study tips revisited

Introduction | Dinahlee Obey Siering | June 7, 2005

Hi Everyone,

My name is Dinahlee Obey Siering, an EFL teacher living in St. Gallen, Eastern Switzerland. I'm originally from Liberia, West Africa but have been living here for the last 12 years. I officially started the program in October of 2004 and I just can't seem to get into it. I'm a face-to-face person and so am not very motivated to do this whole thing virtually. I almost gave up, had a talk with Sue Garton, the coordinator and, I must say, I felt much better afterwards and have therefore decided to give it another go. I've also just been signed up on the e-mail discussion group list.   Basically, I only read up to unit 4 of the FND.

Any study tips, ideas? I'd highly appreciate them.

Thank you all and have a great week.

Regards,

Dinah

Study Tips revisited | Jerry Talandis Jr. | June 7, 2005

Hi Dinah,

Nice to meet you! I'm glad you didn't give up. I think if you can make some connections with people, you'll have a much easier time of it. That's what this list is for; people are very kind and real good about answering your questions. We're all in the same boat.

Any study tips, ideas?

As far as study tips go, this is a perennial topic that keeps coming up. Everyone is in a different place regarding his or her approaches to study at the master's level. For example, some course participants (CPs) are not far removed from undergraduate work and still have their skills fresh and up to speed. Others (like me) completed their undergraduate work years ago (I graduated with a psych degree in 1986) and came into this program with study skills frozen in the rust of non-use. It was very hard for me to get going again. 

Fortunately, there have been several excellent discussions about this topic on this discussion list (DL) through the years. Seems like everyone has his or her own method/plan/approach. I found it very helpful to read up on how others when about the nitty-gritty of studying for a master's degree via distance learning. 

To read up on some past "study tips" discussions, please check out this page at this site.

To get more out of these discussions, I'd recommend trying out the "reflective task" found here.

I think if you take the time to go through this task, you end up very clear about how to go about studying for your masters' degree. I've provided the first part of it below. Could you (or anyone else out there) reflect on these categories and share some of your ideas on this list? It's always good to revisit this topic from time to time if you think you have something new to add to our ever-growing body of knowledge. 

Good luck! Please stay in touch!

Jerry Talandis
Japan

PS: Other great resources for CPs, if you don't already know, are these:

David Anderson's "Quick Start Guide" 

Paul Raper's "Links for Aston MSc"

Phil Quirke's "ESL Support Site"

Task 1: Developing your approach to master's level study

Many CPs begin this program after a long time away from intensive study. At the beginning, it's always a challenge to shake off the rust and get back in the swing of studying, especially at the master's level. Finding time to complete school work on top of busy work and family obligations demands clear & organized study skills. This task is designed to help you consider and develop your approach to study.

Part 1: Reflection on current practice

Take a few moments and write down a few thoughts regarding the way you approach the following aspects of studying for a masters degree:

Assignments: When do you get around to thinking of a topic for your assignment? Do you try to come up with something quickly, or do you wait until you've made your way through all the reading? What are the advantages and disadvantages to your approach?

Study time: How do plan and organize your study time? For example, do you prefer to study a little each day, or do you like to set aside long blocks of time every week or so? What are some difficulties you have regarding study time, and how have you tried to overcome them?

Information retrieval strategies (such as note taking, keeping track of references, etc): As you read through a module, how do you go about taking notes? In addition, what's your system for keeping track of quotations and references?  

Reflection: To what degree do you do the reflective tasks within the FND? Do you keep a journal, as is recommended? How keen are you on this practice?

Motivation: What do you do to get back on track when you're feeling de-motivated?

Course completion: How long are you planning on taking to finish the MSc? What are some merits/demerits of your choice?

Required reading: What books will you buy (did you buy) for the FND, and why? How did you go about deciding which to purchase? 

Re: Introduction | Richard Walker | June 7, 2005

Dinah,

Many people take even longer on the FND.   If you get into a routine now, there's no reason why you can't get it finished by autumn.   That would mean you would have spent a year on the FND with four more to play with for the other modules.   Not an unhealthy position to be in from my vantage point.   I took longer and regret it, but I'm doing the ASI and MET modules now and am fully motivated.   I'm a face-to-face person myself, but if you send mails here and to other participants the motivation will come flooding back.   There's a lot of untapped support out there.....

