Learner Handbook

Learner
Handbook
Institute of Commercial Management (ICM)

ICM House
Yeoman Road
Ringwood
Hampshire
BH24 3FA
England
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 490555
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.icm.education
Contents
Page
1. What sort of Learner am I? 1
2. Learners with special needs 2
2.1 Asperger syndrome 2
2.2. Autism 2
2.3. ADHD 4
2.4 Dyslexia 6
3. Good academic practice 8
3.1 Cheating 8
3.2 Fabrication 8
3.3 Facilitating academic malpractice 9
3.4 Plagiarism 9
3.5 What are citations? 10
3.6 When do I have to cite? 10
3.7 How do I cite? 10
3.8 In summary how to use citations 12
3.9 Bibliography 12
4. The revision toolkit 13
4.1 Being organised 13
4.2 Finding support 14
4.3 Being imaginative 14
4.4 Memory training 14
4.5 How to kick-start a successful study day 16
4.6 Why you should plan your down time 17
4.7 The dangers of all-night study sessions 18
4.8 How to avoid overworking 19
4.9 Maintaining a health-study life balance 19
4.10 Stress busting tips 20
4.11 So what exactly to the techniques of mindfulness involve? 20
4.12 The stress relieving benefits of mindfulness 21
4.13 Avoid Procrastination: the key to successful studying 22
5. Distance or classroom learning: what is best for you? 24
5.1 Distance learning advantages 24
5.2 Distance learning disadvantages 24
5.3 Classroom learning advantages 25
5.4 Classroom learning disadvantages 25
6. The pitfalls of skipping class 26
7. English: a global language 27
8. The importance of maths skills 29
9. Getting a Job 30
9.1 Employability Skills 30
9.2 How to make your CV look good 31
9.3 Psychometric testing: the new CV? 32
9.4 The most difficult interview questions and how to answer them 33
9.5 Questions to ask at the end of an interview 35
9.6 How to deal with interview nerves 36
9.7 From Learner to employee 38
9.8 Useful number and websites 39
10. Social media 39
10.1 Facebook 41
10.2 Twitter 41
10.3 Instagram 41
10.4 Linked In 41
1. What sort of Learner am I?
It might be of value of you in your educational journey to know how best to study and learn in
lectures/classes/seminars. Some teachers recommend that you consider what you’re predominant
learning style might be. It is important to note that this may change during the course of the day, a
month, or your life. Often Teachers/Lectures/Trainers will accommodate different learning styles in
their preparation for your lessons/lectures.
Visual
Visual Learners prefer information presented in the form of diagrams, pictures, cartoons, or
demonstrations. Information is remembered or assimilated by constructing flow charts, graphs, or
other mnemonic devices. So when you work, try to draw pictures and diagrams in the margins while
reading, and write out questions you are working on. Underline and highlight text as you read and
make flashcards for studying (use different coloured cards). Copy over your notes to help with recall.
Preview a chapter before reading it by first looking at the pictures and section headings.
Auditory
Auditory Learners assimilate knowledge most effectively by listening, and consequently prefer
explanations, lectures and discussion work. Auditory Learners characteristically contribute to group
discussions, produce high-quality oral presentations, and may think aloud. So when you work, try to
listen to the words you read and read aloud, or talk through the information. Record lectures,
tutoring and study group sessions, etc. Make up and repeat rhymes to remember facts, dates, and
names. Study in groups and participate in class discussions and debates. Have a friend or classmate
quiz you on vocabulary words and recite the word and definition out loud frequently. After you read
a section, summarize it out loud.
Kinaesthetic
Kinaesthetic Learners prefer to engage in physical activities, such as role-play, experiments, and
model making. It is noteworthy that many Learners may demonstrate strong preferences for one or
more of the above styles and learning preferences are not static and can change and develop with
age. Whilst ICM appreciate that it is not possible to deliver the same material in a format to suit
every learning style, we expect that all Learners should be given the opportunity to determine their
learning style, so that they can take responsibility for asking for material to be delivered in a form
they can absorb. So when you work, try to walk around as you read and listen to recordings of
lectures and notes. Engage your fingers while studying by tracing words and re-writing sentences to
learn key facts. If you have a stationary bicycle, try reading while pedalling and studying with music in
the background. Try squeezing a ball or bouncing a foot on the floor.
The type of assessment implemented in your course is likely to be influenced by the individual needs
of different Learners. The teacher/ lecturer/ trainer may show awareness and understanding that
individuals learn in different ways and that they acquire knowledge and skills from a range of
teaching and learning techniques. Once you have finished your assessment or part of your course it
is important to reflect on your learning practice and make changes based on the feedback from your
teachers/lecturers/trainers as well as your own experience.
2. Learners with special needs

