At long last 2014 is upon us as 2013 gently floats away into the preserve of memory. Naturally with a new year comes a new round of resolutions made to make this year better than the last. Traditionally these are undertaken with great gusto and seriousness – the pledges to lose weight, to get a new job, to find that special someone; and then promptly abandoned sometime around January 10th.
But far be it for us to try to dissuade our students and readers from attempting to better themselves in this bright new year of opportunity. Infact, we’d like to offer a few suggestions of our own that our learners might want to consider.
- Get your work in early not late. The later you leave it, the more likely your work will be rushed and the greater the risk that it will fail to show your full potential and understanding of a topic. Solve this by resolving to begin your assignments and study programmes as soon as you possibly can – you’ll not only produce higher quality work but the increased communication and feedback from your tutor will help you stay motivated to succedd in your studies.
- Be more focussed. Go into every study session with a clear understanding of what you want to learn and into every assignment with the knowledge of what you want to demonstrate you know. Cut yourself off from every distraction you can while you are doing this so that the outside world cannot interfere. Having time for deep thought is an essential part of the learning process and making more time for it is critical in getting the most out of your studies.
- Talk to your Tutors. There is never any shame in admitting that you do not know or do not understand something. Why are you on a course of study if not to learn? Do not make the mistake of thinking you are a sponge sitting back to be taught – you must be proactive in your learning and should always be asking questions and engaging with the material you are presented with. Resolve to ask more questions!
- Sleep More! It’s a sad but almost universal truth that with the increasing pace of life more and more people are having to sacrifice sleep in order to get everything done. However a good kip isn’t just a luxury, it’s essential to healthy living, and if you’re not getting forty winks, everything you’re doing will suffer including your studying. Despite what you may have, heard a little laziness is a good thing!
- Remember to Celebrate! It’s all about motivation. We at ADL will do as much as we can to help get you through your course – we want you to succeed! – but in the end it’s all down to you. You are in the driving seat of your own studying and it’s up to you to keep yourself interested and motivated and what better way than to celebrate every milestone, achievement and good grade you get?
How about you? Have you made any study related resolutions this year – or any resolutions at all for that matter? Let us know!