Academic and Research Skills: A Personal Development Report Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of a student's academic and research skills, focusing on personal development. It begins with an introduction to personal development and its importance, followed by an assessment of the student's strengths and weaknesses, and the setting of self-improvement targets. The report then delves into the significance of note-taking skills, exploring various methods like the Cornell method and mind mapping, and emphasizes the importance of active listening and reading as sources for note-taking. Furthermore, the report discusses academic research, differentiating between primary and secondary research methods and outlining essential steps for conducting effective research. Finally, the report presents a personal development plan, including skill evaluation metrics and action plans to achieve the set targets, emphasizing the role of seminars and improved communication skills in enhancing career opportunities. The report aims to provide a roadmap for skill enhancement and academic success.

Academic and Research Skills

INTRODUCTION
Personal development is a term which requires a amount of time to be invest by an
individual into themselves that defines an effective management of a person. It can be
understand as series of activities which are organized in a such a systematic manner that make
them able to meet their dreams and aspirations. The report is based on the academic and
research skills of a student and how they can identify and improve their skills in order to achieve
their target. It also includes note taking skills, academic research project and a personal
development plan.
TASK 1
Every individual has some skills that they need to polish to attain the desired things what
are they dreaming about, one of those have the skills that won't sit idle to wait that life will give
them at someday. They have some good qualities that make the things happens rather let the life
go on its own way and the things would happen themselves.
The same applied with me I have some key technical skills which I have learnt before.
That's my strength that I already knew but now I wanted to learn more cause it's not possible for
me to know everything. That's why I need to improve my skills day by day that will open a new
opportunities for me.
Strengths
To explore towards my target I need to analyse my strength and weaknesses cause I don't
wanted to leave my research in the middle of the way, that's why I started evaluate myself and I
found such strengths -
 I am passionate about my curiosity and when I decide to do something I never going to
leave that.
 I am a good listener cause listening gives a lot of knowledge from various sources that
can be people around me or some other technological resources.
 There is one more skill that gives me a support, quick learning that encourages me and
boosts my confidence. Though I am a quick learner so I can catch the things early.
 All of these skills help me to manage my work in team collaboration.
Weaknesses
Besides these positive key points I also has some weaknesses such as :
 I am miser of words I like to speak in a limited words but that does not mean that I
cannot communicate with my team.
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 Sometimes I am not able to manage my time that is because some activities takes more
time than estimated.
 I take a lot of time for decision making due consider all the perceptions.
Setting up targets for self improvement
 I wanted to learn about blockchain cause I am curious to explore about it since I heard
it for the first time. This will take almost an year to gain the complete knowledge for the
blockchain.
 As it is my weakness that I am a reticent so I would like to overcome my weakness and
will be able to cop up the presentation skills with approximately six months.
 I also need to learn a foreign language except French that is beneficial for my future in
order to communicate with different people from diverse background.
TASK 2
Making notes is important for everyone while they are in learning phase yet a student is
has opportunities to learn more there is not a restriction to learn inside a classroom. Yet
classroom learning is necessary for a student similarly learning is goes beyond the walls. In
academic life a person has so many things things to learn which is related to their course what
they have joined and pursuing their degree. I like to prepare notes because that help me to stay
active and engaged during the lectures and which I can revise after the session. It aid to learn
with highlighted and summarised points with clear thoughts. The notes are prepared with the
selective and key ideas that help to remember the whole idea which is related to the topic. It
organizes my ideas and make the connections between the gaps with a plan and structured
assignments. Finally, I used to take a look on my notes before the exams that help me to
remember with mass syllabus with key points.
My notes contains the source information like the author, title and date so that I can
memorized when I have written that. Heading of the topic to identify the specific topic along
with the key points, examples that explains the whole ideas. I also have a habit to include some
particular things which I can hit in mind to keep remind the reading material such as
mnemonics , colour or drawings. There are some specific methods for notes like:
 Cornell methods which contains key words and description in separate columns.
 Mind mapping is used with diagram of the idea that is easy to remember in pictorial
representation.
Listening sources
With all of these things I make my notes to improve my predetermine skills that is
learning about the blockchain, presentation and foreign language. An individual can utilize these
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methods for note making but for me listening others is a big source for learning. So what I do
is:
 First listen other may they can give me a new perceptions, like in a lecture I listen
carefully to my teachers during the lectures and keep noting down whatever they are
telling while the session and after that I discussed about the topic people around me.
 Except the class there are various sources of listening such as the seminars where the
knowledgeable people share there knowledge and I am always trying to write my notes so
that I cannot forget the valuable things which is important to me.
Reading sources
After the listening there is another source of notes is reading that gives a huge poll of knowledge
until the one will not close the book. There are various resources for reading such as :
 Reading the books and while reading a book I keep noted down the key words with small
descriptions and pictures that are easy to remember.
