BA Business: Study Skills for Higher Education - Reflective Essay

This essay reflects on the importance of study skills in higher education, particularly in light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses how students can enhance their CVs through virtual internships, online networking, and volunteer work. The essay also explores the development of crucial skills such as problem-solving, creative thinking, teamwork, decision-making, and interpersonal skills, emphasizing their significance in both academic and professional settings. The document highlights the role of universities in fostering these skills and preparing students for future success. Desklib provides a platform for students to access similar solved assignments and study resources.

Foundation in study
skills for higher
education

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................7
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Development and improvement in the study skills is the long and gradual process. If the
learner is new to the higher education or have just studied for less time, they may feel worried
for the assignments tackling, exam giving, manage study, work and family commitments. By
reviewing and developing the skills of the study boosts the confidence and aids the learners in
succeeding in their lives, also enables for working in an effective manner in available time for
the study. Skills of study are skills which are required for studying and in efficient learning, they
are the transferable skills of life. Good skills of study enhance the competence, confidence and
self-esteem (Ahmed and Zaneldin, 2019). They even reduce the anxiety for the deadlines and
test. By the developing of the efficient skills of study individuals are able in cutting down the
hour’s numbers for studying and leaving extra time for other aspects of life. This report will state
the suggestions for boosting the CV if an individual doesn’t have any experience. Further the
skills which the students develop in the university and discussion why they are crucial in place of
work will also be mentioned.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
Corona pandemic has made everyone to think about the skills they have for moving ahead in
their career as each one was forced to stay at home and earn their livelihood (Burciul and Kerr,
2018). Students who have just passed from the universities, they have to rethink about the
education which they have to rethink as they were locked in their houses and everyone was
thinking about their future and career. For succeeding in their career they opted the way of
upgrading the skills while sitting in their homes. They showing in their CVs and get some
learning university passed students chose the virtual internships and remote working which were
the best option at that point of time. Virtual internships are the short tenure jobs which are
sometimes paid and sometimes not. Many of the universities and employers run various schemes
for the students to give them exposure. There is high competition in it but the students got to
learn on the real life projects which will further help them in future (Cadenas and et, al., 2021).
While sitting at homes students were highly active on social media and hence they connected
with the peers and chatted on online forums about their careers. They exchanged the learning and
earning opportunities with each other which also helped them al lot (Hernández and Villodas,

2019). By following the firms on their social media handles they got to know about their recent
activities and they even got connected with the old alumni. The marketing students even made
their own experience by offering help to the local businesses in their promotions. They learned
about the market of the job and they were able to tell the employees about the experience. Passed
students of universities focused on voluntary work irrespective of small or insignificant as they
have the huge opportunity over the long term (Gordon, Willink and Hunter, 2022). Societies of
universities are also very valuable, many students joined these societies as they helped them for
leading to professional skill. Some of them were related to fundraising and volunteering also.
For solving the issues of the society the students even organized the community events and run
workshops in the schools. It helped them for showing the soft skills such as creativity,
communication and persuasion, which they can furthers frame in their CVs (Garris and Fleck,
2022).
I am quite happy with my CV as during the lockdown I took many online courses while
sitting at home which I was able to reflect in my CV, which aided me in getting many job
opportunities. While I was stuck in my house due to lockdown I joined the virtual internship of a
reputed university for which I got paid also. I included this in my CV and when the employers go
through my CV they got impressed and took my CV for consideration. My CV has also included
the various activities of my university club which I joined during the lockdown for enhancing my
learning. I joined the foreign language society which promotes the learning of foreign languages
and I also learnt the French language as I always wanted to settle in France and by learning their
language I will be greatly benefitted. The learning of foreign language added the extra points to
my CV as many firms were I gave interview were multi-national companies and they preferred
hiring the candidates having knowledge of multiple languages. I also utilized my lockdown time
for helping local businesses in their promotion online digital platforms as they did not have any
knowledge about the social media platforms for marketing the goods and services in which they
trade, aiding them in earning livelihood. When I was interviewed by some big firms they were
quite impressed by my helping nature to small businesses and all this helped me to crack the
interview very easily. I also joined some of the social groups on social media for making
connections and networks with the other similar individuals who have same qualification and
were facing same difficulties as I faced. We all connected with each other and shared the various
opportunities with each other, which helped many of the group members in getting jobs in an

