Communication Strategies

Achieving success within the program requires not only proficiency and hard work, but also a dedicated approach to maximize personal and external resources. Given the importance of developing and implementing such a plan, the following items have been laid out for the purpose of guiding my study throughout the program. This course has provided me with a foundation from which I can grow and thrive in an educational environment. This will effectively be a survival guide, based on the principles and strategies learned in Gen 105. The following subjects will be addressed at length utilizing Axias resources, understanding and upholding the colleges policy on academic dishonesty, setting and reaching attainable goals, time management, reading comprehension, and applying appropriate learning styles.

Using Axias Educational Resources
One of the key offerings for Axia students is the broad and useful university resource system. I have come to find the universitys resource system to be valuable in a number of ways, one of which is the broad availability of information in multiple formats. Files can be downloaded from the university system both for use on my computer or my iPod. I have found that using different formats will enable me to get the most out of my experience and learn with the greatest amount of proficiency. For some things, I will use text documents, and for others, I will use the audio formats that can be downloaded to my iPod.

Additionally, the Universitys online library offers many valuable things, including search engines geared just for students. While traditional internet search engines might provide students with non useful or unverifiable information, Axias library is geared toward providing peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly offerings. This can help greatly in a number of subjects and will surely be a part of my essay writing and project design in the future. While the library itself has everything that one could want in a traditional library, it is capable of saving a student hours because of the streamlined nature of the online portal. With database options like Ebscohost, ProQuest, and Thomson Gale PowerSearch, I will be able to find articles targeted specifically for my subject in the future.

One of the highly useful things about the librarys system is the versatility available with the search options. Students are able to specifically target words or phrases within different texts, which will undoubtedly allow me to get the most out of my readings. Many books and articles are long, so it can be difficult to pull the main ideas that you would need out of those articles. By utilizing the resources already provided to me, I can do that and save time, as well.

Upholding Academic Honesty
Academic honest is one of the cornerstones of the educational system and it is actually a much broader topic than many realize. Though plagiarism in its purest form is easy to detect, many students are guilty of stealing ideas in a less obvious form. In order to understand the policy, a student must look beyond the basics. It is obvious that plagiarizing someones work is wrong, as is having someone else do your work for you. The last is to avoid taking anyone elses ideas without giving them proper credit. Cheating can be a tempting notion for busy people trying to complete a distance-learning program, but it can be avoided when you understand the point of the degree in the first place. The academic honest policy is in place to help students, as it is in our best interests to proactive complete the work. When you understand this fact, it makes understanding the policy much easier.

The consequences of academic dishonesty are severe and they can be crippling. In addition to sanctions from the school, which can include expulsion from the program, one will have to face the ridicule and chastisement that goes along with dishonesty. The implications can be far reaching, as some job and graduate school applications ask if a student has ever been subject to a disciplinary proceeding.

Avoiding plagiarism requires attention to detail, first and foremost. Many of the plagiarism cases are the result of inattentiveness. Learning how to properly cite materials makes it much easier to simply throw a reference in the paper. Additionally, a good approach going forward will be to cite too much, rather than citing too little. One of the keys of good educational writing is to lean on the evidence of other resources, and there is no shame in correctly citing something pulled from the universitys library. In fact, this may help to strengthen arguments being made. Aside from that, a common sense approach is necessary. Getting the work done on time will help remove any inkling of temptation that might exist.

Setting and Achieving Goals
One of the keys to being successful in this program will be having motivation and something to drive me forward. While it can sometimes be difficult to stay focused, this is much easier when short-term and long-term goals are in place. Long-term goals are easy to set, but they are hard to keep. In order to reach them, it is often necessary to have a listing of short-term goals that will make the long-term goal more attainable.

In the short term, the goal is to complete each assignment at least two days early, leaving room for some mishaps if necessary. This will lead to achievement of one more extended goal, which is performing at the top of my ability in my courses. Whether this means As or not remains to be seen, but my focus is on giving each piece of work my fullest attention. From there, I can be confident that the results will follow. In terms of long-range goals for my career, I intend to gain a clearer picture as I continue on through the program, though I do hold to the idea that my Axia degree will be highly useful for that.

Obstacles can sometimes stand in the way of goals, which is an unfortunate reality. Getting over those obstacles is easier when you break things down into more manageable chunks. Though keeping a long-range vision is important, I plan to beat obstacles by focusing intently on individual assignments, as this is the key to success in the courses. Gaining a full understanding of the readings and putting my best foot forward in assignments will allow for the best results. When things get difficult, either with work or my home life, I can get back to the basics and focus on the individual pieces that make up the program.

The Axia degree program will give me an opportunity to transition into another degree, move toward grad school, or even land a better job right away. This is a stepping stone that will open up the doors to more successes in the future, which is important to me.

Managing Time Wisely
Time management will play a pivotal role in whether or not I am able to achieve my stated goals. One challenge is to balance the time between my assigned courses at Axia. My plan is to allocate equal time to each class, making sure that I allow plenty of room for error in the future. Getting things done early is important, as procrastination is not a part of my weekly schedule.

I will have to align my priorities appropriately in order to be successful. Though there are some family and work responsibilities that cannot wait, I am prepared to put my course work at the top of the list over all else. The key will be to get the work done as early as possible, so that my schedule is freed up to do the things that I have to do.

This can be achieved by discarding time wasters. This can be tough when working over the internet, since so many things can occupy ones time. Doing away with chat options and social networking is one part of my plan, freeing up more time for important things.

Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention
Since almost all education revolves around reading, it will be very important to make sure that I work on my deep reading techniques. There are many ways to do this, including underlining, highlighting, and getting myself into a state of deep focus. The idea is to truly understand every paragraph that I read, rather than passing over a page or two without truly grasping the information.

The SQ3R method will be important as I move forward, since this will allow me to gain that deep understanding that I will need. Surveying the chapter first and asking those questions might take a little bit longer in the beginning, but it will help me develop the habit of reading beyond the surface. I will begin to truly absorb the material, rather than just reading it. At the end of every passage, I will immediately make sure that I not only understand the work in summary, but that I am able to effectively identify its themes and main points.

Additionally, I will utilize other study habits that foster more understanding of the material. Always asking why something is happening and seeking to dip deeper into whatever is being presented is an important part of this, and that is the type of skill that can be taken from one field to another.

Applying Personality and Learning Styles
Having a keen understanding of my own learning style will help me develop study plans going forward. I know that I am a logical learner, which means I will be well suited to use charts, graphs, and other visual resources to truly grasp information. If I am struggling to learn something in verbal form or in pure textual form, I should be able to apply visuals and master the material.

Additionally, I can use this information to understand where my weaknesses lie and what I need to work on the most. Though individuals are destined to generally stay within their learning style, weaknesses can be improved with hard work in other areas. Specifically, I will have to use this knowledge of my weaknesses to monitor how I work with other people of different learning styles.