 Except the books there are some e – books, articles, and blogs are also there with a huge
pool of knowledge and that's what I regular read to keep myself aware about the changes
and updates. If it is possible then I quickly note it with highlighted colours.
The entire process of notes help to keep mind awake to remind the study material that will
manage the time in examination for revision.
TASK 3
Research has a significance before directly putting a process to meet the desired goals.
Research is a systematic investigation that leads to gather the information from various sources
in order to establish some facts and figures for a specific purpose. It is scientific and systematic
way to perform any logical experiments. This report is about an academic research that includes
the two types of researches that gives an effective results (Suchodoletz, Gestsdottir and Wanless,
2013).
Primary research – Primary research is designed to meet the specific and unique needs.
The research is conducted by an individual or a group of students as it is a academic research it
includes the group, surveys, interviews and observations. Primary research is aims to answer the
questions that must be relevant to the subject and that should have efficient to give the output in
the future. It is all about the numerical data that use to collect the information in a mass volume
(Stebleton and Soria, 2013). The primary data keep the information about the intended
individuals and that's why it is came in inception for the first time and thus it considers as the
fresh information. There are two kinds of primary research : exploratory and specific. The
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academic research the primary research can be done through the interview, and feedback from
the professors and students.
Secondary research - The secondary research is considers as an interpretation of
primary research that is there was a collection of information but in secondary research it refines
the information from the entire information. It provides the qualitative data that is derived on the
basis of quantitative research. The secondary research can be done by observing the content
throughout the report as what is the target and the note skills that is providing the quality of the
information (Lipnevich and Roberts, 2012).
There are some essential key points that needs to carry out a research that are:
 First and foremost thing is to state a problem clearly.
 A research must have an objective that needed to be meet in specific time.
 Find out a process in which a research can be conducted.
 Make a strategic plan to carry out a research structure with appropriate methods.
 Resources required to conduct a research efficiently.
Along with all of these elements there are some particular things which needed to be followed:
Research plan
Title
Research plan
Overview
objectives
Strategies
Selected research study methods
Innovative ideas that needed to include (If)
Budget
Progress report
References (in case required)
Review
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TASK 4 and 5
The target which I have determine in the first task now I need to work on those skills
which I wanted to improve. The first thing I can do is that I can attend the seminars which are
going to organize in the university premises and if possible I can go to other events which are
beneficial for me. I can learn so many things through the seminars where the speaker share the
precious knowledge that can guide me to overcome my weaknesses that is to manage the time
and improve my communication skills. My strength also help me out to capture the new learning
quickly and raise my confidence to encourage me to attempt the task in order to my objectives.
The strength would help me out to attain the desired goal that is my self improvement which
make my working smooth and also increase the cooperation with others. Improved personal
skills aid to enhance career opportunities in every individuals life. Below is a skill evaluation
metrics which evaluate that the skills are learned in a good direction or not.
My personal
development
target?
Short or long
term target?
How will I
achieve my
targets? What
activities do I
need to
undertake to
achieve my
objectives?
What support
do I need?
Date of
review
Progress
made towards
target
Further
action
required
Actual date of
achieving
target
To develop
the better
communicat
ion with
others.
Time
estimated as
short term.
I can
achieve the
communicat
ion skills
and over
come my
lack of
words by
getting in
the contact
with others
as much as
possible, try
26/06/18 40.00% I will try to
improve my
self by
causally
interacting
with
surrounding
people like
students and
experts.
25/10/18
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to expose
my thoughts
I can
achieve my
target. I
need to stay
aware about
the updates
to interact
with diverse
people.
I am trying
to manage
time.
Short term I need to
divide the
time
according to
the task and
put my
whole
efforts to
accomplish
my target
30/06/18 50.00% Putting
more efforts
to manage
the schedule
time
through the
day.
14/11/18
CONCLUSION
The above report is stated about the academic and research skills that includes the
personal skills that needed to improve the future opportunities. An individual defines a series of
activities that needed to perform to achieve the target that it specified them and that is also
essential to improve their skills and get being in the favourable people. The skills are needed to
explore the world in desired direction.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
von Suchodoletz, A., Gestsdottir, S., Wanless, and et., al., 2013. Behavioral self-regulation and
relations to emergent academic skills among children in Germany and Iceland. Early
Childhood Research Quarterly. 28(1). pp.62-73.
Stebleton, M. and Soria, K., 2013. Breaking down barriers: Academic obstacles of first-
generation students at research universities.
Lipnevich, A.A. and Roberts, R.D., 2012. Noncognitive skills in education: Emerging research
and applications in a variety of international contexts. Learning and Individual
Differences. 22(2). pp.173-177.
Jaguszewski, J. and Williams, K., 2013. New roles for new times: Transforming liaison roles in
research libraries.
Borich, G.D., 2016. Observation skills for effective teaching: research-based practice.
Routledge.
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