Assalamualaikum and welcome to my blog. 😁

My name is Muhammad Afiq Zafri bin Mohd Zaki. I am a student who currently pursuing diploma in Business Studies at Kolej Profesional Baitulmal, Kuala Lumpur. I am the second born son of 5 which consists my sister and my younger sister and brothers. I live in Ampang, Selangor. I was born on 13th November 2000 and attended secondary school at SMK Taman Melawati.

The main purpose of this portfolio is to introduce UED 102. It provides students with learning skills essential for varsity life, which should be within each student to ease and organize their university life.

Here is my portfolio’s content on UED 102:

📍 LEARNING STYLE INVENTORY

📍 GOALS SETTING

📍 LIBRARY & CAMPUS RESOURCES

📍 TIME MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS

📍 MEMORY, LEARNING & IMPROVING CONCENTRATION

📍 TAKING LECTURERS NOTES

📍 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY & PERFORMANCE

As we stepped into university life, we also stepped into the new world. The world that changes us to become more independent and matured. The world that forces us to learn and face difficulties as well as how to overcome them. This will shape us to a better person and prepare us to live our life in the future.

Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.

Malcolm X

1- Lecturers won’t spoon-feed you.

They won’t treat us like how our teachers did. Some lecturers won’t care if you don’t attend class or if you attend class late. However, if you missed 3 classes, then there’s a chance that you’ll be barred from sitting for the exams. They also won’t care if you understand the class or not. It’s up to you to go up to them and bombard them with questions. Some lecturers are happy when students ask questions.

2- The time is yours.

In high school, the schedule is strictly organised and neatly arranged. It is also changed every month or will not change at all for the year. You also spent 35 hours per week in class. There was a lot of hand-holding and limited time to do something else.

Meanwhile, in university, you will spend approximately much less time than high school. You can also choose to attend or not to classes as the attendance is not as strict as the one in high school. Your schedule will also be more flexible that allows you to manage your time more easier.

3- You’ll force yourself to seek independence.

If you’re lazy person, this may be challenging. There’s no more mummy cooked breakfast everyday. No more of your father or family members to wake you up for Fajr’ prayer.

Here, you will learn to do things by yourself. Everyday is challenging but it is always worth it in the end. You’ll be proud to survive the university life and graduate with the ability to stand on your own two feet.

4- A compass on your first day.

In each of your classes, your lecturers will hand you a syllabus on the first day. This is your guide for the semester because it includes contact information, assigned readings, assignment outlines, and midterm dates. It helps you plan ahead because you’ll know your busiest weeks from the start which is a big advantage to you.

5- Surround yourself with determined people.

At school, there’s always a group of people with different personalities and traits. Such as the nerds, the bullies and many more. But in university, there is a high chance for you to find new friends that have high capabilities and only determined to reach one and only goal. Success.

Finding people to study with can help you grasp class material more deeply and more quickly – a huge win.

8 STEPS TO COLLEGE SUCCESS

1- Be in class

Being on time and maintaining good attendance are important. If you are not in class then you are not learning what is being taught, will not be able to take notes and will not see what subject matter your lecturer thinks is important. Obviously it is also important to pay attention when you are in class.

2- Set educational and other goals.

This will give you a purpose for going to classes and this provides self-motivation. Remind yourself why you want a good education and what you want to achieve in university.

3- Your Brain, Your Rules.

Getting enough sleep, exercise, water and good nutrition are important for optimum brain functioning. Avoid junk foods and sugary drinks as it will deteriorate your health, a big NO.

4- Make friends with your lecturers

They are often more accessible and approachable than your professors and can answer almost all of your questions about the material, the class , and the professor. Since they are probably the ones grading your work, they are also your best resource for advice on improving your grades.

5- Organize and plan your times

Neatly planned time can reduce student’s stress and make everything in their daily lives more easier. A good management of time will make a big contribution towards a student’s success.

