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Academic Plan: Academic plan
In this study plan, I wrote down my thoughts on selecting courses for the next semester, a summary of the past semester, and my plans for the future.

Course selection plan
I will choose 3 courses next semester, which are COMM 432, COMM 339, and COMM 305

COMM 432 Brand Management
Course description: The brand management course mainly discusses what kind of brand management can make consumers feel happy, brands are loved, and competitors are afraid. This course helps us understand how to implement successful brand management within the enterprise through lectures, readings, cases, and projects. Brand management is a core element of competitive strategy in marketing. The course will explore brand equity from the perspective of consumers and managers, and understand how brand management decisions affect sales and customer loyalty.
Reasons for selecting the course: Based on my previous course selection and grades, I am good at marketing and other liberal arts courses. This brand management course requires students with a foundation in marketing. Combining my previous transcripts, I have good grades in several marketing courses, such as COMM132 Marketing 2, where I received a B+ grade. Therefore, I believe this course is suitable for me and also gives me confidence to achieve good grades in this course. I am also very interested in the content of this course. By studying this course, I will gain a deeper understanding of how to apply brand management strategies in real companies, so that consumers can resonate with the brand and increase brand loyalty and sales. I am also confident about the presentation assignments that may be included in the course, as this is what I am good at.
COMM 339 Channels and Internet Marketing
Course description: In this course, I can learn about Internet retail, search engine optimization (SEO), B2C and B2B marketing strategies, social media marketing, Internet consumer behavior, website design and management, integrating Internet channel strategies into overall marketing plans, international Internet marketing issues, and Internet promotion and advertising.
Reasons for choosing this course: This course also requires prerequisite courses in marketing, which I am good at. I previously received a B+ in COMM132 Marketing 2, which laid a solid foundation for this course.
During my internship, I personally participated in a project for a B2B travel planning company in Guangzhou. The real-life experience I have learned through my own personal experience will bring certain advantages to me in this class.
I am also very interested in the content of this course. I think I can learn a lot of real-life company cases in this course and learn how to apply the knowledge I have learned to solve practical organizational marketing problems. This course will help me master the latest strategies and techniques of Internet marketing, so that I can better adapt and respond to the constantly changing market environment in my future career. Through my reflection on previous learning, my plan for future learning, and the change in course selection direction, I believe that my GPA can be significantly improved.
COMM 305 Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Course description: This course introduces the meaning of small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as the concept of entrepreneurship. The main assignments in the course include simulation exercises, direct interaction with entrepreneurs, and opportunity assessment as a pre-step for business planning. This course will lay the foundation for future COMM 405 courses.


Reasons for selecting this course: My long-term plan is to start my own business, and this course will be of great help. By studying this course, I can gain a deeper understanding of the basic concepts and practical operations of entrepreneurship. Simulation exercises and direct interaction with entrepreneurs will provide me with valuable practical experience. The opportunity assessment will also help me learn how to identify and evaluate business opportunities, laying a solid foundation for future entrepreneurship. In addition, the content of this course is very practical and can be directly applied to my future entrepreneurial projects, so I am very interested in this course and have confidence in achieving good results.

GPA target
I believe my GPA will meet the requirements of the school. My sessional GPA goal is 2.5, which reflects my efforts and commitment to my studies. My CGPA is not very high now, but I promise to slowly improve my CGPA in the future. I will also meet with my advisor at an appropriate time to have a deeper conversation about my study plan, so that the advisor can give me more advice and understand my situation better.

