Category Archives: Study Practices

Small Steps

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By Jojo (Student blogger: BSc Hons Economics)

2020 isn’t a year that everyone was hoping for.

BUT, what can we do, and how do we prepare ourselves for the future?

Firstly, its ok to feel lost, and feel a lack of motivation. Since most of our upcoming plans are ruined, it is hard to figure out what the next steps are. And due to the uncertainties, the motivations are somewhat faded away.

Secondly, its also ok if you feel disconnected with everything and everybody around you and the only thing that we can rely on, is the internet. And I am sure that feels a little bit strange.

So how to overcome it? A good way to increase our motivation around studying is to establish a goal or a target. A good technique to get you started is to use the SMART principles:

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Achievable

R = Relevant

T = Time Bound

When you aim to accomplish something, it is crucial to have a plan, in fact, to have a detailed plan. The more detailed the plan is, the easier it is for you to execute it, because you know exactly what to do and when to do them. Furthermore, think about the motivation. That is, maybe try to reward yourself when you have completed something, so that you will be more willing to execute your plans. Having some incentives will help to drive you to accomplish tasks.

It is ok  if your plan is just to do something small, try to not get distracted by the people around you, and just believe in yourself, take small steps, and achieve your goals at your own pace.

And last but not least, adapting your lifestyle to deal with the situation. It is likely that the university won’t return to its normal state very soon, so it is important to adapt yourself for the future. Planning and time management skills are now more important than ever, so stay calm and be prepared foo whatever is coming.

Momentum

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By Sean (Student blogger: MSci Hons Computer Science)

The words “university” and “smooth-sailing” rarely occur in the same sentence, and it is not just a stereotype. It would be very unlikely, if not nearly impossible, to find a person who can tell you that their higher education flew by without difficulty, especially at a top 10 institute like Lancaster University. Obviously, I am no exception. Despite undergoing two years of a famously rigorous and prestigious pre-university education, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, I still find myself struggling to meet deadlines, failing to understand my notes or walking out of lectures confused. Welcome to your first taste of The University ExperienceTM (albeit one people are less likely to bring up at the dinner table). At the very least, however, I can say there is one thing I have accomplished: I have gained momentum.

Many say motivation is the core of the university student, but I would argue that it is in fact having momentum. While both are essential, I think the latter provides much more of a driving force than the former. Imagine a straight, hilly road with ups and downs, akin to a wavy surface. Now imagine having to cycle from one end to the other. You might see an initially difficult, sweaty trudge uphill but a fast and breezy descent after, carrying you up the next wave, only to be pulled forward by another downhill slope.

If the road is the academic university journey, the ups and downs are the challenges (coursework deadlines) and the bicycle represents progress. Similar to the analogy, it will be hard to get the ball rolling, especially with the first lectures being on the easier side and so many freshers’ events, nights out and society meetings to tempt you. You’ll end up forgetting to do lecture notes, neglecting difficult topics and leaving coursework deadlines till 6am in the morning the day it’s due. You’ll look at your interactive transcript and your eyes will hover over that 43% quiz score, regretting not studying for the one test you know you could’ve easily aced. Once you’ve traversed the initial mountain, however, the story takes a dramatic turn.

It took me a whole term and a half to get it. Catching up was a lot harder because of all the extra weight on my back, but I lumbered on. And while lumbering on, I hit a point where I realised I was becoming increasingly interested in the course material. Getting myself to start on a day of lecture notes became a little easier, and coursework began to be finished earlier. It was puzzling at first, but now I see why: it was my momentum. Harder to achieve than it could have been, but the end results show.

So, from my experience, here are my words of wisdom: Stay focused in class. Start your coursework a little earlier. Love Island can wait an hour. Do your lecture notes after your lectures, preferably on the same week you had them. The allure of staying comfortable at the bottom of the first hill will tempt you, but once you get that momentum going, the breeze will show you that there is no better feeling.

Networking? Sounds Boring

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By Will (Student Blogger: BSc Hons Entrepreneurship and Management)

When people say the word ‘networking’ an image of important business people talking usually springs to mind. I think most people view networking as a process that has zero fun and is purely to make connections that could be useful one day, when you want to call in a favour. This is an outdated view. Networking is incredibly important and university is an absolute gold mine, as there are so many people from different backgrounds with different skills.