If you need any help send me a mail.   I took longer and realize the need for you to surmount this obstacle. It really is worth it.

Richard Walker

Re: Study Tips | Chris Baldwin | June 7, 2005

Dinah

I'm new on the course too (a couple of months), so I understand your position.   The sites that Jerry mentioned are very good for getting up to speed.   For me the situation at home/work is very important.   My wife is in her last year of an Open University degree, so we sit and study together.   Try to enlist the help of family/friends, if pos.   Also, here in Italy the holidays are starting, so there's less work on.   I'm replacing the finished courses with study sessions, so that I'm as busy as before, but now with studying.   The idea of "situated development" is also important, as you can discuss what you have read/written with colleagues, thus bringing the face of your situation, colleagues and students into the material.

Hope that helps.

Enjoy the course,

Chris
Italy

Re: Study Tips | Jerry Talandis Jr. | June 7, 2005

Thanks, Chris for your suggestions about studying. Your point about treating your studies like you do your job is a good one, one that I haven't noticed before. I've actually been thinking along the same lines. I need to be done with my dissertation soon, so this summer I'm planning on keeping my regular office hours even though I won't have any classes for 7 weeks. I'll just hermitize myself in my air-conditioned little office and plug away at it til it's done. We'll be able to save a bundle on our electricity bill! :-)

I'm envious that you can study along with your wife. That must be so cool.

Finally, I totally agree with your point about situated development and the need to discuss your situation with others. That's the core of the entire program. Like Julian Edge (former Aston tutor) used to say, the learning you take is equal to what you are able to articulate to others. Something like that...

Jerry
Japan

Hi Dinah | Martin Lovatt | June 8, 2005

Hi Dinah,

I see you have lots of supporters out there offering you good study advice. I don't know what is best for you - only you really know that - but I'd like to offer my opinion if you don't mind my being a bit long-winded about it (it's my nature!).

Dropping out of the course (or anything) is strictly a personal decision and only you can make it. Like every decision in life it basically comes down to pain or pleasure and we always choose pleasure (or at least less pain!) in the long term. For me, I know that if I drop out I have to live with the mental disappointment and loss of confidence for the rest of my life. I know it's stating the obvious, but whatever we decide there's a price to pay.

So, after being accepted onto the course at Aston in October, 2003 (and I was delighted about it, too), I decided that no matter what, I would not drop out. I may be thrown off, or I may fail the course, but I would not go by choice. That was my starting position and remains my position. Dropping out isn't easy and I'm not criticizing anyone who has made that choice. In some ways it takes more guts to drop out. It's just that for me I know I'll always regret it. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes feel that I want to drop out - and my mind comes up with lots of good reasons why I should drop out when my enthusiasm is low - but I try to remember that I wouldn't have started the course if I didn't want to finish it. As you know well, one definition of success is setting and reaching a difficult but worthwhile goal. I guess we all think graduating from this course is a worthy goal. I know I do. We also know that many people have completed this course before us - we are not breaking new ground here, but treading a familiar path. If they can, we can!

Which brings me to the point of 'how to study'. For you, I have no idea. All I know is that you know how to succeed in this course. Look back at other experiences in your life - among them you will find many things you are good at and many things that you have succeeded in doing. Your successes are in your past. Identify them. What did you do to be successful at those things? What practical steps did you take? You have skills to succeed - you must have because you have survived (and done well it seems) in life until now. Only you have the answer. Look into your past, find what you did before and adapt your 'success method' to your present needs. Of course, you only need to do that if you decide you want to complete the course. Until you've reached that decision everything else is a waste of time.

One last thing; you are not doing this programme 'virtually'. We are all real people with real families, jobs & problems just like you. We are very much flesh and blood and we all support each other in this endeavor. We're a team. Admittedly, we're a loose-knit team, but we look out for and support each other. I believe Aston wants us to succeed, too, much as we want our students to succeed in what they do. Anyway, we are here to support you in any way we can and because we know you can support us or others who pass this way in the future. There's strength in numbers and we need your ideas and encouragement, too.

We're here - and we hope you'll be here with us. It's your call.

