My Learning Experience - Northern College

Before starting at northern college, I had been volunteering as a volunteer coordinator for a disabled people’s charity in Doncaster. I had undertaken a number of short courses at northern college and had been preparing myself for the diploma programme. 4 weeks ago (28th September 2008), I started the diploma programme with little expectation of what I wanted to achieve at the end of it, except that I am interested in working in a supportive environment. I was nervous but had spent so much time in building myself up for this; I was not going to let it hinder my chances of something better.

The first 4 weeks of the programme provided us with an opportunity to academically prepare for the course. We learnt how to take notes effectively, how to prepare an essay plan and how to write the essay. We also learnt how to reference properly and create a bibliography. We were also given the opportunity to develop, or gain, some IT skills and skills on how to effectively make use of the library and learning resource centre. All these skills play a vital part in the diploma programme and, although difficult to grasp, I am grateful that I have been taught them.

The first semester has now started and I already feel nervous. I had social policy on Monday morning and it has just blown me away. I had academic skills in the afternoon, which came like a breath of fresh air. In academic skills, we have to undertake some research around a specific project title, chose an appropriate topic to base it on and then present the findings and conclusion in a 5-8 minute long oral presentation. I have chosen the project of ‘The influences of popular culture of:’ and have chosen the topic ‘Runrig’s influence on either Gaelic or Scottish culture’.

I hope, as the course content broadens, that I am able to keep on top of the work and that I discover some kind of organisational system that suits me. I feel that I am at the stage where I can tackle the course content with some kind of academic approach, but I know that the support is there should I need to use it. As time goes on, it is hoped that I become more fluent in the academic style or writing, reading and note taking and can use these skills to produce quality work.

I would like to develop on all my skills, especially referencing and bibliography. My memory is atrocious and I need to be able to do something a few times before it begins to set in. I would also like to develop my skills on reading. Being visually impaired, I find it difficult to read at the best of times but am conscious of the fact that reading for essay content may also take a vast amount of time.

I would like to develop a method of reading using the equipment I have and advance on the knowledge I have picked up around note taking and essay skills. I am hoping that the additional workshops will allow me to pick up skills that I may have missed in the lectures and identify new methods of learning. Peer support is also vital to learning, and I hope that I can offer as much to fellow students as I can gain from them.