Study Skills for Higher Education: Listening and Skills Analysis

This report, prepared for the "Study Skills for Higher Education" module, assesses key aspects of academic success, focusing on listening skills and broader university competencies. Assessment 1 delves into listening challenges faced by students, such as difficulty understanding every word, variable delivery rates, and accents, while also exploring effective teaching strategies to improve listening comprehension. The student reflects on personal listening challenges and strategies used to overcome them. Assessment 2 evaluates six essential skills for university success, including critical thinking, time management, reading comprehension, and communication, emphasizing their workplace relevance. It also offers recommendations for enhancing CV content, providing practical advice for students seeking employment. The report emphasizes the importance of self-development, effective communication and time management, and provides a comprehensive overview of skills critical for success in higher education and the workplace. The report uses several references to support the claims made.

Study Skills for Higher
Education

Table of Contents
Assessment 1...................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Discuss three listening challenges faced by students during their academics........................1
What are the three strategies which can be used by teachers to help their students in their
listening skills.........................................................................................................................2
Discuss some listening challenges which you have experienced and what are the strategies
that helped to become a better listener...................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
Assessment 2....................................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................4
Evaluate six skills that students require to be successful in university and explain why they are
important in the workplace.....................................................................................................4
Present six recommendations that can help students improve the content of their CVs........7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
References:.......................................................................................................................................9
Books and Journals.................................................................................................................9

Assessment 1
INTRODUCTION
Higher education is the degree which allows the students to take the degree in the course
which they choose to me it as their career. It is important to pursue higher education because on
that basis students could be able to choose their career and by getting the degree the students
would be eligible for their jobs(Fleacă and Maiduc, 2018). UK involves many different types of
courses and degrees in which students can choose and work on their careers. For the
undergraduate programmes the course avails for 3 years but in county like Scotland it takes 4
years to complete the undergraduate program. With this students can take other degree courses or
the diploma courses which will be helpful in their jobs. But the highest degrees or more options
are provided in the bachelor’s degree but students if takes the masters with the bachelors make
them more experienced in their education or the subject which they have chosen.
MAIN BODY
Discuss three listening challenges faced by students during their academics
Listening is required in the communication process which depicts the ability of the person to
interpret and understand the message correctly. In academics it is very important to understand
and listen to what the teacher is saying as this helps in better performance of the students and
helps in getting good grades(Khlaisang and Koraneekij, 2019). But there are certain challenges
which the students might face or faces during the academics which is mentioned below-
 Trying to understand every word- It becomes difficult for the students who are unable
to understand the words which the teacher is speaking. This creates the difficulty to them
because if they are unable to understand the word then will create problem and they
would not be able to understand the whole subject. Sometimes the students have to
understand different comprehension which might involve different types of
colloquialism. For this, the students have to learn and understand the topics on their own
and have to make their notes accordingly.
 Variable rates of delivery- Students are always required and have the full control on
what they will read but the teacher has the full control on what they are telling and
making them understand about the topics. Some are those who deliver the words at faster
rate in which students are unable to understand the words and secondly the topic. This
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creates the problem to the students because in such way the students won’t be able to
understand what they are studying and which could be the reason of their poor grades.
 Difficulty with different accents- Students are unable to listen or have difficulty in
listening when it is in different accent(Castro, 2019). It is not compulsory that the teacher
must be speaking or communicating with them in the language or accent in which the
students are comfortable. They could speak in different accent and might include words
which are difficult and not understandable by the students. This is why it takes time by
the students to understand the whole subject and to study with that accent.
What are the three strategies which can be used by teachers to help their students in their
listening skills
When the students are having difficulty in the listening of what is been spoken in the
class then it is the duty of the teacher to use some strategies. Different strategies which can be
used by teachers to involve students in the listening and in class is mentioned below-
 Talk less- This does not mean that the teacher should not be making any discussions with
the students or they are reading and telling the students about the topic. Talk less means
to involve the students more in whatever class in going on as this will help in active
understanding and teacher will also identify whether the students are understanding about
the topic or not. Engaging the students will make them feel important and this will
motivate them to learn and concentrate more in the class.
