Academic Development across the year (Essay Sample)

REFLECTION ON PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT By (Name) The Name of the Class (Course) Professor (Tutor) The Name of the School (University) The City and State where it is located The Date Reflection on Personal and Academic Development For there to be progress, then human beings need to identify the things they have been able to achieve, and what they aspire to achieve in a specified period. Without doing this, then one would not know if they are moving forward or stagnating. Moreover, they cannot evaluate themselves. The sure way of checking progress is through evaluation that sparks reflection. I have been learning and it is expected of me to reflect on what I have learnt. This paper intends to analyse how I have managed to develop academically through my studies, and my plans to further it. Learning theory and reflective practice play an integral role in our lives especially when entering into the professional field. It promotes critical reflection as the core element of personal development. As well as encouraging social interaction which means sharing experience and developing renewed understanding. This module expected of me to adopt an active approach that contributed to individual and academic community development. In order to achieve a set of goals then one needs to plan well (Stratton, 2005, pp.32). The aspect of personal and professional development helps one in identifying and learning how to do this. Many times, graduates fresh from college find it hard to be absorbed into the industry. However, with the introduction of personal and professional development then as a student I’m equipped with required skills for my profession. Goal setting and motivation go hand in hand, one without the other means poor performance. Goals can be highly motivating if they are properly set and well managed (Schermerhorn, 2004, p.86). For this reason, I found it imperative to not only be rushing in setting goals but in finding what drives me in setting that goal. Moreover, it is argued that the reason for our motivation determines the outcome of our actions (Stratton, 2005, p.31). In this course another thing that emerged was that academic style and the academic argument is taken for granted. Not many are familiar with what makes the two and end up being lost in their definition. However, while on it, it became clear that one should be aware of the different elements that make up the two. Another thing was the recursive writing and editorial process. Recursive writing was characterised by an integrated approach to the stages involved in writing. I also learnt that for academic excellence then there was a need for academic honesty and this brought forth the role of citation. It is imperative that I use other people’s sources well through citing them when used in my writing. It also brought out the element of plagiarism which isn’t taken lightly not only in this institution but also in other academic institutions. Moreover, it is discouraged in other professions as it discourages creativity. It was also important to learn how to communicate effectively and also present oneself. It might be taken as a minor thing. However, it plays an integral role when one is presenting themselves for a job interview and also meeting clients. One thing that came out clear is that communication is the backbone of any activity. Therefore, one needs to learn the different components found in it. Group theory presented the idea of working in groups and brought out the aspect of teamwork. In the professional world, teamwork plays a vital role in terms of performance. Therefore, it was important to learn how to work with others without being selfish or egocentric. Working in groups also brought out the aspect of being able to integrate with others regardless of their race, culture and religion (Eklund & Waluszewski, 2015, p.27). The importance of learning the different processes used in the world of production also set in. The result shed light on what organizations expect of the employees and what trends are currently taking place in the work set up. This was to aid in the identification of the factors that are changing and help in being up to date with them in order to remain relevant. Networking is a phenomenon that has been there for centuries. It is central to any busin...