Networking doesn’t just mean talking to people that you think have important knowledge that you could draw on one day. Nor is it a process where you set out goals or parameters as to who to talk to and who to avoid.

Networking is natural, we all do it in everyday life whether introverted or extroverted, everyone networks daily. University nurtures many different friendship groups, from flatmates to course mates and society mates. I would advise anyone coming to university to take advantage of this and network with as many people from different places as possible. I personally have developed networks with people from so many backgrounds, with sports persons, entrepreneurs, local politicians and experts in just about every academic field. Akin to these people being incredibly interesting and enriching to have a coffee and chat with, they have proved invaluable to my university career. If I didn’t know many of the entrepreneurs that I currently do, I would never have been able to gain the advice and expertise to help set up my own business within university alongside my studies.

It can always seem too easy to not go to that sports trial or avoid that marketing event with an influential speaker. Its not always that easy to get out there and meet new people while sometimes divulging information about yourself to people you barely know. However, every time you miss that event or decline that invitation to a party or social, you’re limiting the opportunities that university can afford you.

Networking isn’t just for extroverts and people who like talking, it’s for people who want to seize the chance they’ve been given and make the most of life. The more networking someone does the more connected they become, and I can say from experience that the more random opportunities start to pop up, which most people weren’t even aware existed.

The point of this blog was never intended to scare you into going to everything on university campus, because no one has time for all that and as always studying must come first. However next time the opportunity arises to meet someone new or go to a new environment, consider not what might be bad about it or how much time you’ll have to do other stuff if you don’t go. But what could I be missing, what advice and new characters might I hear about, but never be able to experience again, because who knows what the future holds?

So, don’t hold back don’t regret what could have been, but learn from experience and it is true that people make the world go around, so get out there and meet as many interesting ones as you can.

Dreaded deadlines…or are they?

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by Sophia (Student Blogger: BA Hons Religious Studies) 

Ah, deadlines. One minute you’re on top of everything, the next minute you’ve got 15 essays, a presentation and 600 pages of reading to do. This may be a slight exaggeration, but assignments certainly can feel like they are impossible to complete when they start mounting up. So how can you spread your time wisely, and make sure your workload doesn’t become a nightmare?

1. Attitude:

We’re going to skip the clichés and start with something a little bit different. If you start by looking at your assignments with an attitude of ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’m not going to get it done in time’, this mentality overwhelms you every time you sit down to work. Doing essay work becomes arduous, distressing and seemingly undoable.

So, before you even begin. Rather than panicking about how difficult it’s all going to be, visualise how good you’re going to feel once it’s all finished. Then, bring that closer, visualise how good you’re going to feel when you finish assignment x out of assignments x, y and z.

2) Planning:
As much as we may all wish to have our essays done 8 weeks before they’re due, we’re human and we aren’t perfect. Many advice articles tell you to start early, which yes, in an ideal world you would have done. However, if you’re reading this and your essay is due in two weeks, a week or less than that, that guidance is of no use to you right now.

So, how do you balance multiple assignments in a relatively short period of time? You can start in two ways, I would advise starting with the work that is due first. Working in chronological order avoids the nightmare of having an essay that’s due next Thursday completed to an impeccable standard, without having even looked at the one due on Monday. Your other option, which is slightly more risky, is to start with the assignment you perceive to be easiest. This may enable you to get this one out of the way quickly, and get you on a roll for your other assignments. Use this method with caution, perhaps only if you have quite a bit of time before your work needs to be submitted, or as I will now discuss, when all your assignments are due at the same time.

