Studying
| Type | Team Size | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Tools | Software | Personal Skills | Productivity Tools | 1 | 2-10 | 11-30 | 30+ |
In short: This entry is a rather personal account on how it is to study at academia, provided by the Wiki team. It shall help interested students sort their own experiences being a new student.
Prof. Henrik von Wehrden
What to expect when you study at Leuphana, or basically any given University Studying is about learning. Learning will be the main focus of your whole day, and sometimes even beyond the day. Learning to learn is a key goal that schools still miss out on big time, even if the situation has already greatly improved. I only learned to learn properly at university in a structured and self-motivated way. Balancing your learning efforts against your motivational levels is something that you develop and learn, and different people learn differently, which is a trivial detail but important to consider given the pressure that many people perceive. Being in academia means tinkering with the skills you need as an academic, often your whole life.
About reading
Academia is first and foremost about reading. Reading a lot is inevitable, and in addition you need to learn to cross-read large chunks of text and fast. Quite often it is not about getting every bit of the text, but instead the bigger picture. This is not some ability that you are being born with, but it will take years to evolve. Still, reading you must, and a lot, and all the time. The reading assignments of an average study program should amount to several ten thousands of pages, and since you have other interests that are also transported in written texts, it is important to develop strategies how to read. Find a spot that is comfortable, but not too comfortable. Also, work on your posture. Some people benefit from alternating locations. A location change for a power session can be a beneficial strategy. Also, try to find audiobooks, which may be available for some of the more mainstream stuff you have or want to read. My audiobook account is an important staple in my life, and contains hundreds of books. I also love books, but there is only so much I can read on an average day, and audiobooks are great during transit, gardening and sports. I also get a lot of inspiration from podcasts. Still, the staple in my branch of science are scientific articles and books.
- Doing Group wor**k
Science is about collaboration. Many people have a misconception about this. Collaboration does not mean that you work together non-stop, are all exited standing in front of whiteboards and sitting at round tables, cheering each other on. Instead much of the time spent in group work is about planning together, working solitarily, and then bringing the different bits and pieces together. You still will have to do most of the work alone, otherwise it is going to be a huge time drag. It is an important skill to do brainstorming in a group, and a whiteboard can indeed go a long way. Group work is however often about dragging people along, and can be even about working against people. Compromising is a great skill, but how do you deal with unequal knowledge and experience in a group is often altogether different; an unbalanced work load can be the most destructive force in any group work. Therefore, it is important to find strategies how to cope with all of these challenges, which again takes practice. To be able to foster more effective groupwork in which you feel comfortable and you know how to deal with your different group members try out the Belbin test for group roles. Looking back at my own experience, I think it was important to learn how to adapt myself to diverse settings. Many problems we face in groups are because the group is a reflection of our own flaws, so that we can overcome them. This is why I like working in groups.
- Writing daily**
Integrating your thoughts quickly into a written text is at the heart of academia. If we want to learn to communicate our thoughts to others, we need to learn to write. Many people claim they are not good writers, yet I would counter argue that they are not good at developing their writing skills. The first way to become a good writer is to become a good reader. Being inspired by others can help you to consciously grasp why some sentences are better than others, and how you may borrow from the writers able to produce better sentences. It is surprising how well a professional educator on writing can empower you to this end, and at Leuphana we are fortunate enough to have the writing center that is excellent in teaching these insights. There are also some really good books on learning to write, and I would argue that among the more known books on writing, it is almost impossible to make any mistakes. Just get one that speaks to you or was recommended by somebody, and put time into it. Another approach that was beneficial to me is to write about things that keep preoccupying your mind. If you keep coming back to a certain thought, yet cannot really verbalise why you cannot let it be, why not write about it? Writing can be a surprisingly catalytic and clarifying approach to structure and analyse your thoughts. Writing 500-1000 words per day should be a no-brainer for any aspiring academic. Start with a research diary, reflecting and verbalising what you learned on this specific day. This only works if you make it a habit. New years resolutions are worthless to this end. You need to minimise the friction instead, finding the right time, place and mood that makes you automatically start writing no matter what. Me, I sit in the chair where I write most texts, listening to the "Tales from the Loop"-soundtrack that propelled about 90% of all texts I wrote in the last year. If I put on this soundtrack, my fingers start twitching almost by instinct. Writing should be a reward, as I think it is a privilege. Writing cannot be pressed between two other time slots, it needs to be free and unbound, allowing your mind to do nothing else. From then on it is to me how Jazz is in music. Much of Jazz music is hard work and practice, almost to the point where your subconscious takes over and you are in autopilot mode. You need to practice enough so that your lack of skill does not stop you from writing. To me, this learning curve is surprisingly rewarding, it is almost like learning to be a rock climber. The first day is the horror. All muscles ache, you are basically destroyed. This will get worse for a few days. Suddenly, after two weeks of daily practice you will surprise yourself. After three months of daily practice you will lift yourself easily up the wall on previously impossible routes, and to others your path looks smooth and easy going. Writing is just like this.
