Disposition Towards Study

We need to work through the best ways to boost our disposition towards study – how we make specific choices about what we will and will not do to maintain a positive approach towards taking responsibility for our learning in your academic program.

Disposition towards study is about how we make the specific choices about what we will and will not do to maintain a positive approach and to take responsibility for our learning in our academic program. The study habits we employ, the way we use our resources, and the mindset we take into our learning are all essential elements of this process. So, how do we equip ourselves with the ability to do all of these to a high level in order to succeed in our academic pursuits?

As we know, study habits are personal. They need to be tailored to fit our motivations, our strengths and to compensate for our weaknesses. To decide what habits we should aim to learn, we need to consider each of these. What drives you to work hard and to be the best you can be? What are you good at, and how can you use it? What study habits would help you become a better learner? As well as answering these questions, we need to be able to adapt our answers. Over time, we will find that our study workload, the type of study we are doing, and what practices work for us change. We need to be able to adjust our habits as these factors change in order to continue growing and studying well.

An important component of our disposition towards study is our ability to use the resources around us. In our journey of learning, we need to be grateful for and take advantage of our access to technology, the people around us and the moments which serve as opportunities to broaden and challenge our perspectives in order to understand our learning better. This can mean something as simple as having a good relationship with your classmates in order to collaborate with them in your course. These relationships have the ability to serve a key role in your practical performance, and the personal progress you should be aspiring to undergo as you learn. Take advantage of the resources available - they will help you become a better learner and a better person.

“You have to go to bed wiser than you got up. As you try to master what you are trying to do - people who do that almost never fail utterly. Very few have ever failed with that approach. You may rise slowly, but you are sure to rise.”

Peter Bevelin

Furthermore, we need to be conscious of the mindset we carry into learning and study. Too often, we can approach our education thinking that we have the answers already. We can find ourselves too eager to confirm and communicate what we already know, rather than challenge ourselves to learn something new. Our study, indeed our life, should be full of curiosity and wonder at all of the opportunities we are presented with on a daily basis. Attention should be paid towards being present when we are learning, and in particular having an open mind. We need to recognise the possibility that we might learn something new. We need to soak up all of what is on offer, rather than just rote learn content for a test that leaves our minds after we hand in the paper. A disposition towards study equips us for a lifetime of learning and growth on The Pathway to Excellence.

We can contemplate our Disposition Towards Study by considering the following questions:

• Do I have effective study habits that work for me and am I constantly evaluating how well they help me succeed in my courses so that I can make adjustments as necessary?
• Do I realise that I need others in my class to help me succeed and to learn well, and do I take care to develop good relationships with my classmates?
• Do I bring the habits of open-mindedness, curiosity and wonder to my learning?
• Will I seek help from my teacher/instructor for guidance when I encounter difficulty?
• Do I take full advantage of the opportunities to learn from different perspectives and to think deeply about the topics in my courses?