Not the sharpest knife in the drawer?

By Dani Brown

Public Relations / Psychology student at Lilydale.

Ask one of my high school teachers what I was like as a student and they would probably have described me as ‘not the sharpest knife in the draw’. So how, you may I ask, did I sharpen up to become a HD student at University? Well I’m going to tell you but you’re going to have to work for it!

This blog offers sharp steps to deal with your results and improve next semester. Drum roll please…….

The 4 Step Sharp Plan.

After a few setbacks academically or even personally it’s easy to start believing that you weren’t cut out for success. This is exactly what happened to me and so I stopped trying. The first step of the Sharp Plan…

Step One: Get Over It!

Okay, so your results weren’t quite what you were expecting. You might have even failed a unit or two. Maybe instead of studying you went on a massive bender, but you want to do better next semester. What do you do? Cry? Shrug? Religiously recite ‘I don’t care’? No, learn from it, get over it and move on. What’s done is done. Make peace with this idea and I will guide you to the next step.

Step Two: I know I can improve!

A major part of improving is overcoming habits and perceptions that you, yourself carry. You have control and can improve if you really want to. So I ask you, do you really want to do better next semester? I can’t hear you… say it louder!.. Seriously, I can’t hear you but if you said Yes that’s AWESOME!

I think we need some inspiration!

Step Three: “Fail to plan you plan to fail”.

It’s time to make a plan. Generate some ideas to help take you from where you are now to where you want to be. Write down all the things you could possibly do and start thinking about your goals. There are hundreds of free online resources such as Mind Tools to help you but sometimes you need to delve a little deeper. Therefore I can give you resource ideas and point you in the right direction but ultimately you are in control of shaping the path you take. Like Mr Miyagi, I will give you the Bonsai but you’re gonna have to do the work!

So how can you start using a goal setting strategy that actually works? Well, by transforming your ideas.

Step Four: Take Action!

‘An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied’ - Arnold Glasow

Taking action on your ideas might include:

Goal setting:

Use the free University workshops to discover how to make a plan that actually works. Without planned goals success is like trying to find a light switch in the dark.

Reassessment of student work:

Studies have shown that most lecturers (believe it or not) are human and can therefore make mistakes. Luckily there is a simple process to have your grades reassessed. SSAA can help you work out your options for reassessment or to have your marks reviewed if you think there could be a mistake. Contact an SSAA Academic Advisor and they’ll take it from there. As a separate entity to the Uni they are there to represent YOU!

There are time limits to have your work reassessed, usually 10 days after you have received your work back or for exams, 10 days after you have received your results. However, you can still discuss your results with your lecturer and find out how you can improve your marks.

Managing a failed unit(s):

Revert to step one then meet me back here . Get back on the horse and re-enrol in the unit. You may need to speak to an SSAA Academic Advisor*. Ask your lecturer/tutor about areas for improvement and add these adjustments to your goal and study plans.

Improve:

Load yourself with better studying skills and use them! The University offers heaps of useful student services. Many students (including myself) just don’t get sharp and use them. So why do we avoid them like they were the plague? Probably because we feel self-conscious, we like to believe we don’t need help and have the perception that they’re a waste of time (although we wouldn’t know because we’ve never actually been).

Perhaps English is not your first language, there is help for you too. Swinburne International run free language advice and teaching for international students.

‘A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing’ - George Bernard Shaw

With that in mind I pledge to attend at least one workshop or seminar this semester. Then, in my next blog, I will tell you my EXACT and HONEST opinion about the workshop so you can decide if you’d like to go. Look out Student Services were going on a test drive! Really Uni isn’t about being the sharpest knife in the draw. It’s about working towards getting as sharp as you can be and staying that way!

Tips and Bits

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Quick Goal Planning Tips: Use the SMART goals method available on the mindtools website. Start with large scale goals (i.e. in 5 years I want to be a Dr.), then break these large goals down into smaller milestones or targets (i.e. to pass all my units at Uni). Break your goals down until you have a direct path starting from the day to day picture and ending in your ultimate goal.

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Song of the blog: The Aston Shuffle - Start Again

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Motivational References:

BIG READ: Leary-Joyce, J 2009, The Psychology of Success – Secrets of serial Achievement, Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow.

Quick little story: Johnson, S 1988, Who Moved My Cheese? Vermillion, Reading, Berkshire.

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* if you’ve been sent a letter regarding progress review or a ‘show cause’ letter please contact an SSAA Academic Advisor