Leah Allard BA1a: Fundamentals 52°39'N You are required to produce a piece of reflective writing (no less than 300 words), ‘Where I am’, this will identify your strengths and areas for development in the contexts of transferable skills and personal qualities/attributes. See some examples of skills and qualities on page 2~3. You are also asked to set up achievable and measurable targets for the first 8 weeks and propose how you critically review your progress.

What are your strengths?

▪ Identify at least 2 strengths.

▪ Use specific examples to discuss why you identify these to be your strengths.

My strengths:

(i) Teamwork and Collaboration. I would say that I am a confident and friendly person. If I am instructed to work in a team I will distribute and not be one to sit out on the edge. I’m good at conversing ideas as well as listening to others ideas, therefore I would identify teamwork and collaboration as one of my strengths.

(ii) Understanding how things work. I can be an eager learner when it comes to a subject that I am particularly interested in. From past experiences, such as learning how to play an instrument, I’ve been told and realised for myself that I am a quick learner; As long as I am particularly keen on the topic area then I tend to put my mind to it.

(iii) Willingness to take risks and experiment. Similar to what I answered above to (ii) Understanding how things work, I am always keen to try new things. I am always up for a challenge and believe that you can only learn by making mistakes.

What you think you need to improve?

▪ Identify at least 2 areas for development you will actively work on in the next 8 weeks.

▪ Discuss why you think these areas are your priorities for development.

Examples of Personal Qualities/Attributes and Transferable Skills

These are examples and they are not listed in any particular order. If you want to, you can choose other qualities and skills, which are not shown below, to respond to the task.

• Setting priorities • Managing time • Organising work to meet deadlines • Problem-solving • Quick thinking • Lateral thinking • Innovation and inventiveness

My improvements:

(i) Time Management/ Setting Priorities This is a major priority for my to consider within these next 8 weeks because I know myself that I am terrible with time management. I have a tendency to leave things till last minute and fail to show the best of my ability because I have rushed a task instead of planning and working in a reasonable pace.

(ii) Self-reliance I am never certain for myself and tend to ask others because I have not made notes or have failed to listen to instructions. I need to prioritise this because I will only get the help that I need, asking unnecessary questions will only waste my time.

(iii) Assertiveness As confident of a person I am, I do struggle when it comes to being forceful with my confidence. I dislike the idea that I may be wrong with my answer/ participation within a group and fear embarrassment. I need to be not afraid to ask questions and fear that it may be wrong and know that I will get help. I wish to become more assertive by the end of my first year.

How are you going to work on the above ‘areas for development’? You are asked to state what methods, ways or strategies you are going to use to critically review your progress over the next 8 weeks.

In order to work on my areas of improvement I plan to do the following… (i) Prepare and plan work to ensure that I meet the deadline with plenty of time. (ii) Provide myself with a diary so that I am aware of deadline dates and other

arrangements to fill around my study. (iii) Take notes during sessions and ask questions if unsure. Listen and concentrate on

instructions given (iv) Become more outspoken and contribute whether I get the answer right or wrong.

• Setting your own goals • Working independently • Maintaining a high level of motivation • Taking responsibility for your own actions • Learning from your mistakes • Willingness to take risks and experiment • Assertiveness • Understanding quickly how things work • Seeing practical applications • Ability to get on with people from different backgrounds • Understanding other people’s points of view • Sensitivity to cultural differences • Consideration of others’ feelings • Supporting and motivating others • Teamwork and collaboration • Writing reports • Reading complex texts • Enterprise and entrepreneurship • Managing difficult situations and crises • Staying calm in a crisis • Determination and perseverance • Self-reliance • Recognising your own needs • Taking care of your health and well-being • Managing stress • Networking • Negotiating and persuading • Coping with ‘difficult’ people • Speaking clearly and to the point • Giving constructive feedback • Attention to detail • Searching for relevant information • Synthesising information • Making decisions • Managing and adapting to changes and transitions • Leadership skills • Taking direction from others • Ability to see the ‘whole picture’ • Seeing patterns and connections • Working out agendas • Technological skills • Computer literacy • Working with numbers