Challenges Faced by Graduates in Universities and Colleges

This report discusses the graduate challenges faced by students in universities and colleges, such as the apprentice challenge, presentation challenge, and t-shirt challenge. It highlights the skills developed through these challenges, including communication skills, teamwork skills, time management skills, and business skills. The report also provides an action plan for further skill development.

Graduate challenges

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CHALLENGES ..............................................................................................................................3
Apprentice Challenge..................................................................................................................3
Presentation Challenge ...............................................................................................................4
T-Shirt Challenge .......................................................................................................................4
SKILLS............................................................................................................................................4
Communication Skills/ Emotional Intelligence..........................................................................4
Teamwork Skills ........................................................................................................................5
Time Management Skills ...........................................................................................................5
Business Skills............................................................................................................................5
ACTION PLAN...............................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8
Books and Journal:......................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
An Idea designed by several universities and colleges to boost and encourage students to
participate in extra curricular activity is named as Graduate challenges(Alli and Fahadi, 2020).
These challenges are a type of competition which helps the students to enhance their social and
communication skills. It also gives a chance to students to show their knowledge and learning in
different field about the way businesses actually survive in different market situations and
environments(Kettell, 2020). This report contain various challenges faced by students of
universities and colleges during their graduation period some of them are presentation challenge,
T-shirt challenge, hotel challenge, apprentice challenge, etc. which helps to promote their skills
and capabilities. They allow the students their areas of excellence and the areas they should work
in future upon them. This report also contain about the various skills developed from these
challenges. According to the authorities of universities these graduate challenges can be known
as hurdles that every student needs to overcome to achieve good grades from their own
department of specialisation and to get appreciated among the peers.
MAIN BODY
CHALLENGES
Apprentice Challenge
Apprentice challenge refers to a challenge which is designed by universities and colleges in
which students are anticipated to accomplish an apprenticeship or training program in a specific
period of time and acquire a certificate for the same(Das, McClain and Rai, 2020). This
challenge is designed to provide a knowledge and experience in the area of specialisation
students are involved. I take my apprenticeship in my area of specialisation in my respective
field to gain experience which can be used in my further career goals. This challenge assist me to
learn new skills which help me to carry out my own business operations in future. This challenge
help me to learn to present myself more professional at workplace and the ways top accomplish
goals and targets of the organisation. I also learn about the working of an organisation, ways to
enhance productivity in operations to enhance the generation of revenue of the business. It is one
of my favourite challenge and I accomplish it in the best possible way.

Presentation Challenge
I was given a challenge by my university to prepare and present a informative presentation in
front of my mates. Preparing a good, effective and informative presentation needs a huge amount
of team work as well as hard work(Knijnik and Luguetti, 2020). To accomplish this challenge I
coordinate with my mates and discuss my topic with them which helps me to improve my
communication skills and I learn to communicate by reducing the misunderstanding and
unnecessary conflicts. This competition also helps me to get over my anxiety of speaking in front
of a large gathering and developed a level of confidence in me while sharing my thoughts and
opinions. It also help me to get a good command over power point and helps me to enhance my
listening as well as speaking skills. These competition also made me comfortable to work in
groups and teams which helps me to improves my interaction capabilities.
T-Shirt Challenge
It was a challenge in which participants were expected to develop and design an
innovative and creative logo for T-shirt and promote the same in market in a predetermined
budget. To complete this challenge one need to ascertain the target customers for the T-shirt and
consider the preferences and choices of them for the same for which there is high need to
examine and analyse the current market situations. To accomplish this challenge a predetermined
budget is allotted to us and we need to provide a proper projection to corporate it in the
operations. I was able to complete the project in effective and efficient manner within the limited
budget and limited time. This challenge assist me to enhance my communication skills and help
me to shoe my innovation and creativity in my work. This challenge provide me a chance to
show my creativity. This challenge also enhance my teams skills and I learn to work effectively
in a team. This competition taught me to create demand for product in the market and carrying
out business operations in a limited budget.
SKILLS
Communication Skills/ Emotional Intelligence
Communication skills are taken as a most important skills that should be acquired by the
individuals as it is the only way to deliver and receive messages appropriately removing any
misinterpretation and errors(Massimi and McCoy, 2020). When I was performing various
challenges I learned various functions for management of business and it required to be