 Developing and creating questions- To develop the concentration of the students and to
engage them in the class it is very important from the side of teacher to develop the
questions (Varghese, 2019). Creating questions means that if the students are watching
the clip of any documentary or they taking and listening to a speech, at this time the
teacher must develop the students and tell the students to write it down which they
understood from the topic. In this case students will also generate their full concentration
on whatever topic is going on in the class and if they are having any difficulty then they
will ask the teacher at the same time.
 Use different technique in communication- Different technique involves using some
non verbal communication which can help in active listening and participation of students
in the class. This will help in sharpening of skills of the students and students will also be
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excited to attend the particular lecture. When the students are able to understand what is
being discussed in the class and are also excited to attend the class. This helps in the
success of the teacher as they are able to teach the students with full excitement and
better understanding(Hung, Shwu-Ching Young and Lin, 2018).
Discuss some listening challenges which you have experienced and what are the strategies that
helped to become a better listener
Some of the listening challenges which I faced during my academics are mentioned below-
 Lack of focus- Sometimes due to my inefficiency in focussing on what the teacher is
teaching in class makes me not to listen. This made my less grades and unable in
understanding the topic. I just try to act that I am listening of what my teacher is
teaching in the class but inside I was unable because of lack of focus.
 Rate of delivery of words- Most of the times the teacher who teaches me spoke
either fast or very slow which ultimately reduces my interest resulting in less
concentration. Earlier, I was not aware that delivery of words is important in
communicating and making the other person listen.
 Connected speech- Sometimes I am not able to connect myself of what my teacher
is speaking and what I understood from the topic. This means that I am not able to
connect myself with the teacher and this lead to lose my whole interest in what
teacher is speaking and not giving active participation in the listening.
Strategies-
By focussing on my weak points in listening I started developing myself and paid
attention in the classes and forgetting all the things which are going up in my mind (Hess and
Collins, 2018). This helped me a lot because of which I started gaining good marks in my exams
and my performance was also high. If I am unable to understand any topic or have some different
assumptions about the topic then I ask my teacher about the topic again with this my all doubts
were clear.
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CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that higher education gives the confidence to the
students to look ahead and move towards their career successfully. From the school in which
every student attends taking the higher education degree provides the different purpose and
boosts the morals of the students. It helps in the preparation of the career and helps in the
understanding of the subject more broadly in which the students has to make their career. But
most importantly what is actually required is the self development which includes good in
communication and in this age students also realise their passion and in which they will choose
their career.
Assessment 2
INTRODUCTION
Education is important and students pursuing the higher education helps them to avail the job
opportunities and to gather more knowledge in the subjects which they are interested. Higher
education not only provides financial security but also helps in getting the knowledge and
development of personality, reaching to many people and communicating with them (Ng, 2020).
Now there is increase in the competition and to reach to the number one position it becomes very
important to study and take the degree.
Main Body
Evaluate six skills that students require to be successful in university and explain why they are
important in the workplace
To become successful in universities students require different set of skills which are helpful
in their overall development and also in their success and growth(Hendriks, van Meurs and
Reimer, 2018). Higher education gives the students the some sense of responsibility which has to
be carried down by them effectively. In the university the students have to compete with many
people and at this stage students become responsible about their career and the jobs for which
they have to do hard work because in job marks and grades also do matter. Some of the skills
which are required for the students to become successful in the university have been explained
below-
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 Critical thinking skills- When the students have entered in the university then there
critical thinking skills are also required for facing every situation(Sanches and Borges,
2019). Critical thinking involves the deeper understanding about the topic and the subject
which the students are learning. The students chose subjects which will be helpful for
them in their jobs because before entering in the universities students chose those
subjects which will helpful in their jobs or the career which they have chosen. Critical
thinking at this time becomes important because students would have to understand their
subject critically and might have to conduct the research.
