Psychology 1020QBT: Challenges and Responses in Higher Education

This report provides a critical reflection on the challenges faced by students in higher education, specifically focusing on the difficulties associated with managing reading materials and time effectively. The student, enrolled in a psychology course, identifies the overwhelming volume of assigned readings and the struggle to balance academic workload with other commitments as significant hurdles. The reflection details the strategies the student plans to implement to overcome these challenges, such as creating dedicated time slots for reading and summarizing materials, and reducing time spent on distractions to improve time management. The SWOT analysis, a part of the assignment, highlights the student's strengths, including hard work and problem-solving skills, while also acknowledging potential threats like adapting to new study environments and maintaining a work-study balance. The conclusion reiterates the importance of addressing these challenges to enhance academic performance and success in a higher education setting.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY 1
Psychology
Name
Institution

PSYCHOLOGY 2
Introduction
Higher education one factor that leads to economic development and growth. Higher
learning institutions are faced with the challenge of adopting the curricula, program structures,
teaching and learning methods to account for a new necessary range of abilities. This reflection
will critically analyze two challenges faced by higher learning institutions and how I can respond
to this challenge.
Coping with reading material is one of the challenges facing higher education learning. It
affects not only postgraduate students but also undergraduate students. Some students find it
difficult to finish all weekly assigned readings (Daniel, 2015). For undergraduate students, they
require at least five articles to read each weak. Some students register up to six courses in a
semester hence making it difficult to handle the readings for the six courses ("Four Challenges
Facing Higher Education - Next", 2020). Personally, I have been doing six courses per semester
and we are offered at least three reading materials each week. This has been draining and tedious
since I also have assignments to do. To ensure that I avoid the burden of reading materials, I will
ensure that I create time to go through threading materials and write a summary of each reading
material. For instance, I can spare two in the evening and in the morning to handle the reading
materials and make a summary. This will assist not to have bulk work and focus on other
academic activities without straining.
Another challenge is time management
Time is management among the most significant and challenging skills that affect
learning in higher education settings. In higher learning institutions, there is nobody to push
students to meet their personal deadlines (Avella, et al., 2016). Most students wait until the last

PSYCHOLOGY 3
minute when they start working on their assignments (Sheffield, 2020). As a university student,
sometimes I am unable to complete my assignments on time. The last-minute pressure and
workload affect my efficiency in addressing tasks hence poor academic performance. Most of the
time I find myself spending more time on TV and social media platforms instead of using that
time to do assignments or weekly readings.
I find myself staying up late playing games or chatting with friends. This has made me
miss class once or twice. Missing classes affect a student’s understanding of concepts. Therefore,
to ensure that I manage time effectively, I would reduce the time I spent on social platforms and
divert my free time to my classwork. Besides, I will set goals that will assist me to accomplish
my activities on time. Another way that will assist me to manage time is to start working on
assignments early. This will assist me to do my research well hence producing high-quality
work.
Conclusion
Students in a higher education setting face many challenges that affect their academic
performance is not well monitored. One of the challenges is coping with reading materials.
Students who take six units per semester find it difficult to manage the assignments and weekly
readings. Another challenge is time management. Most students devote less time to academic
work which in the end affects their academic performance.

PSYCHOLOGY 4
References
Avella, J. T., Kebritchi, M., Nunn, S. G., & Kanai, T. (2016). Learning analytics methods,
benefits, and challenges in higher education: A systematic literature review. Online
Learning, 20(2), 13-29.
Daniel, B. (2015). Big Data and analytics in higher education: Opportunities and
challenges. British journal of educational technology, 46(5), 904-920.
Four Challenges Facing Higher Education - Next. (2020). Retrieved 20 April 2020, from
https://next.bncollege.com/four-challenges-facing-higher-education/
Sheffield, U. (2020). Time Management - Everyday Skills - Study Skills - 301 - SSiD - The
University of Sheffield. Retrieved 20 April 2020, from
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/301/study-skills/everyday-skills/time-management