Comprehensive Skills Portfolio for University Success

This portfolio delves into essential skills crucial for university success. It covers academic writing, emphasizing its structured nature and importance in conveying information clearly. Source evaluation is discussed, highlighting the need for reliable and accurate information. Writing skills are presented as fundamental for effective communication and critical thinking, while reading skills are recognized for their role in language development and knowledge acquisition. Presentation skills are examined for their role in engaging audiences, and research skills are explored for their problem-solving capabilities. The portfolio also addresses paraphrasing, in-text referencing, and the importance of avoiding plagiarism. Learning styles and creative thinking are also highlighted, along with data interpretation. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of these skills in boosting confidence, enhancing productivity, and adapting to changes efficiently. The summary underscores the significance of these skills for academic achievement, from effective writing and research to presentation and creative thinking, all contributing to comprehensive student development.

Portfolio

Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..............................................................................................................................................3
Academic Writing..................................................................................................................................3
Evaluating sources/Useful sources....................................................................................................3
Writing Skills..........................................................................................................................................3
Reading Skills........................................................................................................................................4
Presentation Skills................................................................................................................................4
Research Skills.....................................................................................................................................4
Paraphrasing.........................................................................................................................................5
In-text Referencing...............................................................................................................................5
Learning styles......................................................................................................................................5
Avoid Plagiarism...................................................................................................................................6
Creative Thinking and Problem Solving.............................................................................................6
Data Interpretation................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................7
SUMMARY................................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
In order to be successful at a university, a student should prepare properly. For
this, he/she is required to have a complete knowledge about various topics. This also
helps in their self-development including confidence that can be done by developing
new skills.
MAIN BODY
Academic Writing
It can be defined as a writing that is produced as a part of requirement at a
college or university. It is also used for publications that are presented at conferences or
read by teachers and researchers (Allina, 2018). The primary purpose of academic
writing is to present information about a particular topic in a clear and understandable
manner. The main characteristic of academic writing is that it is planned and focused so
that proper understanding of a subject is demonstrated. Also, it is written in a structured
manner so as to present related points together in an efficient manner (Academic
writing, 2020). It is important for a student to learn proper academic writing that will not
only be helpful at the university but also in the future.
Evaluating sources/Useful sources
Source evaluation can be defined as a process wherein information related to a
given purpose is critically analyzed to determine if it is appropriate. Evaluation of
sources can be done in various ways like looking for articles in journals, comparing
different opinions, looking for material available on websites etc. One of the most
important criteria while evaluating sources is to make sure that they are reliable and
accurate. The intended audience should also be evaluated in the sense what kind of
people is the author addressing (Amabile and Pratt, 2016). While evaluating books,
critical reviews should also be analyzed as they can help in locating better information.
Writing Skills
Writing skills mean that an individual is able to write down their thoughts and
ideas in a proper and structured manner. A person who has good writing skills, has
correct grammar and spellings, good vocabulary and proper punctuation. Writing is an

important skill because it forms the primary basis on which an individual’s work is
assessed. It also helps a person in developing efficient communication as well as
thinking skills. The overall purpose of writing skills is to enable an individual to explore
different ideas and thoughts. There are many benefits to having good writing skills such
as it ensures an effective communication, it also demonstrates a person’s intelligence
and conveys the intended message to the receiver or reader.
Reading Skills
It can be defined as the ability of an individual to read and interpret a particular
text, article or any other reading material (Davidson, 2017). Basic reading skills include
word recognition, phonics, word analysis etc. Effective reading skills help a person in
understanding the meaning to a particular written language. Reading skills are an
essential skill for a person because they contribute to the overall development of a
person’s mind. Young children get to develop their language skills by reading and also
learn to listen. Apart from this, reading skills help in increasing vocabulary, knowledge
as well as sharpens memory. Good reading skills can help a person in taking up and
completing a written work in a short period of time.
Presentation Skills
These are the skills that are required by an individual in order to deliver an
effective presentation wherein the audience is engaged to what is being presented.
Having efficient presentation skills means that the person knows how to structure the
presentation, design the slides and has a positive body language. A confident presenter
can deliver an effective and engaging presentation in order to convey the intended
message. Presentation skills are important because they help in keeping a presentation
interesting and also allow the presenter to deliver his presentation with confidence and
at the same time motivate the audience to listen (Instefjord and Munthe, 2016).
Therefore, in order to deliver a quality presentation, the presenter must have knowledge
about the audience and the topic on which the presentation is to be delivered.
Research Skills
Research skills can be defined as the ability of a researcher to find an answer to
a research question or solution to a particular situation. Skills include the ability to