- Studying teaches you to try things out**
Beside the three staples of academics -reading, group work and writing- learning at a University is also about many other opportunities to learn and grow. This list is very specific and context depended for each and every single person. Still, the general consensus is that studying is about trying things out, how you can learn best, and find out what you are good at, and how you can contribute best. Here are some points that I consider to be relevant.
- Soft skills**
Among the diverse term of soft skills are personal traits and approaches that basically help us to interact. While this could be associated to group work (see above), I think it is good to make a mind map that you keep updating and exchange about with others. This is nothing that you need to obsess about, but more like a conscious and reflexive diary of your own personal development. Actually, a research diary can be a good first step. Also, if you witness others that excel at a certain soft skill, approach them and ask them how they learned their respective skills. It is also quite helpful -surprise- to practice. Presentations are something that are often not right the first time, and constructive feedback from critical people that you trust goes a long way. Much of the literature and other resources on soft skills are often over-enthusiastic, and promise the one and only best approach. Do not let yourself be fooled by such simple fixes, some of the soft skill literature is rather fringe. Still, new approaches to knowledge and interaction await, much can be gained, and only a bit of time may be lost. Why not giving another soft skill a go? The most important step is then to try it really out. Doing meditation once will tell you nothing about it, yet after some weeks you may perceive some changes. Your first World Café was a failure? Well, try it again, several times, in different settings. For soft skills you need to stay open minded.
- Digital natives?**
We are awash with information to the brim, and continuously on the edge of drowning in it. Mastering all things digital may be one of the most important skills in this age and place. I think the most important rule to this end is: Less is more. Evidence how bad too much exposure to the digital world seems to be is mounting. Social media made many promises, yet I am not sure how many were kept. I can acknowledge that it can create meaningful linkages, build capacity, and even be a lifeline to your distant friend. Nevertheless, I would propose to be very reflexive which emotions are triggered by social media within you. This may lead to the conclusion to detox. The same holds true for all things extreme, namely binge watching, youtube or Spiegel Online. Instead you need to become versatile in a word processor, Powerpoint, maybe a graphical software, and get a hold of your direct digital communication. E-mail is still a thing, and writing a good e-mail is a skill that is equally admirable and often missed out on by students. I have been there. Again, practice goes a long way. Also, be conscious about data structure, backups, and online plans. You should be able to impress others with you digital skills. This will open many doors, and tilt many opinions towards your direction. Get at it!
- Work-life-balance and motivation**
Curb your enthusiasm. There are no simple answers here. Work-life-balance became a pretty big thing lately, and we all hope that the prices we paid as long as it was ignored will now not become the flip-side of the coin, since we basically talk non-stop about work-life-balance these days. Personally, I never really quite understood this hype. It is undeniable that having a balanced work-life dynamic is central and often overseen. However, having a filled curriculum after hours that is supposed to relax you by adding to your already busy schedule further to the brink may not be doing the trick. Having a nine to five schedule is no guarantee for a happy life, just like long working hours can be ok if you are ok with this. It is currently 21:36 when I write this text, and I do that because I want to do this. The danger is -I believe- if we let the system dictate us what we should do, and when. It does not matter wether it is about work or about relaxation. After all, it is really hard to relax on command, especially when you are hyped, and have still energy. All in all, I still give a note of caution. I overworked myself in the past, not only because of societal expectations, but also because I basically had no radar about my own balance, and how easy it can be thrown off. It took me a long time to figure this one out for myself, and I think in the spirit of being better safe than sorry, go easy on yourself. We are currently in an epidemic of psychological challenges, especially among the younger generation. We cannot go on like this. Being motivated is like the worst pressure point we ever discovered. If I can only put one piece of advise here, then I would suggest that you should always try to establish a path, and not goals. Being on a way and establishing the associated mindset is the most fundamental change we need. If we keep rushing towards goals, and keep changing these goals like all the time, and never acknowledge when we reach these goals, then all is lost. I much prefer to just be on a path, even if I am not clear in all points where it will lead me. You may write this one down on a teabag.
Studying is a privilege, and a challenge. Practice reading, talk to other students, and start writing a learning diary. Being an academic to me means committing to lifelong learning, because neither the world nor knowledge stands still. It took me a while to figure learning against my other commitments in life, and I am still learning to this end as well. I am very glad for this.
The authors of this entry are Henrik von Wehrden, Christopher Franz, Olga Kuznetsova, Elisabeth Franke, Linda von Heydebreck.
