Orientation for Success in Higher Education: Skills Analysis Report

This report, contributed by a student and available on Desklib, provides an analysis of essential skills for success in higher education. It begins with an introduction outlining the importance of study techniques and skills in a student's life, emphasizing their role in career development and academic achievement. The report then delves into a detailed skill analysis, focusing on three key areas: time management, team working, and academic reading. The time management section highlights the significance of prioritizing tasks and avoiding procrastination, offering strategies for improvement such as creating schedules and minimizing distractions. The team working section discusses the benefits of collaboration and communication, emphasizing its role in enhancing learning and reducing errors. The academic reading section explores the importance of critical thinking, note-taking, and information gathering. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, reiterating the vital role of these skills in fostering academic success, career prospects, and overall well-being. The report also includes references and an appendix with SMART goals for skill development.

Orientation for
Success in Higher
Education

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Skill Analysis...................................................................................................................................1
Time management skill..........................................................................................................1
Team working skill.................................................................................................................2
Academic reading skill...........................................................................................................2
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Study techniques, skills and strategies refer approaches and ways which are being applied to
learning in order to gain knowledge and learn different new things (Cottrell, 2019). This present
study is going to show importance of study techniques and study skills which play an important
role in students’ life as it enables them to develop their career and succeed at university. The
main important skills which play a vital role and students should posses to get better employment
opportunities in the future, increasing knowledge and learning new things. This study will
discuss importance of time management skill and how time management skill allow students in
becoming stressed free, getting higher scores and also submitting their assignments in the given
deadline. Further, it will show some ways of improving time management skills. It will also
discuss effectiveness of team working and academic skills and how these both skills, students
learn ways of forming arguments, critical analysing and espousing different viewpoints.
Skill Analysis
Time management skill
Time management is an important skill and ability of organizing as well as planning of dividing
time between specific activities by prioritizing important tasks. Students are required to posses
this skill and ability of managing their time of completing all given tasks in the given deadline.
Importance: Time management helps people at all stages and for students it helps them out in
solving their procrastination problems. It is found that due to procrastination and study work
pressure they become frustrated and stressed and it leads to poor grades and scores. It affects
their career development in a negative manner. Nowadays for being in the competition and
getting effective employment opportunities, maintaining a balance between social and academic
life students require possessing this skill (Rimadana and et.al., 2019). By having an effective
time management skills, students can easily deal with assignments, tests and more subjects.
I have evaluated my skills and I found that I just need to improve this skill as when I get
several assignments then I get frustrated and find it difficult to complet all tasks in the given
deadline and in an effective manner, Due to lack of this skill, I also find problems in
concentrating on learning so, I need to improve this skill for getting higher scores, becoming
stress free and increasing concentration power in learning.
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Ways of improvement: I am lacking in this skill and for succeeding at university and also for
getting higher scores I need to find out some ways of improving this. One of the bes ways of
improving time management is creating a schedule or time table by prioritising important tasks
and estimating time of completion for each task. In addition, elimination of distractions like
mobile phones is other effective ways as it can help out in increasing concentration and also
completing tasks in a timely manner.
Team working skill
Team working refers qualities which allow people to work with others and improve their relation
(Channon and et.al., 2017). For better team working, students require having effective
communication skills and willingness of learning something new otherwise it may create
conflicts.
Importance: Team working plays an important role for students as it helps them, out in
improving their learning, overall performance and reducing errors in assignments and
projects. There are some practical subjects in which students often require someone who can
help them out in solving their problems and doubts. When students have ability of working in a
team and when they work with different students then they learn different ways of learning, ways
of problems solving, decision making, abilities of working under pressure and reducing errors.
 It increases active listening skills in students.
 It reduces errors and increase adaptability skill or ability to learn different ways of
performing tasks.
During evaluation I found that I am good in this skill and I learned so many new things while
working in a team on given project. I found that it plays an important role as it does allow us of
learning different new things, reducing errors but also improve relation which makes us feel
happy and motivated.
For improving this skill I can take help of some tools available in the market and by making a
time table by prioritizing important tasks, I can improve this skill.
Academic reading skill
Academic reading refers an ability to understand topic, finding research materials,
developing ideas by reading vast numbers of resources available online and offline. There are
several skills required for making students able to improve academic reading such as: critical
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thinking, notes making, online learning, time management and searching for appropriate
information.
Importance: In this context it can be said that academic learning skill is direct proportional to
academic success or getting higher scores. Students can exposure to different ideas and
viewpoints. It allows them to take better decision and gain knowledge regarding the topic. This
academic reading skills help students in increasing concentration, self motivation, imparting
knowledge, exercising of brain, improving vocabulary, reducing stress and completing all tasks
in a timely and effective manner (Bettens and et.al., 2018).
From evaluation I found that I am somehow effective in this skill and it makes me able in
forming arguments and taking decision by evaluating each topic in both positive and in a
negative manner.
For more improvement as a student I need to take specific time for reading session and
establishing note taking system, Note taking while reading books can help me out in increasing
knowledge, analysing in a critic manner and improving vocabulary.
Conclusion
From the above study it has been summarized study skills like team working, time
management and academic learning play a vital role as it makes students to increase their
learning capacity, reducing procrastination, becoming stress free and overall getting higher
scores in final test. All these skills also make students able to get better employment
opportunities in the future, working under pressure and remaining refreshed all the time. It has
also shown some effective ways and strategies of increasing all these skills and how these
strategies can help students in increasing grasping ability, submitting projects on time, enjoying
personal life with academic and self motivating all the time.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Cottrell, S., 2019. The study skills handbook. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Channon, S.B. and et.al., 2017. What makes a ‘good group’? Exploring the characteristics and
performance of undergraduate student groups. Advances in Health Sciences
Education. 22(1). pp.17-41.
Bettens, K. and et.al., 2018. The Impact of a Peer-Tutoring Project on Academic Learning Skills
in Speech-Language Pathology Students. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica. 70(3-4).
pp.109-116.
Rimadana, M.R. and et.al., 2019, December. Predicting Student Academic Performance using
Machine Learning and Time Management Skill Data. In 2019 International Seminar on
Research of Information Technology and Intelligent Systems (ISRITI) (pp. 511-515).
IEEE.
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Appendix
SMART Goals
Skill Planned Action Timeline
Time management
By making an effective use of
Trello and other available
tools, time management skill
can be improved. With the
help of this tool, students can
visualize projects; make
propriety lists along with
estimated time.
Reducing distractions like
electronic gadgets, mobiles
and others while learning,
time management skill can be
improved.
15-20 days
Team working
For this skill I need to push
myself and taking
participation in team and
group working project. By
interacting with people as
much as possible I can
improve this skill.
10-15 days
Academic reading For improving this skill I can 15-20 days
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spare specific time for reading
chapters again and again. It
can help me out in improving
vocabulary and improving
academic reading skill.
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