collect information about a particular topic, review and analyze it in an effective manner
so that solution to the research problem. Some examples of research skills include
report writing, collection of relevant data, analysis of information, planning and
scheduling etc. effective research skills enable the researcher to identify a problem,
collect information from reliable sources and analyze the same to obtain solution to the
same. These skills teach new things and helps the people to adapt to a certain situation
or problem. Efficient research skills help the researcher in saving money and are also a
great add on for the CV.
Paraphrasing
It can be defined as the process of rewriting a sentence by using own words
without changing the meaning of the same (Mullet and et. al., 2016). Before
paraphrasing a particular text, a person should clearly understand the meaning of the
text and check their paraphrase once they are ready. The process of paraphrasing
gives a chance to express important thoughts and ideas in one’s own words which
leads to a better understanding of the topic. Also, it is a flexible process that can be
useful for times when an individual has to remember complex information. But there are
also disadvantages that are associated with paraphrasing like the writer might change
original meaning of the text by misreading it and might add their own opinion about
something.
In-text Referencing
In-text referencing is done when a reference or a quote is made from another
source. For every in-text citation that is done, a corresponding entry should be made at
last of every document. There are different styles of referencing such as Harvard, APA
etc. It is basically done to show where a person got particular information from
(Understanding the Importance of Internal Citations, 2020). In-text referencing is
important because it helps in protecting the individual from plagiarism. Apart from this, it
also enables a reader or the audience to locate that particular source easily from the
alphabetically arranged reference list that is available at the end of research paper

Learning styles
It refers to the style which is adopted by a person for conducting learning
accordingly (Proctor, 2018). The learning style of a person is depending on their skills,
abilities as well as situation which are experiencing. There are several types of learning
styles such as visual according to which student conduct its learning through image,
graph or any visual representation. Second type is aural or auditory musical in which
learning is conducted through the recoding, speech, music or tune as well as other type
is verbal in involve learning through role playing, mnemonics, scripting and so on. In
addition to this other learning styles which a student can adopt are physical, logical or
mathematical, Social or interpersonal, solitary and many more (The Seven Learning
Styles, 2020).
Avoid Plagiarism
Plagiarism can be defined as using the ideas or thoughts of some other person
without even acknowledging them as a source. Some universities might consider
plagiarism as a threat or offence and take serious action against the student. The act of
plagiarism can either be intentional or unintentional. The best way to avoid plagiarism is
to learn and then apply principles of good academic practice right from the start of
career. One of the main reasons to avoid plagiarism is that students come to a
university to build and enhance their knowledge and not just to represent opinions of
other people (Plagiarism, 2020). It is important that students learn to develop their own
voice and become independent.
Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
Creative thinking is the ability of a person to look at things in a different way and
find innovative ways of dealing with a problem. Creative people possess the ability of
develop new and creative ways of carrying out different tasks. This also means that they
have a fresh outlook for challenges. Examples of creative thinking skills are analysis,
open-mindedness, problem solving etc. On the other hand, problem-solving skills refer
to a parson’s ability to solve a problem in an effective and efficient manner (Stacey,
2016). Different problem-solving techniques include listening actively, ability to work as
part of a team, managing risk etc. These skills help students in finding unique and