3) Multitasking:
The problem may be that, while you feel you can start your assignments, you just can’t cope with the sheer number you’re being expected to complete. Say you’ve been assigned 4 essays of 2500 words, all due for the same day. You can’t decide which one to start, and it’s terrifying that such a large amount of work is due at the same time. Starting with the two most difficult assignments may be too overwhelming. So, pick one slightly easier one, and one more difficult one. Only focus on these two essays to start off with, as flitting between four large essays during the space of a day may be too much for you to deal with, and limit the amount of progress you can make on each. For those first two essays, break down exactly what you are intending to do per day in a ‘to do list’, for example:

To do lists:
PPR 252 Seminar reading (10 pages)
Essay 1 (PPR 225) Complete reading A and B for essay, write 100- 200 words on this. (Easy)
Essay 2 (PPR 253) Complete reading A for essay. (Hard)

You can of course ramp up or reduce how much reading and how many words of your assignment you wish to complete, but by breaking it down in this way you have goals for each day that you can tick off. Remember not to overload yourself, if you set unrealistic goals, you’re bound not to reach them, which can be even more disheartening. Also, remember to take regular breaks and don’t expect to be able to work 7 days a week!

4) Avoid distraction, turn off your phone!

5) Staying positive:
You’re likely going to have a few off days here or there, or feel like no matter how perfectly planned out your work is, you just don’t have the energy or the patience to do it. So many students get to this point near deadline week. You have two options, if this is the first wobble you’ve had, drop your work and walk away for 10 minutes. Ring or message a friend, talk it through with them. Have you been overworking? Is your current method ineffective? If you can realistically afford to take a more extended break, perhaps an afternoon off, then do so and start afresh the next day. If you can’t, or maybe if this has been one of many highly stressful outbursts over a short period, it may well be that you are working as best as you can, but it is just taking its toll on you. This is when it is time to approach your department, lecturers, seminar tutors, TA’s or the welfare team. They may be able to help you better manage your workload or clarify something you’re having an issue with.

Final thoughts: Your department is there to help you if you are struggling, but remember that it is entirely possible for you to meet your deadlines. You are allowed to have off days or wobbles, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to reach your goals, so try not to be too hard on yourself and good luck!

Planning coursework effectively

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by Catherine (Student Blogger: MSc Electrical Engineering)

When you have coursework or an assignment due, it it is important to take a step back and plan your work to get the most out of your time.

Creating a Timetable

Let’s say you have an essay due in a week. The piece is worth 20% of the module, but you have classes this week and are concerned you won’t have the time. The table below shows an example week plan for completing the work:

Day  Planned Work
Friday (assignment set) • Read and annotate the coursework assignment
• Highlight key points to research
Saturday • Research key points, collecting references
• Plan structure, listing appropriate references for each section
Sunday • Write introductory section
Monday • Day off – reflect on assignment so far
Tuesday • Write the bulk of the coursework, using references and structure from Saturday
Wednesday • Finish writing the bulk of the coursework
• Note key points for the conclusion
Thursday • Write the conclusion sections, using notes from Thursday
• Proof read, and note any improvements
Friday (assignment due) • Execute improvements from Thursday
• Submit assignment

The key point of this plan is to not begin writing until a day or two after the work has been set, to give you the time to plan and prepare. Annotating the assignment is an important step to ensure you don’t miss any key points and can maximise your grade.

Coping with Stress

You have two pieces due, both significant to your grade, and you work weekends. Breath, everything is going to be okay.

Some stress levels can be beneficial and motivate you to work. Too much stress is distracting, effects your mental wellbeing, and worrying consumes your time.

My advice?

Try to Schedule a Day off
If time allows, take a day for yourself. You could attend a society meeting, spend time with friends, or catch up on a series. This gives you a motivating incentive to work towards.

Get Enough Sleep
Sometimes, you may not have a choice and you may find yourself trading sleep for time in order to meet that deadline. However, consistently losing sleep will affect your mood and productivity so it is best to take care of yourself, so you can work harder for less time.

Allow Yourself Time to Worry
If things become too much, set aside an hour to allow yourself to be stressed. If you can, use this time to create a mind map of how to solve the problems that are concerning you and refer to this the next time you become stressed.

 

 

 

Making the most of freedom

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by Will (Student Blogger: BSc Hons Entrepreneurship and Management) 

As a student who had selected to study “Entrepreneurship” coming from a background of A levels in Biology, Politics and Economics, uncertainty of how my university life would materialise is an understatement. From early on in my study of the subject I was presented with the problem of not having a set strict criterion of reading and material to learn. The field of entrepreneurship is still to this day open to interpretation on how best to learn and practice it. This was the first time in my educational journey that I had been allowed to pursue my own interests within an area of study. I found this impossible to begin with, as I couldn’t stand not having a set path leading from study to exam. In the crudest sense I had to expand my mind and stop worrying about what might happen, while focusing on what I could make happen.