2.1 Asperger syndrome
Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

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Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which alters the way people perceive the
world, communicate with others, and learn. Although it tends to be milder than other forms of
autism, the symptoms are similar; they usually include finding social situations challenging – due to
difficulties reading facial expressions, body language and tone – uniquely specialist interests and
sensory issues.
People who have Asperger syndrome often have above average intelligence – usually focused in one
particular area; such as maths, design or language. For this reason there are many Learners in higher
education with a form of the condition; and because so many go undiagnosed, several struggle in
silence. So we’ve put together some simple study techniques to help make life at college a bit easier
for those with the disorder:
 Talk to your tutors and anyone else you think might benefit from knowing you have the
condition. Making them aware of it will mean they will be able to provide you with more
effective support, such as helping you with your time management. People with Asperger
syndrome often have trouble prioritising tasks, so making both an academic timetable and a
social and domestic one will help you keep on top of everything.
“If I get anxious I get in a tizz. I have a timetable; it helps me to see what I have to do next,
otherwise I get confused”
 Do some research into the resources your university or college has for pupils who are blind,
deaf, or who have learning difficulties – like books on tape, or lecture transcripts. Because
people who have Asperger syndrome often struggle to listen – especially in a busy lecture
hall – and take notes simultaneously, gathering handouts and as many support resources as
possible can only help. Recording your lectures is also an effective way of combating this.
 Find a distraction free study environment, and make sure you set your alarm to schedule in
breaks, which will lead to more productive studying. ASD Learners are paradoxically either
very easily distracted, or tend to become totally absorbed in their work and lose track of
time. Prepare well for your exams. Many people with the condition have issues with physical
proximity. If this sounds like you, ask for a seat near the aisle, or request to sit apart, well
before the exam begins, so that it doesn’t distract you.
 And finally, if you think you have a form of autism, or Asperger syndrome, then talk to a tutor
or doctor for support. You can also do a bit of research by visiting the Interactive Autism
Network – or your country’s relevant body, such as the Autism Community of Africa, Autism
Pakistan and Action for Autism.
2.2. Autism
“If, by some magic, autism had been eradicated from the face of the earth, then men would still be
socialising in front of a wood fire, at the entrance to a cave” – Temple Gardin, autism activist
Autism is not a condition that is easily explained; it is a complex spectrum of brain disorders, which
affects all of its bearers differently, ranging widely in severity and kind.

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1 in 88 children have autism; and every 20 minutes, someone new, somewhere in the world, is
diagnosed.
“People with autism learn in a different way; they absorb their surroundings in a different way”
explains Wendy Chung, Initiative director of clinical research at Simons Foundation Autism Research.
Very severe cases of autism render the holder non-verbal, and unable to communicate in any way
other than through pictures or gestures, while people with mild autism will often just discover they
have a strong talent in a particular area, or fixation on a particular subject.
Although autism affects everybody differently, most people with the condition find social situations
difficult, to varying degrees; conversation and eye contact is often a struggle, and connections are
difficult to make and maintain. People with autism also tend to focus on detail, as opposed to
abstract concepts.
Check out this image, and take note of which letters you see first…
… If you saw the small letters before the larger ones, there is a chance you might have a
form of autism.
What does this mean?
Autistic thinking can be roughly divided into three different categories; photo realistic visual thinkers
whose strengths tend to be artistic, and whose weaknesses numerical; pattern thinkers whose
strengths lie in maths and music, but who sometimes have problems reading and writing; and verbal
thinkers, who tend to be poor at visualisation and drawing, but who can retain a range of facts and
write well.