innovative solution to a problem. Apart from this, these skills also help in developing
overall confidence of the students.
Data Interpretation
It is considered as process which makes sense out of the gathered data,
information or statistics. This can be presented in various forms such as bar graph,
tabular forms, line chart and many more as well as it needs an interpretation of data.
This is generally used by a student in their project when they use any graph or data as it
will help in make sense of information in effective as well as appropriate manner
(Sternberg, 2016). There are some characteristics of data interpretation which need to
be considered by an individual such as future prediction, identify data outliners,
compare and contrast data and so on. Benefits which a person gained through data
interpretation are related to decision making process, identification of trends, cost
effective and many more.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that acquiring various skills is
important for students as they not only help in boosting their confidence but also
enhance overall level of productivity. This can further assist in adapting to change in an
efficient manner.
SUMMARY
To summarize, it can be said that in order to prepare for success at college or
university, it is important for students to develop various skills. These can include
avoiding plagiarism, academic writing, research skills, presentation skills and so on.
Academic writing, for example, can help a student in understanding a particular subject
effectively. The process is done in a structured manner so that the reader is able to
understand the complete meaning of the same (Sternberg, 2018). Similarly, source
evaluation is another skill because the researcher can find the most accurate and
suitable information for his/her research. It is important for the research to evaluate the
accuracy and reliability of sources while collecting information. Students should also

possess effective writing skills so that they are able to articulate and write down their
ideas/thoughts in an efficient way.
Not only this, the skill also helps in boosting the confidence of a student. Apart
from having good writing skills, it is important to also have effective reading skills. This
is because they contribute to the overall development of mins of the students and also,
enhance their ability to listen. To be able to give an engaging and interesting
presentation, it is important to have excellent presentation skills. This will help the
presenter to keep the audience engaged and also maintain their interest throughout. It
is important for the presenter to be thorough with the topic by rehearsing it properly.
Research skills on the other hand, enable a researcher to collect relevant data from
different sources, analyze it in order to obtain solution to a problem. While paraphrasing
a particular text, it is important to maintain the original thought and idea behind the
same. Otherwise, it can lead to a complete change in its overall meaning.
Apart from this, in order to create meaningful citations, it is important to include
the last name of the author along with the year of publication (Torrance, 2018).
Plagiarism should be avoided at all times and different learning styles can be adopted
by the teacher to be able to match the learning pace of students. Lastly, creative
thinking and data interpretation are also important skills that students should have
because they help in making effective decisions and finding creative solutions to a
specific problem. Therefore, these are some skills that are considered important for all
students studying at a university. This is because they also help them in become
responsible employees in the future.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Allina, B., 2018. The development of STEAM educational policy to promote student
creativity and social empowerment. Arts Education Policy Review. 119(2). pp.77-
87.
Amabile, T. M. and Pratt, M. G., 2016. The dynamic componential model of creativity
and innovation in organizations: Making progress, making meaning. Research in
Organizational Behavior. 36. pp.157-183.
Davidson, C. N., 2017. The new education: How to revolutionize the university to
prepare students for a world in flux. Hachette UK.
Instefjord, E. and Munthe, E., 2016. Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate
technology: an analysis of the emphasis on digital competence in teacher
education curricula. European Journal of Teacher Education. 39(1). pp.77-93.
Mullet, D. R. and et. al., 2016. Examining teacher perceptions of creativity: A systematic
review of the literature. Thinking Skills and Creativity. 21. pp.9-30.
Proctor, T., 2018. Creative problem solving for managers: developing skills for decision
making and innovation. Routledge.
Stacey, R. D., 2016. The chaos frontier: creative strategic control for business.
Butterworth-Heinemann.
Sternberg, R. J., 2016. What universities can be: A new model for preparing students
for active concerned citizenship and ethical leadership. Cornell University Press.
Sternberg, R. J., 2018. A triangular theory of creativity. Psychology of aesthetics,
creativity, and the arts. 12(1). p.50.
Torrance, E. P., 2018. Guiding creative talent. Pickle Partners Publishing.
Online
Academic writing. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/14011/writing/106/academic_writing >.
Plagiarism. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism?wssl=1#>.
The Seven Learning Styles. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.inspireeducation.net.au/blog/the-seven-learning-styles/>.
Understanding the Importance of Internal Citations. 2020. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.workscited4u.com/blog/understanding-the-importance-of-internal-
citations>.