6- Partake in a wide variety of extracurricular activities .

It can enhance student’s talents and abilities by being involved in clubs that unleash one’s true potential that can bring many benefits in the future.

7- Get to know one faculty member reasonably well each semester

Research shows this is the single best way to engage fully in the life of the campus.

8- Be Proud.

Take pride in yourself and your work. Do quality work. If something is worth doing it is worth doing well.

LEARNING STYLES

People learn and memorize information using a variety of learning styles. Learning styles are how you concentrate, process and remember new and difficult information.

SUMMARY:

I am an visual learner. This means i have a strong visualization skills and can remember objects, shapes and pictures. I also learn by reading and write it all down repetitively. Watching films, videos and demonstrations can also increase my overall knowledge as i can see pictures in my mind.

This topic will entirely cover 3 main points on :

📌 Definition of goals and its characteristics.

📌 Academic and Personal Goals

📌 Writing effective goal statement

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE GOAL SETTING

Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T 🙌

S.M.A.R.T actually are the acronym for :

1) S – Specific

Your goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won’t be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it.

2)M – Measurable

So that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal.

3)A – Achievable

Your goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible. 

4)R- Relevant

This step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it’s important to retain control over them. So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you’re still responsible for achieving your own goal.

5)T- Time Bound

Every goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals.

BENEFITS OF GOAL SETTINGS TO STUDENTS

1- Provides Direction

Goals give you direction and a destination, they something to aim for and direct your efforts

2- Clearer focus on what is happening

If you take the time to truly reflect on your hopes and dreams, your goals will center on what is important to you.

3- Gives you control of your future

You will be able to determine where you want to go and what you want accomplish along the way. You are able to get a perspective and prioritize what you want to accomplish over the next few months or years.

4- Provides motivation

Goals give you hope and something to aspire to. That feeling of accomplishment fuels your desire and continues to motivate you to achieve even more. Additionally, that motivation and and positive feelings will help you to get over many obstacles you may encounter along the way.

5- Gives you a sense of purpose in life

The goal setting helps you identify your purpose in life. By taking the time to reflect on who you are and what you want to be accomplish throughout your life, you discover purpose. If you center your goals on that purpose , your life becomes more meaningful.

THE FIVE STEPS OF APPROACH

3 TYPES OF RESOURCES AT KPBKL

1 ) Academic resources

Academic resources is where students use and come for their academic purposes also to help students with their any business regarding their studies such as the library, lecture halls, classroom and HEP office.

2 ) Housing, dining, and transportation resources

Housing, dining and transportation is created with a purpose and that is to give students the best accommodation, services and facilities such as dormitories, cafe’, laundry machines, ATM, printing services, and ‘KPBKL Mart’.

3 ) Students organization resources

The existence of the students organization resources  such as students association and students representation is a very important thing in a university. Students organization serves as a medium for students to express their opinions in a correct way without having an arguments or disagree with thing that happens in university.

NATIONAL LIBRARY TOUR

On 17th April 2019, I went to the National Library of Malaysia located at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur with my group and friends. The reason we came here is to see interesting resources that we don’t have at our college and to gain new knowledge about the library.

As we enter the building also know as Anjung Bestari, we were fascinated by the library’s facilities. The ground floor has a reception desk, information counters and also a security guard at library’s main entrance.

The ground floor consists of the following facilities;

Samsung Smart Library

Mini Exhibition Centre

Also nearby the auditorium, Media Room and Convenience Room that is not open to public.

Moving on to the first floor, is the cyber zone. Many computers and a few tablets are there for public use. Every computer has their own comfortable zone, allowing users to concentrate on their jobs.

After that, we moved up to the second floor. This is where international books were kept for collection and for visitors to read. There are so many books divided into sections and also can be used as reference.

There is also carrel rooms that is available to rent for a period of time for people who wants total privacy.