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“The autistic mind tends to be a specialist mind”, expands Temple Grandin, doctor of animal science
and autistic activist, “good at one thing, and bad at another”. Pattern thinkers are often talented
computer programmers, or engineers; visual thinkers often designers; and verbal thinkers journalists,
or stage actors.
Embracing the condition is vitally important. As Faith Jegende – whose two brothers both have
severe forms of the condition – put it: “the pursuit of normality is the ultimate sacrifice of potential.
The chance for greatness, for progress and for change dies when we try and be like someone else…
because [my brothers] could not be seen as ordinary, this could only mean one thing; that they are
extraordinary”.
If you think you may have a form of autism, talk to your tutor or doctor for support. You can also do a
bit of research, by visiting the Interactive Autism Network – or your country’s relevant body, such as
the Autism Community of Africa, Autism Pakistan and Action for Autism.
2.3 ADHD
If you have ADHD, you might recognise some of these symptoms:
 Poor organisational skills
 Extreme impatience
 Irritability and a quick temper
 Carelessness and lack of attention to detail
 Continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones
 Inability to focus or prioritise
 Continually losing or misplacing things
 Forgetfulness
 Restlessness and edginess
The first thing to do, if you believe you might have the condition, is to talk to your tutor, who will put
you in touch with professionals who can give you the best advice on how to deal with the condition.
There are, however, some basic techniques which people with ADHD can employ…
Keep a study schedule: although we advise all Learners to do this, it is even more important for
Learners with attention disorders. Put everything in your diary; from study sessions, to meeting up
with friends. Doing this will stop you getting distracted wondering what you’ve got to do next, and
help keep you organised. Use alarms to help you stick to your schedule – people with ADHD don’t
always have a good sense of passing time.
Begin each day by writing a ‘to-do’ list, and tick off each item when you’ve finished it. This will help
keep you focused on your priorities. Take regular breaks: for people who struggle to concentrate,
working intensively for short periods of time is more productive than expending all their energy on
trying to concentrate. Instead schedule in breaks every 15-20 minutes or so.
Plan for a longer study time than your peers and begin revising early: because those with ADHD
spend a lot of time distracted, it follows that tasks take longer. Make sure you factor this into your

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study schedule, and begin revising at the earliest possible time. “Our brains aren’t meant to absorb
and retain information [that we] reviewed at the last minute,” Laurie Dietzel, Ph.D, a psychologist
specializing in ADHD and developmental disabilities said, “last-minute stress can lead to anxiety that
blocks our ability to readily understand and recall information.” See the series of presentations on
the ICM website under the Learner section in learning resources - tutorials (or access them through
this link http://icm.education/learning-resources/videotutorials/). They are presentations that give
tips for before the exam, tips for after a mock exam and tips for during the exam. Below is an
example of a revision schedule found in the presentation for tips for before the exam, if you go onto
the presentation you can access the schedule in Excel by clicking on a link, so you are able to edit and
make your own schedule from this template.
Day of the Week 9:00am- 12:00pm 13:00pm 14:00pm- 16:00pm 17:00pm 18:00pm- 21:00pm
Monday lunch Dinner
Tuesday lunch Dinner
Wednesday lunch Dinner
Thursday lunch Dinner
Friday lunch Dinner
Saturday lunch Dinner
Sunday lunch Dinner
What needs to be done
Reading relevant course