The main way I overcame this problem was talking to the professors and course leaders of entrepreneurship. Despite being a confident person even this was daunting, as the perception and attitude of professors is so much different from that of traditional teachers. It therefore took me until around my third week of study to approach my professor after my lecture and explain my dilemma. I was undoubtedly nervous of what the answer would be. I felt that it would confirm my skepticism for entrepreneurship and show my ineptitude at grasping the concept of university styled study.

I was therefore more than slightly shocked to learn that many students had voiced almost identical concerns to my own earlier on in the term, and in fact in earlier academic years. It soon became apparent that each cohort of students studying entrepreneurship and almost all other degrees always included those unable to initially grasp the great freedom given in how one may study.

However, this mere conversation with my professor though explained to me that my problem was not unique, did not solve the situation. I was told in a later conversation with the module leader that the best way to comprehend and therefore take advantage of the freedom we were given to study with, was to practice. Plain and simple I was told to take my first essay with a pinch of salt and just be inventive with it, allowing myself to study many areas related to the title and focus on the most enjoyable from there.

To say that this immediately fixed my dilemma wouldn’t be telling the truth. However, it was clear that from then on I was on the path of recovery or so to speak. Since that first essay, which incidentally received a good mark, I have embraced and improved on building my own path using what I enjoy, rather than what I think I must endure.
This is a problem that I must admit is not totally absent from my university experience yet. However, it is a problem that is now much less significant much more solvable and one I honestly am enjoying conquering.

Putting your health first

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by Sophia (Student Blogger: Law)

I initially entered Lancaster University as a Law student, back in 2016. I was so incredibly excited, and I knew Lancaster Uni was the right place for me, but my mental health at the time was particularly fragile. I met amazing friends, whom I still live with this year, but I found myself repeatedly unable to fulfil the required workload and I gradually fell behind.

In January of 2017, I made the incredibly difficult decision to intercalate, and then ultimately to withdraw from my Law degree. I knew that I wanted to return to Lancaster university, and with tremendous help from staff, I was able to find a course at the university that would be more suited to my academic style, ability and interests. Fast forward 2 years, and I have never been happier. I have learned more about myself as a person and about what I want from life in the 18 months I have been a student at Lancaster, than I had in the prior 18 years of my life.

There are 2 crucial things I’ve found key to avoid becoming overwhelmed at University, and this advice applies whether you’re a soon-to-be student, or you’re in your final year:

1) Your health should be the most important consideration in your life:
Yes, your university work is crucial, but the thing that allows you to do your work effectively is being in a good physical and mental state. It is totally normal to have days when the last thing you want to do is read; everyone has slow mornings! However, if you have a history of poor mental health or if you’ve just moved to University, you need to figure out whether you’re just having a rough day or actually if your mental health is on the decline. If you think it’s the latter, it’s vital that you give yourself a break, even if you feel like it’s not a good idea. Repeatedly trying to summon the strength to sit down and do that work is going to do far more harm than good. Go for a walk with your housemates, call your parents, go to a cafe and treat yourself to something for trying to do your work, and most importantly do NOT beat yourself up about it!

2) Keeping a routine:
For the most part, having even a vaguely sketched out routine to plan out your days can make completing your work far less daunting. But again, don’t be upset with yourself if you don’t stick to it rigidly! The great thing about University is that your days are largely your own. You may have lectures, seminars, or labs depending on your subject throughout the day, but at some point you will also have free periods in which to do your work or see a friend. Keeping certain times like your evenings free for socialisation or societies often provide a motivation to get your work done. Always reward yourself for hard work!

Responding to criticism

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by Melissa (Student Blogger: MA English Literature)

You’re at university because you’ve excelled in your studies. You’re used to receiving praise and awards and achievements for your work, and the occasional piece of criticism. At university level learning, criticism is the one of the most valuable pieces of knowledge you can hope to receive from your tutors because it is personalised and geared towards helping you achieve greater success in the future, as opposed to looking back on your past.

