Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a major issue in college. If you take another person’s work without correctly referencing it you can be thrown out of college for plagiarism.

It is considered stealing in the same way as you’d be sanctioned for stealing belongings from someone. You will be sanctioned for stealing their writings.

This was drilled into us all from the moment we entered college.

It does I suppose make sense apart from the stealing issue, because if you just copy and paste someone elses work into your own essays or assignments then you really aren’t learning anything. It’s important to understand what you are writing about and then you can use other’s work to back up your point but make sure to reference it correctly.

If you were to plagiarise someone’s work in your essays and assignments and not be caught the only person you would be conning is yourself because when it comes to sitting in an exam with no computers or text books around you, where would you be then?

I’ll tell you, you’d up the proverbial creek without a paddle, that’s where.

These days anyway there is little or no chance of that happening. There is an online site called turnitin., that lectures use to check for plagiarism in essays that students hand up.

So do yourself a favour, don’t steal other peoples work as the only person that is losing out is you.

For more information on Plagiarism click this link... What is Plagiarism?

SQ3R Reading Strategy

 

I’m not good at sitting down and reading, the thought of it makes me squirm. When you first look at the SQ3R Reading Strategy it looks like more work than normal. However I have found that this technique makes it much easier to select the information that is important and retain that information. 

Survey; before you sit down to read the material, scan through it, just a glance over the headings and the summary. Use this time to pick up on any important words that you can use to guide you. I found that surveying the text helps relieve my anxiety over the amount of reading there is, because I get worried over how much I have to read.  

Question; take the headings and points from the summary and turn them into questions. I found that if I do this and read through the piece looking out for information that will answer that question that I was reading with more of a purpose it helps.

Read; reading through the piece of work looking for the information to answer your question. If you don’t find it go back through it. I found that if you really try to read it with an understanding of what is trying to be put across it helps you find your answer. 

Recite; after I have found the information to answer that question, I try in my own words to say it out loud. If I’m able to do this and I’m able to give examples I know I’m on a winner and I write it out. If I struggle with it I go over it again until I get it. 

Review; after you have your questions answered and all the important information written out go over it. Ask questions and answer them, do this without looking at your work. Remember that in an exam questions can be worded in different ways that mean the same thing, so vary the questions you ask yourself.

For More Tips Click Here SQ3R

Time Management

How time flies.........

As a student, your whole life becomes structured.

For me my life now revolves around the next 4year in college.

Then you take those 4 years and they are divided into an academic year which is no longer the 12 months but 9!

Take those 9 months and divide them into semesters 1 and 2.

Those semesters are divided into your 7 day, weekly timetables.

Then your weekly timetable is broken down into 1 or 2 hourly blocks of lectures and tutorials and before you know it....

BANG

Assignments are due and Exams are just around the corner!

If you are anything like me even reading this has caused your heart to race and your stomach to churn!

I thought being a mature student meant that you are a student who is mature; turns out that is not automatic I’m afraid.

But don’t despair, all is not lost. If I can learn how to manage my time so can you.

Step 1. You’ll need a large calendar, one for each month and hang it over your desk. It should be big enough that you’re able to write in any important dates to remember. These were not just college dates but personal ones too.

Step 2.  Print off your timetable and hang that too.

Step 3. Seeing is believing, When you can see what is due and when you will be busy you can plan in advance.

It’s not a fool proof plan, there will be impromptu visitors and health issues and or course those lazy days but the more you are prepared for the less cramming that will have to be done and late nights spent finishing work and most importantly Less Stress.

Need more help click this link for more tips... dividing your time

Effective Presentations

 

In the communications class last year, we had to do a 5 minute presentation on front of the class, while being videotaped!

The thought of this made me sick.

I am pretty competent at computers so designing the Power Point presentation was fine. I enjoyed the arty element.

We could choose whatever subject we liked. I stupidly picked a subject that was new to me. I was trying to pick a subject that was related to the course.

The morning of the presentation I was a bag of nerves, nearly fainted while brushing my teeth! I had practice the night before but thinking about it was making more nervous, so I gave up and went to bed.

I botched it up! I was shaking, stuttering, blushing and sweating, it was very embarrassing.

They say you learn from your mistakes and I thought my lesson was to never do a presentation ever again, but oh no there had to be communications on the syllabus in third level too! Needless to say I wasn’t at all impressed. However this time I knew what to do.

Choose a topic I knew really well. So I choose to do my presentation on my dog. Why, because I know everything there is to know about my dog, so there is nothing to be nervous about. Now saying that I was a bit nervous about the topic as others in my class had picked to do their presentations on social topics, but I stuck to my guns.

I have to say I was a little nervous and reluctant to do the presentation on the day, but it went really well. I spoke for the set amount of time and I spoke confidently. I really pulled it off and was proud of myself and I was marked well too.

So my recommendation is to always stick to what you know.

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