Being reflective

Like many other aspects of studying, reflective learning is highly individual. There’s no guidebook on how or when to do it. Rather than thinking of reflection as yet another task to be added to the ‘to do’ list or squeezed into a busy study schedule, it could be viewed as a process that can be practised at any stage. Think about what it means to you to be a student rather than what you actually do as a student. The emphasis is on being a reflective learner rather than doing reflective learning.

Reflecting on what works well in your studies helps you to develop your skills, as you try out different approaches and review their effectiveness. It is easy to become stuck in a study routine that is not effective for the task in hand. Thinking about your own skills and being aware of those you tend to use may help you to

• see how you might make changes
• develop new ways of working
• become more aware of the different techniques you could devise.

Reflection has an important role to play in learning and self-development. There are some key elements of reflection, and you'll need decide on your preferred ways. Reflection could be described as

• thinking with a purpose
• being critical, but not negative
• analysing how effective your learning is
• questioning and probing
• making judgements and drawing conclusions.

Get used to reflecting on your experiences as part of your everyday learning. In this way, each experience - whether positive or negative - will contribute to your development and personal growth. An experience that is repeated without reflection is just a repetition, which does not help you to learn. Record your reflections in a learning journal or on audio.

• See reflection as complementary to your study
• Use it to clarify your thoughts and focus on your development
• Record your thoughts on any difficulties or challenges you are facing
• Think about any strategies that might help you deal with difficult tasks or assignments
• Use it to help you think about how the course topics relate to other areas of your experience

I’ve come a long way since doing my first TMA – I suppose I’m starting to develop some reflective skills in that I’m looking back at how my study sessions have gone and having a go at identifying the strategies that work well for me. This has helped me to plan my approach to study.