Advice for future Module Ones!

If like me you spent a portion of time at the beginning of your BAPP course, scouring the module 2 & 3 earlier blogs in search of answers to what you're actually supposed to do and you've ended up here. Then here are a few tips and advice I wish I'd known at the start (and some of which I was told but you don't fully understand until you're fully submerge into the course):

1. If you feel overwhelmed YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I think my first few blog posts have nothing factual, they're all ramblings about my feelings on the course. When you're first presented with the handbook and you slowly realise, sat by yourself in your room, there is no specific tick box programme to work through and you internally panic 'where do I start/ how am I going to do this?'. TRUST ME when I say, there are more students on the course than you realise, that feel the same way you do, and they will share similar feelings throughout the course.

2. I was honestly so surprised at the sense of community on this course. Other than one girl, I didn't know anybody on the course and it can be challenging to get to know someone through a group zoom call. But that feeling of "we're all in this together" (High School Musical, 2006), with like minded people really got me through; I'd highly recommend group zoom calls like we did. They weren't organised by the university but we have a WhatsApp group chat in case anyone has any quick questions and sometimes we'd suggest a group call once a week. Sometimes we'd discuss theories/ areas of learning/ research suggestions for each other. Sometimes we might have a question about something and someone else who had discussed it in a one to one or with a module 2 would shed some light on the subject. And sometimes, again, it was the reassurance that you weren't alone in your feelings.

3. Don't be embarrassed to speak up! I know sometimes I was reluctant to give my opinions on group calls because I felt like I had nothing intellectual to say. I admit, one time I spouted key words in an attempt to merely look like I knew what I was doing. But I found that sometimes, if you speak freely, yes not everyone will relate to your subject (as this course covers a range of creative industries) but sometimes you'll be surprised how much what you say might resonate and inspire others on your course. Additionally, linking this to point 2, the handbook encourages you to read and comment on other student's blogs. Hypocritically, yes I could have done more of this, but when I did it was really useful-  and it's exciting when people comment on yours!

4.  Now, on our introductory zoom call at the beginning of this course, one of the module 2s advice was that she wished she'd taken more one to one's with the supervisor's in her first term. This advice was ringing in my head quite frequently and yet I kept putting them off thinking I need to understand more about what I'm doing and be more prepared about what I want to ask before I have a one to one. Next thing you know the deadline for handing in our first draft is looming and although I've started to write my essay I'm not 100% sure whether I'm actually on the right track or not. So communicate with your supervisors!

5. Find out about the writing workshops on myUnihub. They're not specifically tailored to the BAPP course but they're useful to get in the academic writing mindset; especially if you haven't been in education in a few years.

6. Draft deadline. In the academic timetable we had 7 weeks and then at the beginning of week 8 we hand in our first draft of our essay to be evaluated. However in between week 7 and week 8 there was a two week spring break; so when it got to week 7, in my head I thought 'now I have 3 weeks to finish my essay before handing it in on week 9'. Don't do this!!! The supervisor's are on holiday during spring break and you won't be able to contact them. In my personnel opinion (and other's may disagree with this use of time) I'd recommend trying to get as much of your essay done before the end of week 7 so you have time to discuss it with your tutor and then spend the rest of the 2 weeks tweaking and checking it- before handing your first draft in at the beginning of week 8. 

7. You don't have to include absolutely every topic you're thinking about! Again, other's may disagree to a point but I literally used to lie in bed thinking about all these different events I'd learnt from, why I learnt from it, how I used what I'd learnt, why are all these events linked? I literally went round and round in circles trying to condense them under one subject heading which made me branch off into other subject areas and I was back to square one. I don't know what it was that made it click, but when I told myself "You don't have to include everything. You can acknowledge it, appreciate it and then leave it on the shelf to come back to at a later date", it made everything a lot easier.

8. Hannah, a fellow student, commented on one of my blogs about using voice notes to journal my ideas. I love a voice note in general anyway, because sometimes when I'm jotting down a string of thoughts, I sometimes forget the ones at the end as I'm trying to formally articulate the one's at the beginning. I don't know about you, but honestly, my best thoughts come to me either when I'm in bed trying to fall asleep or in the shower! 😂 Yes, at one point in the course I created a 15 minute voice note at 2:30am but it put my mind at ease, ready to sleep and the next day, listening back to it, it gave me a template to structure my writing!

9.  Passing this one on as I didn't use it myself (I use Pages on Mac so please let me know if there is a similar tool on there) but someone in our group chat shared a video similar to this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iRGOml7_YA which is a bit of a life hack if you're struggling with Harvard referencing.

10. The handbook says you'll re-read it multiple times. Do this. Like I said you may be feeling overwhelmed when you first look through but the more times you read it, eventually, some areas start to click.

I may add to this as time goes on but in the meantime, let me know if you've found it useful and Module 2s & 3s if you agree/ do you have any advice of your own to add? Also Module 3s I'd love to hear any advice you have going forward into Module 2!

Larissa xx

I thought the referencing would be funny but this is probably incorrect 😅

High School Musical. (2006). [Online]. Directed by Kenny Ortega. United States: Salty Pictures, First Street Film [Viewed 10 June 2021]. Available from Disney Plus.