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5 Skills of Successful Learners

By ACS Distance Education on January 13, 2016 in Jobs Success | comments

Have awareness 

Effective learning can only possibly take place when the student knows exactly where the goal posts are! What does this mean in academic context – what is expected of you from both your tutors and to achieve the course aims?  

So what might you need to know about?

1. The course content (the curriculum!) 
2. The outcomes for the course – that is what you will have learned. 
3. How the course is assessed and how to achieve the marks or grades you desire.
4. Who your tutors are and what their expectations are – having a chat with your tutor or sending an email can help you develop that relationship and mutual understanding. 

 

Be a self-evaluator (not a critic!)

You can’t learn about anything new if you don’t already know your starting point. Right? So you need to identify your personal strengths and yes, your weaknesses also. Achieving as a learner can only take place when you are open to working on areas which you need to improve. 

So how can you develop some awareness? Do some self-evaluation surveys, start writing a learning journal (and read it back to yourself from time to time), involve yourself in forums and group discussions, use your tutor feedback wisely. 

Get organised

Absolutely central for being successful at anything really… it's called organisation. Okay, so this doesn’t just mean keeping your work space tidy. No, beyond the practical nature of organisation lies developing strategies for learning that really work. Get organised with strategies that work for you.  Organise a timetable that involves some different learning activities. For example, set out a time for watching some course content related videos online, maybe you could do this when you’re too tired to read and would rather listen to an industry speaker or a podcast. Use the strategy of communication to connect with other students or your tutor. Make time in your study plan for quiet reading, and don’t forget to plan time for reflection. Organise your learning plan – easy.  

 

Develop familiarity 

All skills improve with practice. Here’s an example: your tutor explains you must reference your work.  You spend considerable time getting your head around the Harvard referencing system.  So next time, your referencing will be easier, you’ve already gained some knowledge of what’s expected. The next time you’re referencing, it’s even easier still. And on it goes.   Familiarity with processes and systems will:
Help you find useful shortcuts
Help you form patterns in what you’re doing 
Free up time to focus on the important stuff
Perform the more basic tasks associated with your course automatically 

Believe in yourself 

To be a successful learner, remember you are entitled to learn. You are a student.  You can make mistakes or not understand a concept – that is part of learning. Don’t give yourself a hard time if you find you struggle from time to time. Remember you’re not alone. 

Try to develop confidence and think about all the parts of your course you were successful with.  The key to being successful in learning is, you must believe that success is possible.  

 

 

Why not learn more about the the skills for learning.  We have an exciting ebook which can prepare you for study and for success.  Tips for successful study.