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Anisa Zaman

January 19th, 2021

Getting Ready for Lent Term

0 comments | 3 shares

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Anisa Zaman

January 19th, 2021

Getting Ready for Lent Term

0 comments | 3 shares

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

My last post was all about what I learned during my first term as an LSE student and generally as someone who had just started their higher education journey. But what this post is all about, is how I will take those lessons into this new term and beyond, to make sure that I am doing what works best for me. It takes time to get used to such a new system, especially under the unprecedented situation we are in, and so now is the time to try new things to see if they work for you. If they don’t, you can use that as a lesson and see if you need something completely different or just need to tweak what you’re currently doing.

RAG rating

For my economics module last term, we were set weekly quizzes, which once I completed, I tended not to look at, unless we were discussing them in class or when it was time to revise for my exam. Maybe because this was the module I found the most difficult, and so I wanted to focus less on it, in comparison to the work I actually really enjoyed! But, going into Lent Term, I would like to go over the weekly quizzes once the answers are submitted and then RAG rate them.

RAG rating is essentially when you go through your syllabus or curriculum and rate the topics and concepts, depending on your level of understanding. If understood confidently – it’s green, if you don’t understand at all – it’s red and if something still needs more reviewing – it’s amber.  This will allow me to understand which topics I need to review and revise throughout term instead of at the end of it. It’s a system used at all stages in education but it’s one that’s quick and efficient, if utilised correctly.

Schedule in an extra day for the module you find the most difficult

Continuing on from the fact that I found my economics module the most difficult, something that I will carry on into Lent Term is scheduling in time on Sundays specifically for reviewing and finishing off any economics work for that week. This is also great for me as I have an economics class first thing Monday morning, so the week’s content will be fresh in my mind! I like operating on a specific day for a specific module schedule, but allowing myself to give what I find hardest an additional day, will help me in the long term to working towards giving all my papers equal attention. This could be something that can be used at any stage of education, and something I wish I had done when studying for my A-Levels.

Do further reading as you go along

I like to emphasis the importance of additional reading from the reading lists set at the start of term. They allow you to read around the subjects that most interest you, even if you do not particularly enjoy the set class reading. I found some of the further reading material incredibly interesting last term, but I ended up reading them after the end of term, when the course content was not fresh in my mind. Going into Lent Term, I would like to do this further reading during term time so I am able to link all my readings and notes together, to develop more of a balanced opinion on the topics.

Ask for help

Another thing that is important in order to ensure a successful time at university, is to ask for help if needed. Last year, I did do this but not enough. Sometimes I would find certain readings difficult to understand but would make notes just for the sake of completing the task. This is really not worth it and does not result in anything. When I would come back to these notes, I would not understand a thing, meaning that I did not have the revision resources I wanted and needed. This term, I will ask for help with the readings. I know that my class teachers will not hesitate to go through them with me and even discuss why I find certain readings difficult. Help is always there if you ask for it – just ask Dumbledore!

Enjoy what you are learning

The courses here at LSE really are world class. They are designed not only to challenge you but to give you the opportunity to learn what you are truly passionate about. This term my syllabus looks great! It will challenge me, I know, but what I’m learning about truly excites me and I look forward to the new term. Certain topics or modules may seem difficult, but accept the challenge and take pride in learning something new – you will really enjoy what you are learning then!

About the author

Anisa Zaman

A first year BA Geography student, interested in geopolitics and contemporary fiction.

Posted In: #stillPartofLSE | Student life | Study: Masters | Study: PhD | Study: Undergraduate

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