As we venture inside the library, we finally end up to the 3rd floor. It has a vast reading and studying place. There is also a room named ‘ An ASEAN Corner’ where the history books and references of the ASEAN countries are kept.

There is also another building that is known as ‘Menara PNM’ where all the collections of various history and references are kept. There is also an ample parking lot under the building with a cafeteria that serves good and affordable food and Surau.

Sadly, we did not have enough time to explore that part of the National Library due to schedule problems but we will be back and explore the library again.

To conclude, it was a great experience to learn about the library more deeper. We also had a good time exchanging ideas and discussing what to implement to KPBKL’s library based on our research.

WHAT IS TIME

Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.

DEFINITION OF TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.

TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS

1) Eliminate distractions

2) Be focused at the task at hand

3) Use a calendar

4) Use a checklist

5) Get organised

6) Schedule rewards

7) Get a good night’s sleep

FIVE STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP A SUCCESSFUL SYSTEM & STUDY

1 ) Use a weekly schedule

2 ) Use a daily planner

3 ) Use a semester calendar

4 ) Avoid procrastination.

DEFINITION OF PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished by a certain deadline. It could be further stated as a habitual or intentional delay of starting or finishing a task.

REASONS WHY PEOPLE PROCRASTINATE

1) They give lousy excuses

2) They always think short-term

3) They focus on the fear or pain

4) They don’t feel pleasure doing it

5) They feel overwhelming

6) They have no strong reasons to take action

7) They get distracted

8) They do not have the energy

9) They experience a lack of motivation

10) They are unclear about how to get started

HOW TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION?

I ) Do the task for just a few minutes

Starting a task is often the hardest part. If you can persuade someone just to start it for a few minutes, the brain’s desire to see it through to completion should then take over.

II ) Do the hard and important tasks first

The harder the tasks are, the more energy and concentration we need to complete them. It therefore makes sense to do the hardest and most important tasks first because trying to start them when you are tired is difficult, often resulting in people putting them off for another day.

III ) Improve self-regulation ability and beliefs

Self regulation is the ability to select appropriate strategies and self-correct them during a task. To be effective, students need to have the confidence to implement these strategies and skills.

IV ) Establish rewards

It can be motivating to have something to look forward to. Consider small ways you can reward yourself for staying on task for a period of time (this could be allowing yourself to participate in something that you previously used as an avoidance task and identify a bigger way to reward yourself for accomplishing the end result in a timely manner for larger projects).

V ) Go for it

Face the fear of failure and do it anyway. Take a risk, ask for help if you need it, but make progress, move forward and decide that today is the day.

ADVANTAGES OF BEING ORGANIZED

I ) Focus

Being organized will enable you to focus more on what you want to achieve, both at work and in your home life. This will allow you to make better decisions as you visualize where you are and want to go.

II ) Increased productivity

You will be able to be more productive in your study. By reducing the time and mental resources you expend/waste, you will have exponentially more time for the important stuff. Organized people are often twice as productive as unorganized people.

III ) Better time management

By organizing or prioritizing what you do you can better ensure that the tasks that are crucial get more priority. It’s really simple; if you are more productive you get more done and therefore have more time.

IV ) You feel less stressed

Generally, when your assignments and key dates are outlined for each class, you’re better able to prepare and allocate your time accordingly, leaving you less stressed. When you’re less stressed, you are able to focus your energy and attention on more important things…like studying!

V ) Setting and achieving goals

Being organized and efficient will allow you to do more of what you want and what is important. Goal achievement, in your job and in your personal life is extremely gratifying and gives a sense of accomplishment that cannot be valued.

VI ) More energy and enthusiasm

It is draining to continually wade through the same disorganized information on your desk, on your computer or in your head.

5 ) Balance academic with social and personal demands.

Alongside leaving home for the first time, one of the biggest challenges facing new students is finding a balance between the academic and social spheres of university life. Presented with this freedom, it can be very overwhelming; especially if you lack self-discipline.