At university level, you can be proud enough to acknowledge how far your work has taken you in life, but as students, we also need to respect that the journey to academic excellence is never finished, and that the only real way to improve a piece of work is to eke out its flaws.

Yes, this can be a painful process. Perhaps you have spent weeks lamenting over your latest essay, and that you were proud of all the work you put in when you finally submitted it. You might be feeling utterly heartbroken with the mark you got back, stapled next to a heavy feedback sheet illuminating all the things you could have done better.

But chin up! Your tutor has taken the time to thoroughly read through your work and has dedicated themselves to helping you. The step-up to university is hard, and every stair is made from the help and criticism given to you by peers and tutors, so let’s think about how we can reach the top together!

Step 1

Read through your criticism, twice. Read through each point carefully and apply it to your essay, make sure you understand what your tutor is asking you to do differently. This could be something as easy as reference errors, but when it comes to problems in theory you may have to consult your books for the context in which your error has been made.

Step 2

If you’re still unsure about any of the feedback, or have any new ideas that you would like to suggest as a way of improvement, it can be a good idea to clarify these with your tutor during office hour.

Step 3

Different methods of teaching suit different students, so you may find it helpful to consult a different tutor in your department if you are still experiencing difficulties. If you are part of the FASS department for example, you could sign up for a slot at the FASS writing space. If you feel your feedback has been inadequate you can receive more information on how to improve here. [FASS WRITING SPACE – http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/arts-and-social-sciences/study/study-support/]

Step 4

It can be helpful to go through your old essays and their feedback before starting a new essay. This will remind you what to change next time you start the essay process, so keep your work safe and filed. This is why it’s important to collect your essays from the department, especially if you receive a grade that you are unhappy with. Leaving the material copy with your department won’t make it go away!

Step 5

In case I haven’t been clear enough, do not blame your tutors for finding errors in your work, and don’t blame yourself either. Try your best to keep a positive attitude towards making your work the best it can be and eventually you will improve.

 

Lessons learned…

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by Nevena (Student Blogger: BSc Hons Business Studies (Industry))

Dear student,

Second term is slowly but steadily coming to an end. You have attended so many lectures for the past 18 weeks, you have heard so many new definitions, struggled with new concepts and juggled with multiple deadlines. But what will you take away? What would you do differently in your year if you had the chance to? I will share some of the key lessons I managed to learn from my two years of university experience.

Lesson #1

Ask questions and be curious! Whether you’re sitting in a lecture or a seminar, don’t be afraid to raise your hand and say your query out loud. Leave shyness outside of the room. In this way you will show you are paying attention, demonstrate your willingness to understand a topic on a deeper level and you will be able to clarify a question for other students as well. Lecturers LOVE interaction. In my first year, I only had the courage to share my thoughts in seminars. This year, however, I don’t mind interrupting a lecturer in the middle and posing my question. I have had extremely positive experiences with lecturers who want to support you and expand your understanding. So ASK, ASK, ASK!

Lesson #2

The second lesson I learned was to ask for feedback. Not only at the end of an assignment, but also prior to it. This is one of the mistakes I made personally as I didn’t use all the available opportunities to discuss the ideas I had on an essay or project. It’s extremely helpful, for instance, if you visit your tutor’s office hours and kindly ask for some feedback on the plan of your essay. Sometimes even a very short conversation of 5 minutes can help you understand how to better tailor your approach towards the assignment you are given. Furthermore, it will give you an insight of how to go the extra mile and achieve higher results. Receiving guidance is an essential part of using initial feedback as a way to improve. However, you won’t receive it unless you ask for it.

Lesson #3

There is so much support available in the Management School that can help you immensely. I can specifically relate to this when it comes to statistics modules or anything linked with data analysis. Do you know what MASH is? Well, if you haven’t heard (or been) and if you are struggling with numbers, it is located in B38a in the Management School. MASH is not the only support provided by the university. The Academic Writing Zone which is part of the Learning Development commitment can enhance your writing style and have a positive impact on your results. For more information check out the LUMS Learning Development Moodle Site.

If you are not a Management School student, check out the Learning and Skills Development website for more information about what support is available in your faculty.

