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I found this particular topic to be very interesting. I never considered that there is another aspect of motivation beyond just gaining it in the first place. Maintaining motivation, I’ve come to find out, is just as important as finding it. I liked the part of this module that discussed shutting out distractions. It truly is important to make sure that once you find the motivation to do, for example, a lengthy assignment, that you are able to also find an appropriately quiet and distraction-free environment in which you may study diligently without any outside factors affecting you. In this slide on the PowerPoint, it also mentions how you can typically plan for most of the distractions that will interupt your studies. For example, while I usually study in my room in my fraternity house, expecting for it to be peaceful, it almost always ends up being distracting because of my friends coming by. By planning more intelligently, I would go to a library with one study partner, so as to minimize the distractions and still have a source of company and outside input. I am back home for quarentine right now so this isn’t something I can do until we’re back at school, but I’m sure it will make a huge difference.

I particularly liked the Boolean Logic concept in this module. I think it is very interesting and important to be able to understand how using certain key terms, like “and”, in your search engine search can truly affect the output of information. Using boolean logic, I will be able to specify for in-depth exactly what I’m looking for in my research. This will strongly affect the resulting research that I compile because I will be able to further manipulate and funnel the exact information that I am looking for. I specifically liked the “not” feature of this concept. By being able to search a topic and add “not…” to ignore any sources that could distract or deviate from the actual topic, I can save so much time and energy in my research because I will not have to dig through random sources that only somewhat relate. I used this concept in an essay that I am currently writing. I was able to look up terms from my business law class that have alternate meanings when not related to law. I would look up the term and then “and law”. Sometimes I would look up a term that, for example, relates to both law and retail. In order to funnel only the law-related sources I searched the term followed by “not retail”.

I really liked the part of this module that had to do with utilizing online resources. There really are an unlimited amount of websites, videos, blogs, etc. that can deeply enhance one’s learning experience. As Professor Ryan Watkins and Michael Corry say in the module, “don’t limit your learning to your textbook or your instructor.” After reviewing the content in this section of the module I really felt much more confident in my ability to connect and find personal meaning in each of my classes because even if I wasn’t finding the in-class content to be particularly interesting, I could always research deeper into any topic online and find a way to connect it to my life. I tried this in my Business Law class because I wasn’t able to really enjoy the content and that was hindering my learning. I began by digging through youtube videos about examples of the discussed laws in real-life situations and even watched a few interviews of people who were in those situations and it really helped me find a deeper understanding of the course. Now, going into my next exam, I feel that I can really memorize the content much better because I have found personal connections to it.

I found this particular module to be very helpful. The concept of active reading truly resonated with some of the holes in my studying technique. I have always seen assigned readings as just that, assignments. After going through this module though, my mindset changed as I came to find that there is much more important to the assigned reading that just completing it. Actively reading the week’s text helps students on all sides of a class. By actively reading the text, one actually has a real understanding of the true depth of a subject. Rather than just having completed the pages, now the student has retained the terms and has properly connected them to the example situations so as to further memorize and understand them for class discussion and tests or quizzes. After using the resource included about preparing for your reading, I was also able to understand how you can prime yourself to get the absolute most out of the assigned text before you even open the book or, in some cases, watch the video. By combining the two skills of active reading and proper reading preparation, I believe that any student can absorb all of the necessary information to have a complete understanding of any text going in to a class diascussion or test/quiz.

This particular subject definitely hit home for me. My biggest issue in studying and time-management is procrastinating. I have been a victim of procrastination for years and it has come to a point where I have convinced myself that it is actually the most efficient way to do things because ” I always know when to do today by looking at what’s due today”. In reality, I always somewhat knew that I was wrong to think this way, but it was always easier to. Easier, at least, until I found myself struggling and rushing to complete an assignment minutes before the deadline.

This is until I studied this week’s material and saw that my reasoning was simply just another rationalization that is common in procrastinators such as myself. While reading up on how dangerous rationalizing procrastination could be for one’s productivity, I came across the “3 Powerful Techniques to Beat Procrastination” video. Specifically, I liked the 3 magical questions. I tried this technique by taking a piece of paper and answering the 3 questions in regards to an assignment I was putting off until tomorrow. After using this technique it became much more obvious to me how much more efficient it would be to simply complete the assignment now, while I have the time.

One of the most important things that I took away from this module is the effectiveness of using the cloud in a collaborative setting. Not only is the cloud a great way to share your files with multiple devices, but it also serves as a great safety net in case one misplaces a device that has an important file for a project on it. This is something I do all the time, and the recovery process would be much easier if any file I created was on my phone or another device.

I’ve already put some of the advice on emailing professors into practice. I always make sure to read through their emails thoroughly before responding so that I do not ask any questions that were already answered. I also make sure to address them correctly based on the respective title. This has helped me maintain good communication with my professors and helped me clarify and answer any questions I may have that would help further me in the course.

An idea from the module that I can put in to practice is that you only get one first impression. Therefore, that first email could be the difference between a fruitful career with one company or a completely different path with another. I could put this in to practice by reading back my email as if I’m the one receiving it before I click send.

The advice I’d give to students is to always be cognizant of the choices you make when working in groups. This includes words you say or how you say them.

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