by Dr Sue Sing, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship
Welcome (back) to Imperial, and welcome (back) to the Learning Well blog! Whether you’re visiting this site for the first time or you’re a returning reader, it’s fantastic to see you here! As we head into a new academic year, this seems like a useful moment to share a few words about the blog: its purpose, who it’s for and what you can expect to find in our posts this year.
Purpose of the Learning Well blog: The aim of this blog is to enhance Imperial students’ learning experiences by supporting them to ‘learn well’:
‘Learning well’ is about more than good grades – it’s about how you can achieve in effective, efficient and sustainable ways.
Our blogposts will: 1) discuss key topics related to the concept of ‘learning well’, and 2) share practical evidence-informed strategies, used by other Imperial students, that can give you starting points to help you find your own path to effective, efficient and sustainable study.
Finding ways that work for you is important because a key finding in our research with Imperial students is that there is no single right or best way to ‘learn well’. It’s also not about how much work you do:
‘It’s not how smart you are. It’s not about how hard you work. It’s about the strategy you use.’ (Student Participant, Learning Well Project Focus Group)
Instead, the key thing to focus on is this: it’s about having the individual confidence to define your own strategies based on what works for you – our blogposts can support you to do this.
Who the blog is for: Our Imperial Learning Well research suggests that the concept of ‘learning well’ is relevant to every Imperial student – whether you want to refine and strengthen your approaches, or you’d simply like a bit of extra help. Our data also showed that the concept of ‘learning well’ remains relevant throughout your degree, i.e. this is an ongoing process. However, it will change over time based on your needs as a learner, and it will change based on what you’re learning and how you’re learning it. By continuing to reflect on your study strategies AND factoring in how they relate to your wellbeing, it’s likely you’ll be better placed to make proactive choices to enable yourself to ‘learn well’ during your time here at Imperial College London.
What you can expect from the blog this year: Each month, we’ll spotlight a different topic about learning AND wellbeing as an Imperial student. Please look out for these and check back on the second Monday of each month. Our posts will be evidence-informed – they’ll draw on the academic literature and/or empirical data gathered through research with your Imperial peers, and they’ll be written by the Imperial community for the Imperial community. This means that contributions can come from students as well as staff.
Want to write for the blog? Please get in touch! Have an idea for a future blogpost or is there something you’d like to know more about? Please get in touch! We’re very open to ideas and suggestions and we’d love to hear from you! You can leave us a comment on any of our blogposts, submit suggestions anonymously or email Dr Sue Sing (blog editor): s.sing@imperial.ac.uk
What’s next? Our next blogpost will be published on Monday 12 October (followed by Monday 9 November and Monday 14 December) – why not set yourselves some calendar reminders! In the meantime: why not check out some of last year’s posts [see below for some examples] and our Learning Well resources to help you start thinking about proactive choices you can make this year as you start to carve out your own path to ‘learning well’.
The Art of Mastering Sleep: Why switching off can help you feel more switched on!
From Surviving to Thriving: How and why peers can be your best support and resource
Wishing you a great year head, and we hope to see you here again soon! – The Learning Well Project team