Critical Analysis Of Personal Learning Skills

My strengths as a learner are quite minimal. In my opinion my greatest strength as a learner is my dedication to everything I undertake. I have hopefully made all my major academic mistakes in my previous year of college and I believe that I am now in a much more stable and mature place to truly undertake a degree course. I used my previous year in college to further understand my study style, note taking style and my organisational preferences. I learned quite early on in college that I take in very little information from pure blank black text. Through much trial and error, I have learned that I learn best from audio recordings and visual representations. Since beginning to record many of my lectures to write notes more effectively at my own pace instead of rushing in class to try and take information down, inevitably leading to me dropping my attention from the lecturer and missing possibly vital information. While I have experienced the college life before I, much like the majority of my year am beginning in Maynooth for the first time myself.

As Sara Vacin (2015) stated “College is not always easy, ” This statement resonates with me. College is a complex and rapid few years that I am in the process of embarking on. Between the trials of study and class to make sure I pass my finals both in Christmas and Summer. To trying to orchestrate a work schedule with my employer that will suit my academic schedule. College is very daunting and much like Vacin (2005) I see friends as the only solace that I will be able to avail of whilst I am engaged in the many long years my course shall take me through. However I do not want to appear as an overtly cynical person. I believe I will gain many things from my future college experience. Unlike my previous years I have been granted for the first time the ability to remain with and around my family whilst undertaking my studies instead of having to be separated from them for months at a time.

In short I see myself being able to use all my learning methods to their fullest effect in the course I am undertaking and am much more certain of my suitability to this course in comparison to my last. While I am very cautious in the undertaking of a course outside my preconceived comfort zones. I know that I at least have a group of fellow academics in a similar situation to me and that we are willing to help one another trudge through the overwhelming amount of information presented to us in the coming years. In short while I am aware the upcoming year will be one of the most challenging, yet I am cautiously optimistic for what it can help me achieve.