material and taking notes
Writing up notes neatly
Learn key words/concepts
Exercise
Social time
Exercise regularly: People with ADHD often have less dopamine – the hormone released through
exercise which helps us concentrate – than those without. Exercising is therefore, doubly beneficial
for Learners with the condition. Health experts suggest about 30 minutes of exercise per day. Read
out-loud and act out while studying; highlight, underline, create diagrams and walk around. Doing so
will help you remember the material and also help you focus by keeping the study session varied.
Make sure you keep an organised filing system for your material; although doing so will not come
naturally to you, it is incredibly important to help save you time and energy. And don’t forget to talk
to your tutor about your concerns and symptoms, as they will be able to offer you additional help
and support.
2.4 Dyslexia
Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder; estimates suggest it affects around 10% of the
world’s population. According to the British Dyslexia Association, “a Learner with dyslexia may mix up
letters within words and words within sentences while reading. They may also have difficulty with

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spelling words correctly while writing; letter reversals are common. However dyslexia is not only
about literacy, [it also] affects the way information is processed, stored and retrieved, with problems
of memory, speed of processing, time perception, organisation and sequencing”.
Over the years, misunderstanding and ineffective management of the condition has damaged lives;
according to UNESCO illiteracy affects around 1 billion people worldwide – a large proportion of
whom suffer from a learning difficulty such as dyslexia – while studies show that dyslexic people are
over-represented in prisons, and among those with mental health issues. Graphic Design graduate
and dyslexic Sam Barclay’s book I Wonder What It’s Like To Be Dyslexic illustrates, through
typography, a variety of different dyslexic reading experiences.
“Being dyslexic, one thing always stood out,” Sam explains.”The available help was always aimed at
making me read better. Very little effort was made to help the people around me understand what it
feels like to struggle with reading.
“People that have difficulty reading are often capable of thinking in ways that others aren’t.
Encouraging those with reading difficulties… to excel in ways that make sense to them is not just
important, it’s crucial.”
There are strong links between creativity and the condition. In a 1997 study on 360 foundation
Learners from Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design, London, psychologist Dr Beverley Steffart
found that three quarters of those assessed had a form of dyslexia. “We tend to be very curious,
we’re very innovative” said dyslexic fashion designer Paul Smith.

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Scientist Albert Einstein, businessman
Richard Branson and artist Leonardo da Vinci are just three of a number of highly successful
dyslexics. Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disorders, affecting around one in every ten
people. When managed properly, the condition should not hold Learners back academically; in fact,
it can increase creativity and those with dyslexia often thrive in certain academic areas. When,
however, the condition goes undiagnosed and unmanaged – as it does for many – education can be a
struggle.
What are they key indicators that a Learner may have dyslexia? Key areas that Learners may
experience difficulties include; reading, collating and managing information and academic writing.
The areas of writing more likely to cause problems are understanding what to include and how to
structure the text to develop a cohesive, logical argument. Grammar, punctuation and certainly
spelling are challenging.
Some Learners may find it hard to organise themselves, find their way around and be in the right
place at the right time. What should a Learner do if they think they have dyslexia? It is easy to get
overwhelmed by the workload; planning study time and creating a balance with social activities is
important. Also, knowing how to relax and what helps reduce anxiety levels is essential.
Play to your strengths: Learners with dyslexia can find certain areas of academia easier than other
Learners; including being able to think laterally and creatively. They can also bring a high level of
determination and persistence to their work. You will also need to get professionally assessed. The
processes for this differ from country to country. If you are a UK Learner, you will need a full
diagnostic report written after you were 16 from a qualified assessor – the Disability Advisor at your
university or college may organise this for you. You will then be given a Needs Assessment to
establish the type of support most appropriate for you.
Tips to help dyslexic Learners

 Put study first. It’s often better to tackle tasks immediately when they are still fresh. This
is a really good habit to establish and makes you feel great.
 Establish good routines.
 Stay organised so you don’t waste time looking and checking. This is particularly
important for filing paper and IT.
 Clearly label and date files and material.
 Use a diary or note taking system and cross out the things you complete.
 Find someone you trust to help you with things you find difficult and make it a two way
relationship.
 Investigate how you learn best and develop a bank of strategies you can draw on.

