HN1104Personal Skills and IT
Session 1IntroductionSkills AuditTime ManagementOrganisationCoping with Pressure
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Introduction
Staff Jan Lunn – module leader Sandi Duffy
Aims of the module Key skills IT Packages
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Key Skills
Time managementCommunication
Written Oral
Interpersonal skills Listening Teamwork
Problem solving
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IT Skills
WordExcelPowerPoint
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Assessment
3 courseworks CV/job applications Information gathering and data analysis Presentation
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Exercise - Skills Audit
You are asked to complete this with your own ratings: Value to students study. This should be based on
your knowledge of the degree programme you are on, and your expectations of this programme
Value to students future work. This should be based on your expected career path and the current knowledge of the employment market for your degree programme.
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Skills Audit cont.
Current skill level. You should try and honestly assess your level in the skills.
This information is only intended to give you an indication of where you need to improve your skills. The HN1104 tutorial sessions will focus on various of these skills and give you pointers for improving them.
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Skills Audit cont.
Total You should then total the ratings for all three
questions. The higher the total, the more attention should be paid to the skills involved.
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Skills Audit cont.
Note: there is no right or wrong rating to these questions. If your rating differs from that expressed by your lecturer, it will provide an opportunity to discuss your expectations of the degree programme against those of the lecturer.
Microsoft Word
Document
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Exercise - Approach to Study
Approach to study questionnaire #Strategic orientation
Extrinsic motivation - seeing qualifications as the main source of motivation for learning
Strategic approach - actively seeking information about assessment requirements
Achievement orientation - being competitive and self-confident, driven by a hope for success
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Exercise - Approach to study
Reproducing orientation Surface approach - relying on rote learning Syllabus-boundness - restricting learning to
the defined syllabus and specified tasks Fear of failure - lacking self confidence and
being anxiously aware of assessment requirements
Improvidence - not looking for relationships between ideas, and being fact bound
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Exercise - Approach to Study
Meaning orientation Deep approach - looking for meaning in
studying and interact actively with what is being learnt, linking studying with real life
Use of evidence - students who examine evidence critically and use it cautiously
Relating ideas - actively relating new ideas to previous knowledge
Intrinsic motivation - being interested in learning for its own sake
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Time Management - Why?
At University responsibility for your learning is YOURS
Time wasters #The answer is Planning Estimate time spent doing things other
than studying #How much time is required for studying #
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Note
Expected study time: Full time students - 40 hours per week Part time students - 15 -20 hours per week
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Time Management - How
PlanPrioritiseReview
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Remember
2 Semesters of 15 weeks: 12 weeks lectures, 1 week revision, 2
weeks assessmentNon timetabled periods within
semesters Christmas 5 weeks (inc. pre sem week) Easter 3 weeks (inc. S1 referrals) - 2001/02
followed by 5 weeks of lectures, then revision and assessment
Holiday time - approx. 15 weeks
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Planning
Set up / copy timetable sheets - 7 days divided into hourly blocks 9 am - 10 p.m. with regular study commitments e.g. lectures Example in module book (available from the
web site)
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Planning weeklySet a regular time e.g. Sunday
evening to plan the next weekCheck for milestones (fixed events)
e.g. exams/course works which must be prepared for
List tasks that MUST be accomplished during the week e.g. course work deadlines Late submission = zero Printer queues not an acceptable excuse
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Planning weekly (cont.)
List tasks that COULD be accomplished during the week
Decide how many hours you can devote to private study
Decide how much time to allocate to MUSTs and COULDs
Mark up your timetable sheets #
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Planning daily
Review what you have accomplished during the day
Note what is incompleteNote what you should do the following
dayAmend your timetable
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Review the plan
Don’t be too worried if you haven’t kept precisely to your timetable
Know why you haven’tDecide if you need to do anything about
it in planning next weeks timetable
Organisation
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Organise yourself
Organise your work space File work systematically
cabinets, floor
Organise pens, pencils, calculators etc. Arrange a clear work space Have a reminder system
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Organise yourself (cont.)
Stop devoting effort to not doing Reward yourself for doing something Divide and conquer - elephant jobs (TMI)
Reduce time wastage e.g. telephone calls
Use prime time for prime jobs Daily biological rhythms
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Organise yourself (cont.)
Work to deadlines Course works/ assignments Create your own short term ones
Work on one thing at a time
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Organise yourself (cont.)
Prioritise the work Urgent and important - do it now Urgent and not important - do it if you can Important but not urgent - start it before it
becomes urgent Not important and not urgent - don’t do it
Identify strong and weak subjects and determine the percentage of time to spend on each - 80/20 rule
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Organise yourself (cont.)
Build in breaks - coffee, walkAllow for unforeseen circumstances
Printer queues!Do something!
It takes time and trouble to organise It takes time and trouble to organise yourself, but muddling along takes even yourself, but muddling along takes even
more timemore time
Coping with Pressure
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Coping with Pressure
Remove the cause of the pressure e.g. living alone
Deal with the pressure better Be assertive Prepare - interviews, exams, time
management Consider alternatives Talk the situation over with others
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Coping with Pressure (cont.)
Keep fit Use up the ‘fight and flight’ hormones Little but often Eat the right food - fruit and vegetables not
‘junk food’ Alcohol and smoking increase stress -
stimulants
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Coping with Pressure (cont.)
Put things in perspective What is the worst that could happen? How likely is it? How important will it be in 6 to 12 months
time? Can you laugh it off?
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Treat Stress
Breathing exercises Breathe deeply
Relaxation exercises tensing and relaxing all the muscles from toes
to top of your head Think about something or somewhere pleasant If you can’t sleep, count backwards from 500 Meditation, yoga etc.
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Seek Help
Consult friendsJoin others/groups with similar concernsConsult your lecturer/tutorTake a study skills course - report
writing and study skills courseConsult Careers Service - work options,
interview and presentation techniquesConsult counselling servicesJoin recreational activities in JMU
Any questions?