CW1 Reflective Essay: Skills Development and University Challenges

This reflective essay explores the development of essential skills acquired during university coursework. The essay details the importance of data interpretation, differentiating between formal and informal emails, critical evaluation, IT skills, presentation skills, and class discussion. It explains how these skills contributed to the completion of coursework and their relevance for future professional development. The essay also reflects on how to approach future challenges and expectations within a university setting, emphasizing the importance of time management and skilled tutors. The author references several academic sources to support the analysis of skills and challenges. The essay highlights the importance of preparing for future challenges to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive outcomes in academic and professional life.

CW1: Reflective
Essay

Table of Contents
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
1) How and why you have developed as learner during this module.........................................3
2) Reflection on how to approach future challenges and expectations of university course .....4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

MAIN BODY
1) How and why you have developed as learner during this module
There are several skills which I learned during this module and played important role for
me in completing my course work within university. Explanation of these skills along with
importance in coursework are as follows :- Data interpretation – It is important part of coursework and essential for everyone to
learn data interpretation skills (Dyer, Gregersen and Christensen, 2019). Data
interpretation related to the implementation of processes by which data will be reviewed
with motive of coming at informed conclusion. In addition to this, interpretation of data
assigns a meaning to information which has been analysed as well as determines its
importance and implications. Thus, within coursework it is essential to learn data
interpretation skills because it will help in placing gathered or collected data in effective
manner. Difference within formal and informal e-mails – There is wide difference within
informal as well as formal e-mails and it is important for individual to have knowledge
about both type of e-mails (Hutchison, Lyons and Ansari, 2019). Because while doing
coursework several time individual have to write e-mails in both format formal as well as
informal so it is important to have knowledge about it. Formal e-mails are those which
sent to someone who are not well known or to the one who is in authority. If working
environment is formal then for communication purpose formal emails will be use. On the
other hand informal e-mails are those which uses for communicating with friends or
family members. Thus, it is important for individual top learn difference within formal
and informal mail because these play important role while doing university coursework
and also at professional level. Critical evaluation – For postgraduate researcher ability of critically evaluate
information is important skill (Roux, 2019). Thus, critical evaluation skill is specifically
pertinent to the production of literature reviews within that critical appraisal or analysing
literature is needed. During my coursework in University I learned critical evaluation
skills which helped me a lot is competing project work within effective manner. Because
with the assistance of respective skills it become easy to identify both aspect of topic

positive as well as negative. In future also at professional level critical evaluation skills
will provide assistance and help in proper evaluation of topic within effective manner. IT skills – This skills include knowledge about basic computer which needed for
completing coursework in effective manner (Virtanen and Tynjälä, 2019). Thus, IT skills
include Microsoft word, MS excel and many more as well as it is essential to learn
respective skills in proper manner because it will provide proper assistance in completing
project which was assigned by tutors. On only at education level but these skills will
provide assistance at professional level also as it will help in conducting activities in
more effective manner. Thus, learning IT skills is important for everyone because with
the assistance of this it become easy to conduct activities in appropriate way. Presentation skills – It is defined as set of abilities which enable particular person to
interact with their audience, engage audience in presentation, understand mindsets of
listeners as well as transmit message clearly (Lehdonvirta, Margaryan and Davies, 2019).
In addition to this, presentation skills refine the way individual put their message as well
as enhance persuasive power. Through my classwork model which includes presentations
I learned skills related to this which help me in giving presentation within effective
manner. It is important to have proper presentation skills because it will not help in
university curses but also at professional level. Because through proper presentation skills
it become easy to grab attention of audience and give proper impact on their mind.
 Class discussion together – This is basically related to group discussion which held in
classroom which discussing any topic. It is important to have proper knowledge related to
discussion because several situation will take place which require to conduct discussion.
Thus, in such situations this skill will play important role as individual can put their view
point also related to that with the assistance of this skill.
Above mention are all the skills which play important role in development of individual
as professional level also. All these skills I learned through my class room module which was
conducted in University during my coursework.
2) Reflection on how to approach future challenges and expectations of university course
In future several challenges may occur which need to be approach in effective manner so
that, their negative impact can minimise and positive will gain. In simple term it can be said that
student face numerous challenges during their university courses which includes finding time to

study, better understanding of course content as well as maintaining high degree of motivation.
Along with meeting these challenges students struggle for balancing their demands with work,
social experiences and also personal responsibilities. Apart from this, these may become future
challenges also because if there is no proper time management it become difficult for particular
person to manage their personal and professional life. Thus, it is essential for individual to take
major steps to overcome with future challenges in effective manner because these may give
negative impact at wide level (Greenburg and et. al., 2019).
Apart from this, there are several expectations of university courses as their should be
professionals and well skilled tutors who help students in their proper development as well as
also in learning several skills that will help them in future for taking better career opportunities.
In addition to this, each and every individual expectation is that courses which they are doing
from university will provide them better career opportunities in future.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dyer, J., Gregersen, H. and Christensen, C. M., 2019. Innovator's DNA, Updated, with a New
Preface: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators. Harvard Business Press.
Hutchison, J. E., Lyons, I. M. and Ansari, D., 2019. More similar than different: Gender
differences in children's basic numerical skills are the exception not the rule. Child
development. 90(1), pp.e66-e79.
Roux, V., 2019. Technical Skills. In Ceramics and Society (pp. 259-282). Springer, Cham.
Virtanen, A. and Tynjälä, P., 2019. Factors explaining the learning of generic skills: a study of
university students’ experiences. Teaching in Higher Education. 24(7), pp.880-894.
Lehdonvirta, V., Margaryan, A. and Davies, H. U. W., 2019. Skills formation and skills
matching in online platform work: policies and practices for promoting crowdworkers’
continuous learning (CrowdLearn).
Greenburg, J. E. and et. al., 2019. Early Visual-Spatial Integration Skills Predict Elementary
School Achievement Among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Children. Early
Education and Development, pp.1-19.