Academic Plan
ACADEMIC PLAN
A. The focus of my studies: To work towards a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Global Development studies. Due to extenuating circumstances related to my health, my exams for three courses are deferred until August 2023. I spoke with an academic advisor today to clarify my options for September. She is contacting a registration person who will let me know what I can register for in the fall and what my degree options are. I am also considering the option of working towards a 3 year generalist Bachelor of Arts.
B. My planned workload: full time study.
C. Strategies for success: I have four areas that I need to focus on.
1. Improving my written work
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content (lectures and readings)
3. Managing my mental health
4. Clarifying career goals and building confidence in myself
Resources, remedies and next steps for the above strategies for success
1. Improving my written work:
?? Writing a detailed outline of my paper and reviewing it with the TA before beginning to write. I did this a couple of times in first year and it helped a lot. For other papers, I didn??t leave enough time for this step and did not do as well.
?? Careful editing. Many of my peers edit each other??s papers as a way of fixing punctuation and improving sentences, etc. I can do this with my roommates and my sister who is in third year and a successful student.
?? Join or form study groups. I haven??t tried this yet but I notice that the good students do it. I think it can help me better understand course material and maybe help a little with stress.
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content:
?? In the fall I applied for and received accommodations from Student Accessibility Services that I need to make better use of this year, specifically Ventus and Glean. I thought I was doing fine without them but in retrospect, they might have really helped. I want to understand what I??m learning better and having better notes and information from lectures will be key.
?? I can also obtain slides and classroom handouts in advance of lectures to prepare. This will help me link some of the readings with what we will be talking about and hopefully improve my ability to learn it.
?? Go to workshops at Student Academic Success Services, especially the ones focused on study skills and time management.
3. Managing my mental health:
?? After the many ups and downs of the school year, with the help of my family doctor and a counselor, my mental health is much improved. I plan to continue my treatment and counseling so that they can continue to help me.
?? Scheduling exercise breaks in between study sessions. I like running and working out at the gym and I find that after exercise I feel refreshed and can focus better on my work. Working within my class schedule, I will study for 3-4 hours, have an exercise break, eat, and then study for another 3-4 hours. I think I will be more productive this way.
?? Get support from friends and family. Sometimes I forget to do this when I??m struggling and I always feel better when I do. I have a great support network
4. Career Counselling:
?? Make an appointment with career counselling services to make sure that DEVS is the right choice for me and learn more about possible careers.
A. The focus of my studies: To work towards a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Global Development studies. Due to extenuating circumstances related to my health, my exams for three courses are deferred until August 2023. I spoke with an academic advisor today to clarify my options for September. She is contacting a registration person who will let me know what I can register for in the fall and what my degree options are. I am also considering the option of working towards a 3 year generalist Bachelor of Arts.
B. My planned workload: full time study.
C. Strategies for success: I have four areas that I need to focus on.
1. Improving my written work
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content (lectures and readings)
3. Managing my mental health
4. Clarifying career goals and building confidence in myself
Resources, remedies and next steps for the above strategies for success
1. Improving my written work:
?? Writing a detailed outline of my paper and reviewing it with the TA before beginning to write. I did this a couple of times in first year and it helped a lot. For other papers, I didn??t leave enough time for this step and did not do as well.
?? Careful editing. Many of my peers edit each other??s papers as a way of fixing punctuation and improving sentences, etc. I can do this with my roommates and my sister who is in third year and a successful student.
?? Join or form study groups. I haven??t tried this yet but I notice that the good students do it. I think it can help me better understand course material and maybe help a little with stress.
2. Better absorbing and understanding course content:
?? In the fall I applied for and received accommodations from Student Accessibility Services that I need to make better use of this year, specifically Ventus and Glean. I thought I was doing fine without them but in retrospect, they might have really helped. I want to understand what I??m learning better and having better notes and information from lectures will be key.
?? I can also obtain slides and classroom handouts in advance of lectures to prepare. This will help me link some of the readings with what we will be talking about and hopefully improve my ability to learn it.
?? Go to workshops at Student Academic Success Services, especially the ones focused on study skills and time management.
3. Managing my mental health:
?? After the many ups and downs of the school year, with the help of my family doctor and a counselor, my mental health is much improved. I plan to continue my treatment and counseling so that they can continue to help me.
?? Scheduling exercise breaks in between study sessions. I like running and working out at the gym and I find that after exercise I feel refreshed and can focus better on my work. Working within my class schedule, I will study for 3-4 hours, have an exercise break, eat, and then study for another 3-4 hours. I think I will be more productive this way.
?? Get support from friends and family. Sometimes I forget to do this when I??m struggling and I always feel better when I do. I have a great support network
4. Career Counselling:
?? Make an appointment with career counselling services to make sure that DEVS is the right choice for me and learn more about possible careers.