Lesson #4

Balance is hard. Especially when you are trying to find the equilibrium between academic and social life. Oh, and we should add professional life to the list as well. Gaining work experience is extremely important for your future job prospects. Finding an internship/placement can be often stressful, but there are ways to cope with the negative feeling of the unknown which is building up inside of you. Careers Office are a wonderful way to talk to a professional about your CV and how to improve it. There are multiple workshops on How to Write a Successful CV, How to Pass Interviews, and How to Pass Assessment Centers. Just go to the Base or to their website and learn more about what they have to offer. LUMS students have a separate Careers Zone dedicated to their job seeking endeavors. LUMS Careers is in LUMS where you can drop-in on Tuesdays and Fridays and discuss any of the questions you might have. This is an incredible way to learn more about how things happen in reality and what employers are searching for.

Lesson #5

Final one! When you feel like you have reached your boundaries, when it has been too much for you…get a quick escape. Go somewhere unfamiliar for a day. Manchester and Liverpool are extremely close to Lancaster and offer wonderful opportunities that have to be explored. The Lake District impresses with its nature while Blackpool makes you go back to when you were a kid with all its rollercoasters and entertainment games. Even if you have a few hours to spend somewhere, RECHARGE. “It is not about resistance, but about resilience,” a friend once told me. Visit Ashton Memorial (hint: check out the House of Butterflies) or go for a quick walk at the Woodland Walk at the periphery of County. There is so much around us and often we don’t appreciate it. Take the chance to try something different and get some energy.

All of the above are based on personal experience. There are many more to go on the list, but these are some of the starting points that can make a real difference to YOU.

Wishing you all the best,

Nevena

 

How to take feedback like a pro

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by Sara (Student Blogger: BA Hons Linguistics)

It is sadly true that the jump from A-level to university is a considerable one but it is also true, thankfully, that you don’t have to be an Olympian to land successfully on the other side. In my opinion, some jumps from GCSE to A-level have been bigger than this, for example when studying languages, and at the end of the day if you’ve got this far you can go a little further am I right? Getting back your first essays can be daunting because you’ve been well informed of this increase in expectations but fear not for I have compiled some top tips for keeping calm as you walk down that dimly lit corridor to pick up an assignment.

  1. Put it in perspective. Obviously, you should always try your best but there is also no point stressing about a grade that is only a small fraction of the overall mark at the end of the year. If you must worry, worry in proportion. If you smashed a module you really enjoyed but didn’t do amazingly on one you hated, things will balance out. No one is amazing at everything and no one is interested by everything. Go easy on yourself; someone may have really struggled with an essay you succeeded with.
  2. Don’t throw it away. When you get an essay back with a whole page of feedback on the front, you may not realise it but you are more fortunate than others. Some departments aren’t great at giving feedback that is helpful enough or enough full stop. If your tutor has taken the time to look at your work and has done a thorough evaluation, you shouldn’t waste that effort. Have an allocated place for noting down the things you did well and the things you’ve been told to improve on. This will be incredibly useful when settling down to start your next essay if it requires similar skills to the first.
  3. Some things are an easy fix. If you receive several paragraphs of feedback and a lot of it is negative, think about how much time it would take to correct those mistakes. Marks can go down for obvious structural points like page numbers, labelling tables and charts and your headings being correctly numbered as well as forgetting the date for that reference that you were going to ‘just put in later’. We all know that when later actually comes, you’re sat in front of Netflix with a Pot Noodle, sending the essay off without a proper proof read, hoping it’ll be okay. Spend an extra five minutes at the end of your next essay with a checklist in hand, featuring those little things, and skim the essay checking one feature at a time on each read through. The marks are in the details.
  4. And finally, there’s more to life than assignments…. because you also have exams! Just kidding. Don’t let your academic work become the sole purpose of your existence. University is not just about the grades you get. A poor grade won’t seem quite so bad after a night in with a pot of chocolate fondue and good friends.

To conclude, in conclusion and overall, try your best but you’re at your best when grades, essays and deadlines are put into perspective. Always be looking to improve on the next assessment based on the feedback you’ve been given and the time you take acknowledging the feedback will be worth it.