I ) The first year of university does count.

University is vastly different to school and college, and your first semester is essentially designed to teach you how to do your second and third semester. Not only will you save yourself the panic of the leap between first and second semester but you will also be better prepared to fit in some kind of social life around your academic work.

II ) Don’t fall into the timetable trap

the easiest way to ensure you don’t fall behind – while not having to miss out on fun things – is to try and structure your day in a similar way to school. Get up at a sensible time (it doesn’t have to be 7am, just try to make it morning). Between lectures go to a café and keep working, and if you finish early for the day then try to work for another hour or so.

FIXED-COMMITMENT CALENDAR

JOB TASK ANALYSIS

Job task analysis also is a way that you can manage your time effectively. It can help us to keep up the thing and meet deadline, reduce stress and complete work without any pressure. As a student it is important to do a job task analysis. Analysing task have two things which is the importance scale and frequency scale.

TO DO LIST

Almost everyone struggles with getting stuff done especially as a student. As a student, it is important to do their to do list everyday. It can help you manage your time and prevent yourself from wasting time. We all have those days when there are a million things to do, and we don’t know how we’re going to get it all done.

One of the important reason is for the organization. As a student we usually have many assignment to do. So, when you list your assignment in to do list, it will make your feel organized and finish it before the dateline. Organizing your tasks with a list can make everything much more manageable and make you feel grounded.

Secondly, to do list also can make you easily to review which one is the most important task. Student must know how to differentiate task. Example from the most important task and the task that we can do it later. Your to-do list will help you focus your attention on the most important task of the moment.

University is an experience like no other and if you manage to find that balance you’ll get the chance to enjoy every aspect to its fullest. Swinging from one extreme to the other is a rough ride for anyone, but find a happy medium and you can enjoy the best of both the academic and the social life that university has to offer.

MEMORY

WHAT IS MEMORY?

Memory is the faculty of the brain by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed.

Memory is divided into three :

1 ) Sensory Memory

is the shortest-term element of memory. It is the ability to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimuli have ended which are retained accurately, but very briefly.

2 ) Short-Term Memory

is the capacity for holding, but not manipulating, a small amount of information in mind in an active, readily available state for a short period of time.

3 ) Long-Term Memory

Our long-term memory is unlimited and have large storage. If the information is not being used for long time, the information will be lost.

THE LEARNING PYRAMID

Studies show that varying your study methods and materials will improve your retention and recall of information, and enhance your learning experience. The Learning Pyramid model suggests that some methods of study are more effective than others and that varying study methods will lead to deeper learning and longer-term retention.

1 ) Lecture

The Learning Pyramid suggests that “Lecture” is one of the most ineffective methods for learning and retaining information. Attempting to acquire information and gain understanding only through lectures is not the most effective way of learning. Lectures are most effective when students arrive to class prepared, actively participate in class discussion, and take good notes.

2 ) Reading

Reading is still one of the less effective methods for acquiring and retaining information. However, if you are a visual learner, reading textbooks will likely be a more effective learning method for you than for students with non-visual learning styles. Notwithstanding, reading textbooks is a necessary (and required) method of study in most academic settings.

3 ) Audi0 / Visual

The audio-visual learning method may incorporate various audio-visual learning/teaching tools including videos, sound, pictures, and graphs. The effectiveness of audio-visual learning and study methods are enhanced when combined with other, more active forms of study.

4 ) Demonstration

Demonstration usually involves the teacher or professor providing students a learning task that they can observe. Demonstration tends to offer students less ambiguity than passive study methods and leads to fewer misconceptions and greater understanding. Demonstration can be an effective study method, especially when information is ambiguous or confusing.

5 ) Practice by doing

Practice by doing, a form of “Discover Learning”, is one of the most effective methods of learning and study. This method of study encourages students to take what they learn and put it into practice. It makes material more personal, and thus more meaningful to students. Practice by doing also leads to more in-depth understanding of material, greater retention and better recall.