 Time management- To be a successful student it not only requires the dedication for the
achievement but also proper time management. The more students will prioritize their
time the more they will be successful in achieving the success. By this time every
students get to know the importance of good grades and how they are important to
become the ranker in the university. With this, it is important to manage the time because
the university life is different to what was there in the school. In schools students were
given the home assignment but such assignments are not there in the universities and
students have to study on their own. Managing time will be helpful in understanding and
the students will also be able to do their self study effectively.
 Reading for information and understanding- Reading is also effective and important if
the student is in college. This helps in getting and gathering more information about the
subject and even if the students are engaged in reading the articles and blogs then this
thing is helpful in their writing answers in the examination and in good communication
skills(Sousa and Wilks, 2018). It is because reading the information or some articles
helps to increase their knowledge and also in good vocabulary. Students are able to
formulate the sentences correctly which helps in getting good marks in the examination.
 Communication skills- Good communication skills help the students to boost their
confidence and helps in the personal development. In the university, students face many
people and it becomes compulsory also to talk to them but eventually this helps in the
development of communication skills. Universities are not just to write notes or just for
the study but the universities helps in developing the communication skills which helps
them in further development of the students. Students must take active participation in the
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presentations or either in the debates or speeches as this helps in communication and
building of personality.
 Teamwork- For building teamwork and development of this skill can be made when the
students acquire knowledge by working in teams(Mackieh and Dlhin, 2019). Teams are
made when the students are working for some project which has to be done in a group.
Teamwork inculcates in the students the ability to cooperate with one another and to
develop the level of understanding. Development and learning of this skill is helpful in
their career because it might come a time when the students have to work in groups and
have to make the performance on that basis. Also, this is helpful in their success in
university because working in teams which involves communication, sharing of notes,
gathering more information about the topic and subject which is helpful in the subject.
 Creativity- It is very essential to develop this skill because this helps in cultivating some
innovating idea and thoughts which is very important for the upliftment of the students.
Creativity is helpful not in the studies but also in the jobs, more creative the student will
be then the imagination of the student will be good and which also helps to solve various
problems. The students when build this skill will ultimately ask for new questions in the
class and they will get the ability to solve the problems in a creative and innovative
manner.
Importance of skills in the workplace-
 Problem solving- When the students will work for the job then these skills will be useful
for them because they will become prepared in solving the problems. Employees are
valued only when they have the ability to solve the challenges and problems which might
come daily. If the individuals are able to solve the problems on their own then they would
not require any other person for the help and can work on it individually.
 Maintain relationships- It is important to maintain relationships in the workplace where
the individual is working because without having any good relations in the workplace it
becomes very difficult to survive(Kumar and Nanda, 2019). In this good communication
is very important and if the student learn this skill then it becomes very successful for
developing and maintaining the good relations in the jobs.
 Facilitate growth- The development and learning of the skills help the person to develop
its own personality and sustain growth. Growth can be in terms of knowledge, good skills
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for interpersonal development and to be an organized person. These skills are acquired at
the time of study when the students not only work on their study but also develop
themselves for their career and the job.
Present six recommendations that can help students improve the content of their CVs
Curriculum vitae (CV) is the summary of the individuals in which they write about their
qualifications, work experience, their skills and some additional things which they have pursued
and is required in the job (Bjorklund Jr, 2018). Curriculum vitae is made to apply for the jobs as
it gives the short information regarding the person who is applying for the vacant position. But to
make CV it is very important to improve the content in which it is written and the structure in
which the CV is made. Below are the recommendations which has to be followed before making
a Curriculum vitae-
 To get the basics right- When the students prepare their CV to apply for the job it is
very important to include everything which is being asked in the job and which is
required for that particular position. For this the students must identify what all is needed
in the job in which they are applying and by making proper selection they have to write
all the things which are required.
 Use only relevant information- CV does not involve writing long paragraphs which is
irrelevant at the same time. Only short, precise and relevant information is required in
writing the Curriculum vitae otherwise it will not make any impact on the interviewer
who will take the interview.