easy manner. Interviewers were quite impressed with my networking ability which I have
mentioned on my CV, as I got many interview calls after I connected with the social media
group. The members who got selected in firms also recommended my name to management.
CONCLUSION
The above essay concluded that in time of lockdown crisis many of the students who just
passed the university were jobless and were forced to stay at homes. They utilized their time
in getting the skills set updated by various means such as networking, online courses, new
small businesses in marketing and various others means which helped the job seekers in
updating their CV and make it presentable to interviewers. A personal reflection was made on
satisfaction with the CV.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ahmed, W. and Zaneldin, E., 2019. Blending QR code with video learning in the pedagogical
process for the college foundation level. Interactive Technology and Smart Education.
Burciul, B. and Kerr, K., 2018. Case study: Education in support of social transformation—The
mastercard foundation scholars program. In International scholarships in higher
education (pp. 329-343). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Cadenas, G.A., and et, al., 2021. Critical agency and vocational outcome expectations as coping
mechanisms among undocumented immigrant students. Journal of Latinx
Psychology, 9(2), p.92.
Garris, C.P. and Fleck, B., 2022. Student evaluations of transitioned-online courses during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 8(2), p.119.
Gordon, H.R., Willink, K. and Hunter, K., 2022. Invisible labor and the associate professor:
Identity and workload inequity. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Hernández, R.J. and Villodas, M., 2019. Collectivistic coping responses to racial
microaggressions associated with Latina/o college persistence attitudes. Journal of Latinx
Psychology, 7(1), p.76.

INTRODUCTION
By learning the study skills, the students get help in their university and supports them in
succeeding in their lives. Good skills of study may enhance the competence, confidence and self-
esteem (Quarchioni, Paternostro and Trovarelli, 2022). They may also decrease the test &
deadlines anxiety. By the development of effective skills of study, the students are able in cutting
the studying hours which they spend on learning, which gives them more time for other aspects
of life. Study skills may enhance the learning ability for learning and retaining knowledge.
Students using the effective skills of study may feel that effort and work is valuable. In this
report different skills which the students develop at the university, along with the importance of
them in the workplace will be mentioned.
MAIN BODY
TASK 2
For standing out in this world of competition, student is required for learning various abilities
and skills which cannot be learned in just a day. They need to carve the skills by practising each
and every day, which takes long time. These skills develop very well in the universities as the
students are exposed to many facilities and different individuals giving them the environment
learning (Reyes,Carales and Sansone, 2021). Soft skills may be used for conveying the
messages and ideas in an effective way. These skills may be used for handling the serious
situations meanwhile taking care of the entire situation. These skills aid in growing the
Influential personality. It aids in standing out and moving forward in daily activities for reaching
the objectives. The students also develop many skills while studying in universities. Problem
solving is the first skills which they develop in the college, as they are new to the environment
and they develop this skill for controlling the situations. This skill aids them for coming with the
solutions for various situations. Enhancing the skills of problem solving is crucial as there is
uncertainty in live, where any situation may turn in unfavourable. Students must know how to
deal and solve with the situational challenges. In in the studies, students will face various
challenges, which will enforce the students to think in a more creative manner and perform some
research for solving it. This is what the employers require in their employees and expect to take
initiatives to overcome the challenges (Robinson, 2018). Second skills which they develop is of

creative thinking as thinking in a creative way is also very vital which lead to expanding the
imagination. Students are required for being very creative in approach in each and every aspect
and aids them for understanding world in the better manner, coming with the answers which may
give rest of world the new viewpoint. Creation and ideation are educations elemental part.
Teamwork is most significant skill needed at every stage of their career. By doing work together
aids in the producing more. Students should understand the unity’s significance. In the work of
higher levels individuals have to work collectively, many times as they confront each other and
do argument. Decision making is the skill which aids the students to take decisions in the given
time frame. By doing this they will be able to have the self-stand and do not depend on other
individuals (Rodriguez and Blaney, 2021) .By taking decision of the stream to pick in
university, which electives to select and which if the co-curricular activities they should go for
and learn what is better, forming foundation of the skill. Further the individuals we select as the
friends and groups we connect with aids them in developing the personality. At that time skill of
decision making is also vital. Intra personal skills helps the students in understanding self,
emotional intelligence, personal thoughts, opinions and beliefs on the things which are called
intra personal skills. This skill aid in moulding of self in better upcoming leaders, who have
enough knowledge about self and stand on the decisions which they take. By understanding self,
the individual is able to know about others. They will require for working in particular tasks all
by self and when they require to know about the weaknesses and strengths. When they know
about their self they start observing the others work (Jayakumar, Suman Rajest and Aravind,
2022). They are the skills which aid in understanding the behaviour and intelligence of others
who work with them. This skill is helpful when the groups work together and how evert
individual will react to the situation, which makes it easy for putting ideas in particular way so it
becomes the advantage of yourself. University students need communication skill as it the basic
skill as they have to communicate with others. They develop this skill in university for facing
peoples who have aggressive behaviour and talk to sensitive individuals. This skill is very
helpful and by developing this skill they get more success in their career. So communication skill
is the golden star in the CV of students (Fisher and Frey, 2018). As being the students they have
to write lot and especially if they are students of journalism who have to write articles required
for the course. They have to communicate with the supervisors and tutors by mails and
personally. All this requires communication skills, which gets enhanced. All this greatly