6 ) Teach others

The key to subject mastery is teaching it to others. If you’re able to accurately and correctly teach a subject to others, you’ll have a very good mastery of the concepts, and superior retention and recall. The best place to teach others is in a study group. One of the main activities that should occur in an effective study group is peer to peer teaching, where each group member takes the opportunity to teach the other group members the course material being studied.

MEMORY STRATEGIES

A broad set of techniques that are designed to help one remember. Such strategies range from everyday, external aids (e.g., using a planner) to internal memory strategies (e.g., mnemonic devices) that facilitate storage and retrieval from long-term memory.

1 ) Massed Practice vs Spaced Practice

Massed Practice refers to conditions in which individuals practice a task continuously without rest.  Spaced Practice refers to conditions in which individuals are given rest intervals within the practice sessions.  While information repeated in a distributed fashion or spaced over time learned more slowly, it is retained for much longer.

2 ) Association

Associate, or “connect,” each word or event with a person, place, thing, feeling, or situation. For example, you may connect what you are trying to learn with someone you know, or with a movie character or scene.

3) Acronyms

Acronym is a word made up from the first letters of a list of words. While this strategy won’t help you understand the information, it at least helps you to memorize it. It’s easy and fun, and you’ll probably remember the information forever.

4) Rehearsing

When you want to remember information, you have to practice it, or else it fades. Students need to rehearse to remember what they are learning.  Rehearse for short practice periods (perhaps 30 to 60 minutes) and then take a short ten-minute break or use a multisensory approach every time you rehearse: say it, write it, read it, draw it, sing it – do whatever it takes. 

5 ) Understanding

Before you begin trying to memorize something, try to understand it. A good way to do this is by making a connection between what you are learning and what you have experienced. The better you can relate the new information to what you already know, the easier it is to learn.

STRATEGIES ON IMPROVING CONCENTRATION

What is poor concentration?

Difficulty concentrating is a normal and periodic occurrence for most people. Tiredness and emotional stress can cause concentration problems in most people. Hormonal changes, such as those experienced during menopause or pregnancy, can also affect how we think and concentrate.

Causes of poor concentration

1 ) Uncomfortable environment

2) Too comfortable with the environment

3) Many distractions

4) Illness, fatigue and personal problems

5) Lack of motivation

Strategies on how to fix it

1. Pay attention. You cannot take in information unless you are paying attention, and you cannot memorize information unless you are taking it in. Get enough food and sleep, and avoid distractions such as a background radio or television. 

2. Involve as many senses as possible. For example, if you are sitting in a lecture, you will remember more of what is being said if you listen and scribble down a few notes. 

3. Relate new information to what you already know. New information is much easier to remember if it can be contextualised.

4. Get sufficient sleep. Sleep is necessary for memory consolidation, and feeling alert and refreshed improves your attention and concentration.

5.Develop a healthy lifestyle. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take regular exercise, and avoid smoking. A healthy lifestyle increases the amount of blood and oxygen that is delivered to the brain, and reduces the risk of medical conditions that can lead to memory loss such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and diabetes.

CONCENTRATION CHART

SQ3R

READING TEXT(STUDY SYSTEM SQ3R)

WHAT IS SQ3R?

Actually, SQ3R is stands for;

1) S- Survey

Pre-read chapter. Look at titles, headings, words in boldface and italics; graphs and diagrams; summary or conclusion and questions at the end of chapter.

2) Q- Questions

Formulate questions before you read. Convert titles and subtitles into questions. Write these down.

3) R- Read

Read chapter thoroughly and write down the answers to your questions section by section.

4) R- Recite

Try to give the answers to your questions. Use your own words and give examples.

5) R- Review

Check your notes against the text; this is an ongoing process.

LECTURE NOTES

Is taking notes during lecture worth your time and your concentration? Are they important as our carry marks?

The answer is yes! they are absolutely important.