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 Activate your thinking about a topic before a lecture – talk about it to a fellow Learner,
read something, or see if there are any Research abstracts online, YouTube clips or TED
talks [www.ted.com] connected with it.
 Revisit learning to help embed new information (80% of new learning is lost in 24 hours
if it is not revisited). You can buy a 31 day concertina file in which you can place dated
index cards, with key points, so that you can place them into the section for the day you
want to revisit and revise them.
 Be clear about what you are being asked to write from the outset. Make a plan, either a
mind map or a linear plan of your key points and number them in the order you are
going to write them. Tick them off as you write. This will help you only include relevant
information that answers the question.
 Ensure you read the crucial material first, use post-its to mark key information or to
mark information you don’t understand and want to ask someone to clarify. Condense it
to a format you can use for assignments or revision e.g. Mind Maps.
 Remember everyone is different, so this advice will work better for some than others, so
remain flexible and develop your own strategies.
3. Good academic practice

ICM distinguishes between four types of academic malpractice:
 Cheating
 Fabrication
 Facilitating Academic Malpractice
 Plagiarism
3.1 Cheating
Cheating is the use of inappropriate and unacknowledged materials, information, or study aids in any
academic exercise. Assistance from other people is restricted or forbidden unless explicitly
authorised by an instructor. Their use in these cases constitutes cheating. Similarly, Learners must
not request others to conduct research, or prepare any work for them, or use work or research
prepared by others.
3.2 Fabrication
Fabrication is the falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
"Invented" information may not be used in any academic exercise without authorisation from the
instructor. It is improper, for example, to analyse one sample in an experiment and covertly "invent"
data based on that single experiment for several more required analyses. The Learner must also
acknowledge reliance upon the actual source from which cited information was obtained. A writer
should not, for example, reproduce a quotation from a book review and indicate that the quotation
was obtained from the book itself.
3.3 Facilitating academic malpractice

Learners who knowingly or negligently allow their work to be used by other Learners, or who
otherwise aid others in academic malpractice are violating academic integrity. Such Learners are as

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guilty of intellectual malpractice as the Learner who receives the material, even though they may not
themselves benefit academically from that malpractice. Plagiarism can, in some cases, be a subtle
issue as a result of a lack of confidence in academic writing. Any questions or doubts about what
constitutes plagiarism should be discussed with a lecturer, or a suitably informed member of staff at
the Approved Centre.
3.4 Plagiarism1
Plagiarism is the representation of the words or ideas of another person or source as one's
own in any academic exercise such as:
 Borrowing material from another person or source
 Copying exactly word-for-word directly from a text or other source
 Copying from a candidate in an exam
 Copying from a tutor or a fellow Learner
 Copying from your own notes that contain direct quotations
 Copying or downloading without acknowledging your sources
 Paraphrasing or translating the words from a text or other source too closely
 Paying for assignments from other sources and submitting it as your own
 Using text downloaded from the internet
 Using text obtained from writing sites, organisations or private individuals
To avoid plagiarism, every direct quotation must be identified by quotation marks or by appropriate
indentation and must be properly cited in the text, or in a footnote 2. Acknowledgment is also
required when material from another source stored in print, electronic, or other medium is
paraphrased, or summarised, in whole or in part, in one’s own words.
There is a distinct difference between referencing, paraphrasing and quoting:

Referencing: The purpose of a reference is to enable the reader to find the original source and/or
publication from which you based your form of words. A reference includes an in text citation to the
source and following this the full details at the end of a written assignment, e.g., Darwin, C.
(1859) On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or, the preservation of favoured races
in the struggle for life. London: J. Murray.
Paraphrasing: This forms the most part of assignment writing and will often consist of the work of
other people and is therefore an important skill in academic writing. Paraphrasing an argument
involves restating their findings in your own words and need to make clear that it is someone else’s
by mentioning the author’s name, e.g., Darwin (1859) describes the theory of evolution by natural
selection as the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable
physical or behavioural traits.
Quoting: If you want to quote an author directly then speech marks must be used e.g., Darwin (1978,
p.62) states that “I have called this principle, by which each slight of variation, if useful, is preserved,
by the term Natural Selection” and conclude with a reference.
1 Plagiarism here excludes auto plagiarism (the act or process of plagiarising one’s own work)
2 https://www.bolton.ac.uk/library/LibraryPublications/CribSheets/LibrarySeries/Harvard-Referencing-Short-
Version.pdf

