PREPARING FOR SUCCESS AT UNIVERSITY: KNOWLEDGE AND CREATIVITY
Introduction
The essay aims towards reflecting my knowledge of the Preparing for Success Knowledge and Creativity (PSKC) module. It comprises a deep evaluation of all the lessons I have covered during the module. Reflection is a process of looking back to the time and analyzing the activities to find the meaning and develop a different perspective to look at things (Bailie and Gebre, 2020). Through the knowledge and creativity concept, I have seen a different change in my personality and thinking. Now I think differently, imitate, and communicate confidently.
Body
At the start of the PSKC module, I learnt about the basics of the module, the use of emails. I also learned concepts like email etiquettes, net etiquettes, office applications like Outlook, One Drive, etc. As a new entrant, I was so excited to learn. My introduction to the tools like College software, emails, Outlook, etc makes me more interested in the learning of the module. I learned communication etiquette, its important elements and barriers. The one thing that has stuck in my mind is that to make the communication effective, I have to actively listen first, communicate in a simple and easy way (AlAhmad, 2021) and this communication formula would definitely help me in my academics and professional career. I had interacted with my inmates but the activities that were part of the modules have made a bond between me and my inmates. And after that, we all became friends with each other and share our excitement and knowledge. Unity has been developed among us and that's why we used to do our assignments in teamwork or groups.
Then I was introduced to digital knowledge and reading skills. I learned to use Excel, Ms Edge, One Note, and its other applications. I also got to know that through my student Id I can access the free version of Microsoft 365. Office Suite is an important tool through which it becomes easy to access different files at a time (Kraft, 2021). The office suite has helped me a lot in accessing the necessary files for the course and also increased my knowledge about the applications. Sometimes I have faced difficulty in accessing excel because remembering all the formulas was not easy. I am still learning excel because there are so many options in it like pivot table, HLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, and many more and I want to expand my learning's in it so that it will help me in my professional career as well. I also learned to solve reading comprehension. In the starting it seemed like is too difficult and time-consuming to solve but as I got to know how to read it and how to find the answer to the questions I enjoy solving it. It has also developed my reading and solving abilities. I learned to make notes from different sources like books, lectures, videos, and others. Through the reading of many sources, I have developed deep knowledge about the topics and their concepts which has boosted my learning and confidence (AlAhmad, 2021). The use of many sources has polished my research skills which reflects my understanding of the topic in my assignments and has also refined my vocabulary and knowledge of grammar.
After that, I was introduced to academic knowledge and its applicability. I got to know that whenever I write a fact or figure I have to mention the source from where I have taken the data to validate my findings. I learned to prepare structured reports, essays, and portfolios and paraphrase also. The knowledge of a variety of writings helped me to perform my assignments and my writing skill would also help in my professional career while preparing reports and portfolios. The difficulty that I have faced while structuring the report is that I have to cite the references properly and also need to give the credit to the authors whenever use their text in my study (Chernikova et al, 2020). I also took time to understand the formats of the reports that must include the aim and objective behind the research, relevant evidence and conclusion.
In the end, I learned about reflective thinking. I was taught to look behind and recall what I have learned, what has been my weaknesses and strengths, and what I need to learn to continuously grow myself. I think it is the most important part of a journey to reflect upon the things so that a person can understand what he has achieved through it, where he needs improvement, and what he should not repeat again. I have learned that to practice reflective learning I must focus on the four elements mentioned by Kolb in his theory and that are doing, thinking, reflecting, and planning (Morris, 2020). The knowledge of research skills has enhanced my thinking capability and also makes me understand that the use of reliable sources is crucial. I felt that there have been many instances where I can perform or speak up but I did not gather the confidence to do it now as I know that I must have done that so I promised myself that I will not miss any of the chances to reflect my personality. I know that I still need improvements and for that, I keep learning to improve my communication and bring confidence to my personality.
Conclusion
The module has made significant changes in my knowledge, learning, skills and most importantly my personality. I have gained the experience for life which would help me in my academic and professional life for sure. The module has given me the knowledge to access the digital applications that I would require throughout my life to perform different functions and with that, I also gained research skills based on which I now only use reliable sources to read. Now I understand the motive of communication and how to make it effective. I need to polish my communication skills so that I communicate and speak confidently. All and all the module has been very beneficial for me as it has brought positive changes in my personality.
References
Kraft, M.A. (2021). Alternatives to Google Suite Applications. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 40(3), pp.303-310.
Bailie, A.L. and Gebre, E.H. (2020). Conceptions of Reflective Learning and Related Instructional Strategies in Preservice Teacher Education: A Literature Review.
AlAhmad, H. (2021). The Role of Educational Communication in Promoting a Student-Centered Learning Style in Multicultural Classrooms: A Reflective Essay on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 7(3), pp.838-851.
Morris, T.H. (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(8), pp.1064-1077.
Chernikova, O., Heitzmann, N., Stadler, M., Holzberger, D., Seidel, T. and Fischer, F. (2020). Simulation-based learning in higher education: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 90(4), pp.499-541.