Review & Improvement of Learning Methods
Summarize the reasons for the low scores in each previous course?
Comm122
In fact, 122 is a basic financial course, which was a challenge for me who was not good at it in the winter of 2022. At the same time, I took six courses in that semester, which was not easy for me to understand. I tried to grit my teeth and persevere, but due to the heavy academic burden, it was difficult for me to concentrate on preparing for the exam in a limited time. I fell into a dilemma of time management. At the same time, I performed too poorly in the mid-term exam, resulting in a score that was not enough to pass.
This has made me reflect deeply on my learning methods and time management strategies. I realized that I need to plan my study time more systematically. In the future, I will retake this course with my experience from 321 and 324 and achieve a good grade.
Comm 321
321 is a finance course that I took again after leaving school for a year. This course requires me to have strong self-learning ability and a strong understanding of financial derivatives. I put a lot of effort into this course and spent a lot of time studying. However, due to my initial poor performance, I received an unsatisfactory grade on assignment 1. However, through my unremitting efforts, consultation with the professor, and extensive homework, I achieved an ideal grade on assignment 2. However, due to special circumstances affecting my concentration during the final exam, I was unable to recall all the formula knowledge I had learned during the semester and therefore did not perform well.
Comm 324
324 is also a very difficult finance course, different from 321, 324 is about portfolio calculation. I also spent a lot of time on this course. Before the mid-term exam, I used two weeks to review and brush up on the questions. The final mid-term grade was just above the average. But fortunately, I persevered through this course.

How to avoid the reasons for low scores in the future?
(1) Optimize the combination of course selection, for example, I can choose a difficult course and combine it with an elective course
(2) Improve learning methods and actively ask teachers about problems that I don't understand in class. Adopt active learning methods, including asking questions, explaining to others, summarizing notes, etc. I can try to explain what I have learned to friends or classmates to ensure that I truly understand it.
(3) Preview the course in advance
First check the course syllabus. It usually provides an overview of the topics that will be covered in each class. This will provide me with an expected roadmap.
Read the assigned reading materials or materials before class. This includes textbook chapters, articles, or any other resources provided by the teacher. Take notes while reading to capture key points and concepts.
If the professor provides lecture notes or slides in advance, these can provide me with a deeper understanding of the upcoming course's structure and key points to focus on.
Find online resources related to the topic. There are usually videos, articles, or tutorials online that can provide different perspectives and enhance my understanding.
When reviewing the material, note down any questions or areas that require clarification. Raise them during the next class discussion or raise them with the teacher or TA later.
(4) Establish the habit of reviewing regularly. For example, review the previously learned content once a week to consolidate memory. Use learning tools such as flashcards, summaries, and mind maps to help me organize and review information.
Develop effective time management and study skills to balance academic demands with other life demands.
Create daily, weekly, and monthly study plans and ensure that these plans are aligned with academic goals. For example, develop a weekly study plan that includes allocating time to different courses or projects.
Use the importance and urgency matrix to determine the priority of tasks. Divide tasks into urgent and important, not urgent but important, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. This helps to focus on the most important tasks.
Divide my schedule into time blocks, with each block dedicated to a specific task or lesson. For example, I can focus on studying in the morning and use the afternoon time block for other life needs.
Set clear deadlines for each task or project and record them in a calendar or reminder app. This helps avoid procrastination and complete tasks on time.
Use time management apps and tools, such as the weekly planner and Gantt chart that I like to use, to better organize tasks and schedules.
Work closely with your mentor or academic advisor to ensure that your course selection meets the requirements of your target major and receive advice on how to successfully apply and prepare for entering the major. Learn about the office hours of your mentor and advisor: Before the start of the semester or at the beginning of the course, find out the office hours schedule of your mentor and academic advisor.


Future planning
What is the future direction of the major? Why did I choose this major for further study?
However, through my current university studies, I have seriously reflected on the fact that finance and related industries may not be suitable for me. My future direction is more towards entrepreneurship or market research and analysis. My father has a private equity company in China, so he asked me to go to business school during my high school years and work in finance in the future. However, based on my learning situation, this is not suitable for me. Financial courses require me to have a strong foundation in financial calculations and a clearer understanding of financial derivatives. If I look back at my high school grades, it is not difficult to find that mathematics has never been my strongest subject. So at this stage, I choose a lot of financial courses which are really difficult for me. Therefore, I plan to study in another area that I am good at. I am full of confidence in this and also because my future plan is to start my own company, I need to learn a lot of entrepreneurial knowledge. I am looking forward to learning more relevant knowledge in my next studies and improving my career planning.