enhances the written communication. University aids the students for writing in a
better manner and enhances the interaction ability for facing the other people (Shorey
and et, al., 2020). Students get the opportunity of meeting large numbers of individuals
in the university who have the different backgrounds. The ability for meeting other
individuals and socialize in immeasurable when the students starts to work. For the
university students they will be required for making the decision. They will have many
opportunities such as elections of class, student union and president of club which will test who
has majority of individuals like and think must be the leader of them. But the leaders also come
forth because of various situations. Individual who is fast in thinking and take correct decisions.
When world has negative elements but one has to win the hearts by having positive approach.
Starting from the friends to teachers each one looks for the one who drives academic year having
a positive mind set and approach. Students are required for to improve this skill for maintaining
the friendly atmosphere with each one at university (Hopkins and Reid, 2018). By having the
positive mind set and attitude students must consider the areas which will aid them for
developing the positive mind set and attitude like enthusiastic, high energy, confident, patient,
cooperative, respectable, sense of humour and respectful. Students who are good listener are the
most successful persons in their lives and enjoys the high respect in society. Students must
enhance this skill as it is vital for higher degree education. They may enhance the skills by
various actions like head nodding and eye contacts. By the development of these skills students
are able to achieve success in their lives. It is said many times that college students face many
issues when they move to the university. They are not bounded to attend classes and no none
monitors the home work, so the students have to learn the skill of self-discipline for attending the
lectures, complete the assignments, cook food and take care of self. In their jobs it is very
beneficial to motivate themselves for accomplishing the tasks which are useful as there is no one
to push them for doing well and it is vital self-discipline exercise. Hence they may add this to
their CVs that they have acquired the skills of self-motivation from the university which will
make them more employable. When the students meet different individuals in the university
there be many conflicts among them. University teaches the students to resolve conflicts in an
effective manner, which will aid them in the workplace as by resolving conflicts and expressing
the points in a clear way and directly in the university will aid them in maintaining the
professionalism in their jobs. Employers seek the candidates who have the proved soft skills so

applicants must highlight them in their CVs. They are the traits and habits which define how the
person works with other individuals. They aid in succeeding in workplace and in the role of the
job. Employers judge the application of the candidate on the basis of hard skills and their
effective use. Irrespective of the role of job, individual will be required for working with others
in a team.
By working well with the clients and members of the team, person can complete the work in an
efficient way. Employers wants those employees who fits well in the dynamics of the team.
Hence using the soft skills for measuring the work of team and skills of communication. For
showing that candidate is a team player they must enhance the adaptability, active listening and
flexibility on the CV. Firms prefer the persons who wants to work with them for long period to
time. When the candidate’s shows the interest for working for long tenure then the chance of
their hiring increases to a great extent. Motivation and commitment shows the desire of
candidates. By having the soft skills, the performance and productivity enhances in the
workplace. For example, by having the excellent skills of time management and communication
the employees may effectively manage and communicate clearly the ideas to members of team.
It makes sure the completion of work on time without the quality compromise. Soft skill boosts
the self-confidence like nothing and they can easily evade the conflicts and issues of the work
place. Employers look for the candidates who may present the ideas to them clearly and
confidently, which needs the excellent skills of communication. These skills aid the candidates
on building the relationships with the members of the team, stakeholders, clients and partners of
the business. Communication skills aids in a positive way for interacting with other people.
Empathy aids in building and maintaining the relationships of the others. Employers hire those
candidates who show the empathy to the colleagues, know their point of view and respect their
thoughts. Goal setting, time management, ability for delegating the work and detail attention are
vital skills which allows for staying organized at workplace. Firms wants the organized
employees as they are more reliable and accomplish the work on time, Critical thinking aids in
solving the problems of the workplace, collaborate with the members of the team and plan the
projects (Maksumova, 2020). Employees taking initiatives at the workplace enhances the self-
performance and motivate the other for raising the level of performance. By having the softy
skills such as problem solving and positive attitude motivates for taking the new projects and
address the problems of the work place, with following the ideas and empower the thoughts in

action. Skills aid in growing the reputation of both employees and employer. Way of interaction
with the stakeholders and clients may influence the perception about the firm. Employees
showing the excellent ethics for work, completing work timely, solve the conflicts and discuss
the projects with the open mind establish the reputation for the firm. When the things don’t
happen as expected the employers tend to find the alternatives for fixing the problems ( Liou,
Martinez and Rotheram-Fuller, 2021).

CONCLUSION
The above report concludes that by the learning of study skills, learners gets support in
colleges and help them for achieving success. For becoming successful in their life students
need to learn different abilities and skills which can’t be learned in short time. In this essay
report the skills which the students learn in the universities, along with it the importance of
these soft skills in the workplace were briefly stated.