Originally published here.
When I was approached with the idea of this course, it first took me a while to fully grasp what it was that I would be doing and why it would be effective. However, once I had looked into it - things became clear to me.I am in my first year of A Level, and from the day I started I noticed the difference in the learning compared to GCSE. The learning style was much more varied - teachers would not necessarily tell you exactly what you needed to do (they would tell you just enough to be able to get by) This was a huge jump from GCSE learning. I think that I have coped rather well with the change, but I know that I could be using my time to research much more effectively. This leads me on to why I wanted to take this course. I feel that by learning new individual research skills it will not only enhance the quality of the work that I am able to produce, but I am hoping it will be able to speed up the time it takes for me to conduct research - time is something I seem to be running low on lately!
If I were to define independent learning, I would say that it is the ability to be able to successfully teach yourself a new skill using the current resources available and by finding new ones. To be a successful independent learner, it does not necessarily mean you have got to work on your own. I think that if you are able to constructively use your peers and teachers to help you learn then you yourself are a much better independent learner.
I think that I do have the potential to become a much better independent learner. I think that once I am able to gain the skills I need, I will be able to put them to good use, not only in University but also in the A-Level subjects that I am currently taking.