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University of Oxford Induction

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Managing your learning

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One of the hardest things about studying online is managing your learning, maintaining motivation and completing the course. It is a lot easier not to get around to logging on, than it is to walk out of a classroom. Here we will look at a few things you can do before you start studying that will help you get the best from your online course and maximise your chances of success.

Motivation

Maintaining motivation is the key to success in all forms of learning, but especially online. Understanding what has motivated you to take this course in the first place will help you organise your learning and help you to get what you really want from this course.

Take a couple of minutes to think about what motivated you to take this course and what are the goals you hope to achieve; the suggestions below should give you a place to start.

  • Expand your knowledge in the subject area
  • Exercise your mind
  • Develop an ability to respond to controversial issues
  • Gain confidence to participate in cultural and thoughtful conversations
  • Acquire the credits for your study [10 units of transferable credit at undergraduate Level 1 of the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)].

Time management

However, all the motivation in the world will not be enough without some practical consideration of when and how you are going to study. It is far easier to put something off when you have not got a deadline.

Some tips for effective studying include:

  • Short, more frequent learning sessions are better than one long one (three one-hour sessions are better than one three-hour session)
  • Take regular breaks
  • Allow some flexibility to account for good and bad days
  • Make notes of your achievements
  • Plan ahead for what you need to do next week.

However, study preferences are very personal; you will get the most from study if you identify what works for you. Take some time to think about when and how you want to study, considering the areas below.

  • Do you have a quiet, comfortable place to study?
  • Do you like to study in short bursts or for longer periods?
  • Can you work out times during the week to set aside for study?
  • Do the people around you know you are studying and will they give you the space and time you need?

This course runs for 10 weeks and the ‘Calendar’ shows you what you should be studying in which weeks; you should bear this in mind when planning your study.

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