communicated with the group members in order to manage the work and it helps me to develop
an effective and communication skills. In order to take help of my superiors during these
challenges I will learn to communicate with my superiors in a polite manner. By communicating
with them in effective manner these challenges helped me to understand the emotions and
feelings of other individuals and be thoughtful towards the same. These challenges also make me
patient and polite and helps me to enhance my emotional intelligence.
Teamwork Skills
The graduate challenge provided by my university assist me to work in a effective
manner within team or group. It assist me to enhance my skills of teamwork and boost a team
spirit in me. These challenges required to coordinate and cooperate with my team mates which
helps me to improve my cooperation and coordination skills which is essential to work in a team.
I take into consideration Tuckman's theory which assist me to group various employees in
different teams and direct the teams to what to be done to direct them towards the common goal.
This skill also helps me to develop leadership qualities in me(Settles, 2020).
Time Management Skills
As all the challenges has its specific deadlines and I have to complete the challenge in a
predetermined time and through this I will be able to learn to manage my work in a determined
time. These challenges have different tasks in it and time taken by each task is different from the
another and I learn to ascertain or to create a plan and provide a time to each task to complete the
challenge on time. It is nothing but a management of time. I learn this skill from challenges like
presentation challenge, t-shirt challenge, etc.(Trent, Dwiwardani and Page, 2020).
Business Skills
These challenges enhance my business skills which helps me to know the environment of
market. I will also learn to sustain in the dynamic business environment as one challenge among
the challenges is T-shirt challenge which required all the efforts needed to set up a business. The
challenge has a focus to consider the needs, wants and preference of the target customers which
is the most important element to enhance in business skill(Murray, Sundin and Cope, 2020). I
also get good command on Excel and power point which is needed to manage the business.

ACTION PLAN
SKILLS PURPOSE DEVELOPMENT
PLAN
TIME DURATION
Communication
Skills
I want to work on
enhancing my
communication skills
as it will help me to
intract with everyone
in effective manner
which result in better
interaction among
groups.
In order to develop
my skills I will
participate in various
live sessions,
seminars and enroll
myself in
communication
programs.
1 to 2 months
Teamwork Skills Team work is
essential element to
achive my goals and
to sustain in a large
organisation which
needs to coordinate
and cooperate with
the Team members.
To ensure and
enhance my team
building skills i will
participate in several
group activities and
challenges.
3 months
Time Mangement To sustain in any
organisation
deadlines should be
meet in effective and
efficient manner
which needs to
manage time in
proper manner.
I will egage myself in
challenges for which
deadlines are set for a
specific period of
time.
1 to 2 months
Business Skills Business skills are
essential to sustain in
I will develop my
business skills by
5 months

diffrent market
environment and
compete with the
rivalary
organiusations. It also
includes the stratigies
to be formed to
acquire the
competitive
advantage.
facing real market
conditions by
working in it and
gain adequate
experience.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is clear that the challenges provided by colleges and universities during
their graduation are very useful to the student in order to improve their skills and
capabilities(Pasaribu, Vanclay and Zhao, 2020). It helps them to prove themselves in front of
their peers and to utilise their skills for their own growth and development. Challenges like T-
shirt and Apprentice challenge assist me in order to develop new and innovate skills in me to
survive in real business environment. It allows me prepare myself for future uncertainties and
difficulties so that I can train myself effectively to overcome my weakness I realise during these
challenges. In this report I also prepared action plan which helps me to focus on my present skills
and polishes them in order to make me successful and build a confidence and also boost my
motivation in the future.

References
Books and Journal:
Alli, A.A. and Fahadi, M.U.G.I.G.A.Y.I., 2020. Chapter four blockchain and fog computing:
Fog-blockchain concept opportunities and challenges. In Blockchain in Data
Analytics (p. 75). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Das, S., McClain, C.J. and Rai, S.N., 2020. Fifteen Years of Gene Set Analysis for High-
Throughput Genomic Data: A Review of Statistical Approaches and Future
Challenges. Entropy, 22(4), p.427.
Kettell, L., 2020. Young adult carers in higher education: the motivations, barriers and
challenges involved–a UK study. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 44(1),
pp.100-112.
Knijnik, J. and Luguetti, C., 2020. Social justice narratives in academia: challenges, struggles
and pleasures PETE educators face in understanding and enacting critical pedagogy in
Brazil. Sport, Education and Society, pp.1-13.
Massimi, M. and McCoy, C.D., 2020. Understanding Perspectivism: Scientific challenges and
methodological prospects (p. 210). Taylor & Francis.
Murray, M., Sundin, D. and Cope, V., 2020. Supporting new graduate registered nurse transition
for safety: A literature review update. Collegian, 27(1), pp.125-134.
Pasaribu, S.I., Vanclay, F. and Zhao, Y., 2020. Challenges to implementing socially-sustainable
community development in oil palm and forestry operations in Indonesia. Land, 9(3),
p.61.
Settles, I.H., 2020. Meaningful Moments: How Mentors and Collaborators Helped Transform
Career Challenges into Opportunities. Women & Therapy, 43(1-2), pp.58-73.
Trent, F., Dwiwardani, C. and Page, C., 2020. Factors impacting the retention of students of
color in graduate programs: A qualitative study. Training and Education in Professional
Psychology.