Starting at Sheffield Hallam
Module 3: Adapting to higher education
Screen challenge: What are your learning goals? How can you take charge of them?
The intellectual challenge of pursuing a degree or qualification is stimulating and enjoyable. You will learn about the subject matter that interests you from leading researchers and experts in the field. However, the academic challenges can be quite demanding.
One key thing that is expected of you – whether you are studying classics or engineering, management or nursing – is that you will take responsibility for your learning. But what does this mean in practice? What does 'responsible learning' look like?
In the video below, university and college staff talk about what taking responsibility for learning means to them. Think about how their ideas compare with your expectations of yourself. You can keep track of your thoughts using the 'Portfolio activity' on the right-hand side of the screen.
Click 'Play' to watch the video.
Portfolio activity
Duration: 5 minutes
Think about what you need to do to take responsibility for your learning. Write a few ideas down about the questions below.
- What do you think about what the staff in the videos expect from students? Did anything surprise you?
- How can your past experiences help you take responsibility in your subject area?
You may wish to download and use the attached template to record your thoughts.
One easy way to take responsibility for your learning is to reflect on your reasons for pursuing higher education in the first place. If you know the answer you are already halfway there!
In the next activity, consider the question and write your ideas in the space below. Then, click 'View feedback' to see our thoughts. Click 'Next' to move to the next question.
Why did you choose to study the subject you are studying?
If you're enjoying the subject you are studying then that's fantastic. However, if you are struggling to settle into your subject, ask yourself the following questions before each learning session:
- What is the purpose of this learning session?
- What do I want to get out of this session today?
- What contribution can I make that will make it enjoyable and worthwhile?
What employment options are you interested in pursuing after you graduate? How will university or college help you get there?
Regardless of whether you have a clear career goal, there are things you can do now to get the most out of your learning later on. For example, find out what students in your subject area go on to do after they graduate. If you don't know, ask your lecturers where their students have ended up.
At Sheffield Hallam
Responsibility goes both ways in a community. You have expectations of what your institution will provide and be responsible for, and they have expectations of you too. Check out our website for your student charter.
Students say
I guess in some ways they don't want to patronise you by telling you how much time you should spend reading a book, or how many chapters you should focus on per week. Instead they say, these are the books you have for the year, you should probably know them. It's a bit of a struggle.
Third-year biochemistry student
The intellectual challenge of higher education is stimulating and enjoyable. You will learn about the subject matter that interests you from leading researchers and experts in the field. However, the academic challenges can be quite demanding, as you will be expected to take responsibility for your own learning, manage your workload and complete assignments to strict deadlines.
Being responsible for your own learning means getting the most out of all the learning opportunities available to you and looking for new things to try and new people you can meet. These are some of the ways that you truly 'earn' your degree or qualification.
We've put together some tips to help you. In the following activity, drag the pinpoint or click on the tabs to find out more.
On this screen, you have learned about what your lecturers expect from you and how to take responsibility for your learning. We're now going to explore how to get the most out of your higher education experience.