Evaluation

-Introduction – motivation and expectations
- Positive experiences
- How course could be improved
- Evaluation of your own performance
- Conclusion – what you have learned

Having been unemployed for a significant length of time, and having a long term goal to enter university to complete a degree in languages I felt the determination to join the Access to University course, in order to reach the first part to my goal. I expected the course would not be an "easy ride", would be quite intensive and hopefully set me in good stead in preparation for university life. I expected I would learn about myself, my ability to study and find my most successful method for study.

The course definitely was a positive move for me. Due to the intensity and often quantity of the workloads expected, I learned how to manage my time effectively, though not perfect due to other factors such as work, these set me the challenge of finding my optimal method for studying, which I now believe I have achieved.

Areas I found helpful were doing presentations and continual essay writing within History. As this rarely ceased I identified a key method for me to retain information, and my unique style of essay preparation never before known.

There are few aspects in the course to which I would find need improving, however i do feel the use of the Self Access Centre for two hours of Spanish could have been more effectively used for class based Spanish practice, to focus entirely on grammatical structure and vocabulary building, through aloud repetition of verbs, grammatical structure and vocabulary in class in place of being sat at a computer for those two hours.

Initially until around January-February time, I felt I was underperforming, due to the lack of time I could spend on studying, due to having to work four to five days per week, however after slight changes to circumstances, this eased and my opportunity to study gained for the better.

I have discovered that studying at home is a near impossibility as I can easily be distracted. I have learned that sitting in a library or coffee shop where there are no distractions sees my attention and study interest span soar, effectiveness in producing essays work great and to perfect time - and undoubtedly at Edinburgh University, Starbucks will become a second home to me.