All the best,

Martin
(Slow but stubborn CP in Fukuoka, Japan)

Thanks, Dawn | Martin Lovatt | June 8, 2005

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for the boost. Okay, the game's on - I'll try to finish by March 2006, too!

Now I just have to put my money where my mouth is...

Best,

Martin

Re: Study Tips | Karen Widl | June 8, 2005

Hi Dinah,

I'm also quite new on the course (since April) and I've found tremendous support here.   Jerry has done an incredible job of putting together the archive, and the additional links he provided are excellent sources for information.

Motivation can be a very slippery thing.   One minute you seem to have a grip and the next, it's slipped away before realizing it.   This is why I try and stay realistic with my studying...as well as my own work! If I give myself some slack and know that it's up to me (I'm in control), then the pressure is lessened. I keep a constant grip on my studying, but allow myself those times of "laziness".... or perhaps it's more "reflection", since I can step back a bit.   I try to remind myself of why I began this programme in the first place (my original goals, visions, etc.) and what I want to get out of it.

This is an excellent programme, but of course, some parts are more enjoyable than others. Everyone has certain interests and strengths, which is one of the advantages of the FND module.   If you find that you are stuck on one of the units, then why not skip forward to a unit that you feel confident in or one that sparks your interest?   You just may find that it starts the "ball rolling" so to speak.   Once you have written a task from an interesting unit, the others will also flow.

Just my two cents worth!   I wish you a lot of luck and feel free to e-mail me anytime if you want to discuss any of the units (I'm just about at the end of FND...but still struggling with my last big task!)

Karen Widl
Austria

Study Tips, etc | Dawn Grant-Skiba | June 8, 2005

First of all, I'd like to add to the already large and very good advice given to Dinah.   I don't know how original this is (Jerry) but I think it's good to have a human pest - sb who will bother u when u get 2 lazy!!   Of course, this person must be close to u and have some kind of authority over ur actions.   If u have a partner, that could work well.   My husband has become my pest lately and he really does a good job of it!! When I need to study, he pulls the covers off me and drags me out of the bed - literally!! I hate him at those times but later I really appreciate it.   There are other more intimate things but I'd better not put them here - use ur imagination!! :-)

Now to Martin: Qudos to u mate!! U r on and I'll give u a shout now and then 2 c how u r doing.  

Jerry wrote:   You mentioned that your TYL assignment was "still untouched." Do you have a rough idea of what you want to do? How does TYL connect with the work you're doing in CMD? That does seem like a good combo. I took the TYL module long ago and currently teach a lot of kids. I'd be interested in hearing your ideas.

Well, I haven't really sorted out my outline yet although Paula has passed my topic, which is how to motivate the very young learner (0-5).   I have been reading quite a bit so I hope I'll be able to sit down and finish it.   I have 2 weeks exactly because I'm going to the Caribbean on holiday with my family for 5 whole weeks!!   When I return, I'd like to sit down and start my DISS and finish that in time to graduate in March.   It's a very tall order I know but I really want to do it.   With Martin running the same race, we'll see!!!   Oh, for my CMD, I did sth on building a syllabus on informal interaction - greeeeaaaaaaaaaat stuff!! At least for me, I don't know what Nur thinks yet :-)   I haven't quite finished it but the bulk is out of the way. I've sent it off to Nur and I'm waiting on her response.   Either way, I've enjoyed these two courses so much that I don't even care about the grades.   Still, I need a good transcript to get on my PhD course, which I want to start next year.  

I'm off...I've been writing too much lately.

Regards

Dawn
Poland

p.s. BTW great mouthful Martin re; study skills.

Re: Study Tips | Jerry Talandis Jr. | June 8, 2005

Thanks, Martin. That was an excellent response. It'll become required reading for anyone considering quitting!

Jerry

Re: Study Tips | Martin Lovatt | June 8th, 2005

Thanks, Jerry.

Martin

Thanks | Dinah Obey-Siering | June 10th, 2005

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all so much for your support, sympathy and. You Pinkies are fantastic!! I really feel I'm not alone anymore. I'll get back to each of you soon. I greatly appreciate the camaraderie. No kidding, after reading your words of encouragement, I really felt a sense of camaraderie, we are in this together!!

Have a blessed weekend you all.

Dinah
Switzerland

 

 

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