What’s the purpose to reflect on yourself, on your studies and on your professional practice?

I am a very visualized type of person. I can understand things easier if I create a vision about the ideas, projects, anything come to my mind, or even better if I draw or write it down. If I think about reflection I imagine it as a mirror… a mirror to look at and try to see the details, the meanings to get the real picture. It’s like you look at the mirror and you see a pretty face, but is it you? People will know who you are if they look at your face? The answer is very easy for it, of course NOT!!! Like we say, don’t judge a book by the cover! So you need to look at the details to find out who is behind that pretty face.

I’m a women (I know it is not a big news for you). Usually woman ask more questions and like to combine things in their heads, sometimes we like to do even movies in our heads, but that’s a different story. We like to analyse things around us even in private life, even in our professional life. We are always looking for every possibility may happen. Just think of an interview. I am sure all of you already been in these shoes… you imagine how it will be, what questions will be asked and what your answers would be…maybe there will be a question, which you didn’t think of and then you need to improvise but most of the time you already know what questions can come up…But when you are reflecting on yourself, or on anything the questions are not clear. There will always be a new question, which you didn’t think will come up! Maybe that’s why I find it quite exciting, because you don’t see the end even if analysing is in my blood as I am a women.:)

I think in reflection the most important is to see the whole picture…not only the surface, not only the deeper meaning, not only the details, but the way how you got your answers and the way how you were progressing in your journey.

Last weekend (6 days ago) we had our monthly scheduled skype conference talk with MAPP DTP. One of my question was how to imagine this reflective journal? I got my answer from the call, but I think before I started actually do it I have just imagined it…I didn’t understand how it actually happens and how will I see the improvement of mine or how my questions will change etc. etc….

Like I said in the conference talk I feel I need a little research… don’t misunderstand, I don’t need this research to please others, but to please myself. I didn’t feel myself ready to write about reflective journal before my own reflection… I didn’t research on the internet, but I made my research what’s happening inside me… I have put everything in the practice because I was curious what can I see after a week from my reflective journal. Is it really worth it? Can I really see something what I would not see if I was not writing a diary about my professional life and studies and their connections?

WOW! I was impressed…the results are even more surprising than what I have could ever imagine! Not only I realised that I am still learning every day from my professional practice without noticing it, but I realised how my questions are changing after finding a different opinion, or an article or experience something at my work or anything else… actually the questions inside me have more meaning than the answers because they show the way of my thoughts how they develop and how they improve in quality and also the goal where I am heading to…

I think now I am more excited than ever before about this course….. I think even after this course I wish to continue this reflective journal as it is an amazing way to learn from the way I am working, I am practising and I am studying…

What have you realised from your journal? Is it anything else? Or do you have similar experience with it?

Tricks of Study

It’s my second blog post…I am intensively reading and reflecting the read knowledge on my journey. I was struggling with the context of my next blog article as I wished it to be helpful for all of the students of MAPP DTP. So what shall I write about? Shall I write about what have I done this week? How was the books I was reading? Or shall I write about the surprising knowledge I gained from my CV? And after I realised the most helpful thing would be to write about learning…because it is helpful for all of us and maybe you can also share with me your opinion and some of your advices.

The very first thing as everyone said it already on the skype conference talks to find a calm relaxing place to study. It sounds very easy, but I don’t think it is easy for all of us. To be able to concentrate well enough for our studies, the environment should not take away any concentration because if it does the study time would take longer, frustration would develop and our creativity level would just drop and that’s why it will be maybe painful and that is the last thing we want. So let’s say bye for some of the things could take away our focus. What could take away our concentration…??? Housemates, Family, Friends, Phone, TV, Radio and everything else is not connecting to our studies.

The next big issue is the time…. If we don’t organise our timetable carefully. We could end up not finishing everything on time or if we would finish on time maybe it would not be as well written or thought through as we could have it happen. We are all professional people who have jobs to do already and of course we have our master degree program as well. Also do not forget about our private life. It also has some commitments and a “to do list”. So I think it is one of the biggest barrier we could have. I think the best way to organise it to make for ourselves deadlines. Maybe it will change, but at least we could work around it and it also helps to keep it under control and also see the end of our route.

When I started to study for the MA (few weeks ago only) I was in the excitement mode….don’t misunderstand, I am still in my excitement mode, but what I mean is in the beginning I tried more effectively find days off from my work and commitments to be able to read and start the journey towards the MA easier. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I think it helped a lot! Right now I realised if I think only about the studies than I won’t be able to deliver my works on time and actually my works are supposed to help my studies… they need to complete each other! So right now I am trying to combine these things in my diary to find the fine line and be successful in both of them.

I don’t know about you but when I am tired I can concentrate less effectively than usual…the thing is in the last week I had lots of commitments and I feel very tired. I realised when I study it is easier to understand the reading or even my thought if I say it loud out…like that I hear my voice and it sticks in my mind and it helps me to understand the logic as well.

Sometimes it is hard for me to stay in one position for all day long… and than I remembered how I was coping with it when I was in school years ago. I didn’t have much time than as well and I was stretching or practising while I was studying…you know? While Sitting in each splits, or walking up and down in point shoes, or stretching my point etc….. So I started to use this technique again and I feel my body is grateful for itJ even now when I’m typing my blog I’m sitting in my split. 🙂

…And lastly is to find time to rest! I know it is not a big news…everybody knows if you had a great rest, you will be better with the things you do…I think that is the biggest point to solve as I feel I do not have time to rest. I think I should also include it in my timetable. 🙂

Right now nothing else coming to my mind about the tricks of study…but I am sure you have your own technique as wellJ please share it with me and with the rest of the MAPP DTP community;)