Taking notes is not only about having a ‘set of notes’ to study from. Here are the important reasons why we should taking our own lecture notes:

1 ) Keeps you alert

Notetaking keeps your body active and involved and helps you avoid feelings of drowsiness or distraction.

2 ) Engages your mind

Listening carefully and deciding what to include in notes keeps your mind actively involved with what you hear.

3 )Emphasizes and organizes information

As you take notes, you’ll decide on and highlight the key ideas you hear, identifying the structure of a class presentation. You’ll also be able to indicate the supporting points of a presentation, making study and understanding easier after class. Such organized notes also make it easier for you to link classroom learning to textbook readings.

4 ) Creates a condensed record for study

A set of concise, well-organized notes from each class session gives you what you need for study, learning, and review after class.

NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES

1 ) Take well-organized notes in outline form
This will help you to identify the main ideas. Start large, work down to details.

2 ) Take notes in complete thoughts, but simplify it
Don’t try to write the profs lecture word for word. You will fall behind and miss something important. Don’t copy overheads unless the professor gives you time to do so.

3 ) Separate and label the notes for each class
Start a new set of notes for each day, clearly separated from the day before; it makes your notes easier to study.

4 ) Make your notes easy to read
It’s easier to study your notes if you can read them.

5 ) Be an aggressive note taker
Sit where you can hear and see the professor without straining. Stay alert.

6 ) Start taking notes when the professor starts talking
Don’t wait for a big thought to strike you. You could easily become distracted and miss the big thought.

7 ) Isolate and learn the specialized vocabulary
Write down and highlight difficult or new words. Write definitions, or look them up later.

8 ) Include pictures, diagrams and other visuals
Copying diagrams or other visuals helps you to understand concepts later. We tend to think in terms of pictures.

9 ) Take notes on discussion
Take notes when meeting with your tutor. Use notes you’ve taken in lecture to generate discussion with your tutor group.

10 ) Always attend lectures to develop a complete set of notes.
Think of your lecture notes as chapters in a book, and strive to have all the chapters.

EFFECTIVE NOTE TAKING SYSTEM – THE CORNELL METHOD

THE CORNELL METHOD

Also known as Cornell note-taking system or Cornell way is a note-taking system devised in the 1940s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University.

It is designed to save time while enabling students to maximize the effectiveness of their notetaking. 

HOW TO TAKE CORNELL NOTES?

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

Many students nowadays are dependent on each other. Some are for their own good but some are only using their friends to ease their work and assignments leading to plagiarism.

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

Plagiarism is an act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person.

WHY IS IT WRONG?

It is dishonest and a form of lying

When you claim to have created something which in reality you simply copied from someone else, you are lying. You are misleading those who listen to you into believing that you made something which you didn’t actually make

You rob the creator of the work of recognition that (s)he’d rightfully deserve.

If you earn money by selling something that someone else created, then that money would fairly belong to the creator, and not to you.

HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM?

Step 1 : Planning your paper

• Consult you lecturer or tutor
• Plan your paper
• Take effective notes

Step 2 : Writing your paper

• Cite your sources (for citation reference, use APA format).
• Make it clear who said what.
• Know how to paraphrase
• Evaluate your sources.
• Include a reference page.

PARAPHRASING

Using your own words to express someone else’s message or ideas. In a paraphrase, the ideas and meaning of the original source must be maintained; the main ideas need to come through, but the wording has to be your own.

CITATION

The way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again

APA STYLE

We need to follow the exact format to cite sources. The format is

Family name, First name initials, (year of publication) , Title of book , Place of publication, Publisher.

Foe Example:

Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

CALCULATING GPA AND CGPA.

GPA

Is an acronym for Grade Point Average

CGPA

Is an acronym for Cumulative Grade Point Average.

THE FORMULAS TO CALCULATE GPA AND CGPA

THE DISMISSAL ACADEMIC STATUS