 Presentation is important- Presentation is not only important in CV but in everything
because it gives the clear understanding to the other person who will read it. Writing the
CV in chronological order becomes very essential highlighting the most important points
above (Knutson, 2019).
 Use only 2 pages- It is important to use only 2 pages for depicting about the capabilities
and knowledge which is required and effective for the job. It is not about writing long
essays because it will only include things which are just not important for the job profile
and by using such way the student might not be selected for the job.
 Make CV of that particular role- When the job is understood by the individual and the
requirements which are needed to be entailed then the CV must be prepared in that way.
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CV which are prepared for that particular role which is defined in the job and not extra
things then it makes the CV very precise and good(Byrne, 2020).
 Keep the CV updated- If the individual has taken any degree course or the work
experience or have acquired some new skills then at this point it becomes very important
to make the update in the CV.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that the degree which students take from the
colleges and universities helps in to make money and provide them with better job opportunities.
The students are prepared for the career and develop the skills which are important in their jobs
or to handle different people in the jobs. Higher education is the path which enables the students
to choose their career and which is also important in the jobs.
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References:
Books and Journals
Bjorklund Jr, P., 2018. Undocumented students in higher education: A review of the literature,
2001 to 2016. Review of Educational Research. 88(5). pp.631-670.
Byrne, C., 2020. What determines perceived graduate employability? Exploring the effects of
personal characteristics, academic achievements and graduate skills in a survey
experiment. Studies in higher education. pp.1-18.
Castro, R., 2019. Blended learning in higher education: Trends and capabilities. Education and
Information Technologies. 24(4), pp.2523-2546.
Fleacă, E. and Maiduc, S., 2018. ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF TEACHING SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND CIVIC SKILLS-A PILOT STUDY ON HIGHER
EDUCATION STUDENTS. In 5th INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY
SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ARTS SGEM 2018 (pp. 71-
78).
Hendriks, B., van Meurs, F. and Reimer, A.K., 2018. The evaluation of lecturers' nonnative-
accented English: Dutch and German students' evaluations of different degrees of Dutch-
accented and German-accented English of lecturers in higher education. Journal of
English for Academic Purposes. 34. pp.28-45.
Hess, D.J. and Collins, B.M., 2018. Climate change and higher education: Assessing factors that
affect curriculum requirements. Journal of cleaner production. 170. pp.1451-1458.
Hung, H.C., Shwu-Ching Young, S. and Lin, K.C., 2018. Exploring the effects of integrating the
iPad to improve students’ motivation and badminton skills: a WISER model for physical
education. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 27(3). pp.265-278.
Khlaisang, J. and Koraneekij, P., 2019. Open Online Assessment Management System Platform
and Instrument to Enhance the Information, Media, and ICT Literacy Skills of 21 st
Century Learners. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning. 14(7).
Knutson, C., 2019. Middle Skills Education: Planners Are Reimagining Ways to Meld
Instruction and Industry. Planning for Higher Education. 47(4). pp.20-27.
Kumar, V. and Nanda, P., 2019. Social media in higher education: A framework for continuous
engagement. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology
Education (IJICTE). 15(1). pp.97-108.
Mackieh, A.A. and Dlhin, F.S.A., 2019. Evaluating the employability skills of industrial
engineering graduates: a case study. The International journal of engineering
education. 35(3). pp.925-937.
Ng, L.K., 2020. The perceived importance of soft (service) skills in nursing care: A research
study. Nurse education today. 85. p.104302.
Sanches, T. and Borges, M.M., 2019. Facing the thesis with positive thinking and dispositions to
act: contributions of information literacy training for higher education students’ skills
development. Improving the Academic Writing Experience in Higher Education. pp.55-
82.
Sousa, M.J. and Wilks, D., 2018. Sustainable skills for the world of work in the digital
age. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. 35(4). pp.399-405.
Varghese, N.V., 2019. Knowledge, skills and sustainable development: Role of higher education.
In India’s Social Sector and SDGs (pp. 97-111). Routledge India.
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