistake with being a mistake. When you think of a ‘fail’, you should see it as the First Attempt In Learning. In addition to your daily, weekly, and semester planning habits, there are a few activities you can use at regular intervals to revisit your goals, track your progress, and make amendments when and where necessary. When it comes to tracker tools, you can go old-school and use a paper notebook, or get mobile with apps like Momentum (for iOS) and HabitBull (for Android). The examples below focus on intrinsic (self or individual) reflection. For extrinsic (external) reflection and feedback, see Asking questions. Daily and weekly review Monitoring your daily and/or weekly progress may become tedious if you are unclear about its purpose and your focus. You want to be ready for any unexpected delays to the foundation plan you’ve set out, plus observe what works and what doesn’t work for you, so that you can make changes to improve your productivity the next day or the next week. The following activity, a minute paper, can be used at the end of the day or week. You could use it to review a whole day or week (i.e. everything you did) or focus on a specific project (e.g. an assignment):
Library Study Smart Track progress
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 1 of 4
Activity 1: Minute Paper Note: X = today / this week / this project / this class / this unit, etc.
1.
What was most memorable/stands out in your mind about X?
2.
What was the most surprising and/or unexpected thing that happened X?
3.
What unanswered questions do you still have? Is there anything you didn’t understand?
4. What struck you as things you could / should put into practice again? Was there anything you want to change?
Library Study Smart Track progress
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 2 of 4
Beginning a project or semester Whenever you have the opportunity to pause and reflect on where you are at and where you would like to be at a commencement point (e.g. the start of a new semester, the beginning of an assignment, the outset of an internship), do it! It can be even more helpful to reflect with a group of friends or classmates because you can support each other by sharing tips on individual strengths in those areas. Below are a few activities to choose from: Activity 2(a): Strengths 1. From the list of skills and traits below, identify ten that describe you. results-oriented
willing to take risks
dependable
strong research skills
able to motivate others
able to follow instructions
good sense of humour
approachable
able to get along with others
self-motivated
mature
assertive
able to manage projects
able to learn quickly
sincere
logical mind
good at speaking in public
able to negotiate
good communicator
willing to learn new things
willing to ask questions
honest
enthusiastic
able to solve problems
patient
punctual
ambitious
hardworking / productive
curious
good attendance
intelligent
creative
pride in doing a good job
willing to be a leader
decisive
2. From those ten strengths, which three do you consider to be your top skills and traits? 3. How will these be useful for your project or in your uni studies? 4. → → →
(Optional: group activity) Identify two traits and skills that you need to improve. Share these two traits and skills with your group. Find someone in your group who has strength in your ‘improvement area’ and exchange your challenges and their tips or approaches. Activity 2(b): Academic Tasks
1. Identify two university tasks you find easy to do and explain why. For example (1) Writing an essay: I find it easier than writing a report because I’ve written more essays, I’m familiar with the general structure, I really enjoy constructing arguments with evidence in each paragraph to make a single point, and I like writing introductions that outline where the essay is going and conclusions that tie everything up to make a solid case. (2) Using Turnitin: I’m good with tech stuff, software, systems, learning how to use things quickly and the best way to use them. Turnitin is great, after you use the guide the first time, to figure out if you have any plagiarism and academic integrity issues. I really struggle with referencing, so I made an extra effort to get to know Turnitin really well.
Library Study Smart Track progress
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 3 of 4
2. Identify two university tasks you find challenging and explain why. For example (1) Writing a report: I don’t have a lot of experience writing reports and I really don’t like the rigid structure with all those headings. It’s so constrictive compared to an essay. It feels like you have to be really concise and precise about what you want to say, and sometimes I don’t know what that is until I’ve written it out. I find that I have to do a zillion more drafts when I do a report, compared to an essay. (2) Referencing: Citing sources is different for every unit I do. It’s so confusing. 3. Compare the approach you take to tasks listed in (i) far above and (ii) immediately above. What are the differences? Project debrief When working on a group project, it’s good practice to debrief after completion to assess what worked well, what didn’t and what you would do, individually and collectively, next time. It also gives you an opportunity to praise each other’s work and offer constructive feedback on areas for improvement. You can also debrief individually on solo projects. This can be done with assignments. You should do the activity below before approaching a tutor or unit coordinator with more detailed questions about the assignment comments. Activity 3: The Bridge (after Hurford & Reed, 2005) 1. Bring your assignment, feedback, and the assignment rubric (marking criteria) together. 2. Identify one criterion at a time. 3. Think about where you are now (A), where you want to be (C), and what you need to do to bridge the gap (B): For example A
B
C
Current
Steps to improve
Future
Criterion
How could you get from A to B?
Criterion
Weaker assignments tended to provide: limited evaluation without clear reference to wider reading
I can back up my own viewpoints with relevant readings I can read more critically… ask, ‘Is this viewpoint backed up with evidence’?
Stronger assignments tended to provide: evidence of analysis and reflection with clear reference to wider reading
I can reflect on my own experience; I can analyse this in the light of reading and other people’s experience
Library Study Smart Track progress
July 2016 westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart
Page 4 of 4
Contact Information ic@westernsydney.edu.au Western Sydney University Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
WESTERNSYDNEY.EDU.AU/STUDYSMART