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Bibliography and reference lists
A reference list refers to works that have been used in the said piece of writing, whereas
a bibliography usually contains all the works cited in a paper, as well as other works that the author
consulted, even if they are not mentioned in the text.
3.5 What are citations?

Citations tell readers that a certain part of your written assignment comes from another source.
Citations should always include the:-
1) Author’s name
2) Title of the work from which you are sourcing
3) Details – including name and location – of the publishers
4) Date of publication
5) Page numbers of the specific part of the source you are referencing
Citing in the text

In the text of your work, you must cite the author or editor’s name and date of publication each time
you paraphrase or summarise from a source of information.
3.6 When do I have to cite?

You have to cite your sources in a number of circumstances; when you are quoting or paraphrasing
someone else, when someone else’s ideas are central to your own argument and when you make a
specific reference to another piece of work (even when you’re not quoting them directly).
3.7 How do I cite?

Developing a clear and efficient citation system is very simple; but different tutors prefer different
styles, so it’s important to double-check their preferred style if you’re unsure.
Citations come in three accepted forms:-

1) footnotes which come at the end of each page
2) endnotes which come at the end of the document
3) parenthetical notes, which are bracketed at the end of the sentence in which you are
referencing your source.
Both footnotes and endnotes can be found in Microsoft Word under ‘References’ and appear as
below:

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… and on an Apple device under ‘Insert’, ‘Footnote’:
Citing in the reference list or bibliography

Your references should be listed alphabetically by author’s name. The following list shows some
examples of sources you may use.
Book (Print)
Ten Have, S., Ten Have, W. and Stevens, F. (2003) Key management models. Harlow: Pearson
Education.
Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring corporate strategy. 6th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Book (Online)
Keenan, D. and Riches, S. (2007) Business law. [Online]
Harlow: Pearson Education. Available from: http://lib.myilibrary.com/. [Accessed 27 June 2009].
Edited book
Oldroyd, M. (ed.) (2004) Developing academic library staff for future success. London: Facet
Publishing.
Book section or chapter
Town, J. S. (2003) Information literacy and the information society. In: Hornby, S. and Clarke, Z. (eds.)
Change and challenge: debates on the information society for the 21st Century. London: Facet
Publishing, pp. 83-103.
Journal article (Print)

Kennerley, M. and Neely, A. (2003) Measuring performance in a changing business environment.
International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 23 (2), pp. 213-229.
Journal article (Electronic)

Moullin, M. (2004) Eight essentials of performance management. International Journal of Health
Care Quality Assurance. [Online] 17 (3), pp. 110-112. Available from:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/. [Accessed 2 March 2006].
Newspaper article (Print)

Campbell, D. (2009) Late cancer diagnosis kills 10,000 a year. The Guardian, 30 November, p. 1.

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Newspaper article (Online)
Campbell, D. (2009) Late cancer diagnosis kills 10,000 a year. The Guardian. [Online] 30 November.
Available from: http://find.galegroup.com. [Accessed 28 January 2010].
Webpage
Leggatt, R. (1992) A history of photography from its beginnings till the 1920s. [Online] Available from:
http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/. [Accessed 8 August 2003].
Cabinet Office. (2010) Building Britain’s recovery. [Online] Available from:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/. [Accessed 8 January 2010].
Video clip online/YouTube
Library La Trobe University. (2010) Why can't I just Google? [Online video] Available from:
https://www.youtube.com/. [Accessed 3 December].
3.8 In summary how and when to use citations

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to credit your sources; and this is called citing, or referencing.
No matter which style of referencing you decide upon, the first citation of every source has to
include the information outlined above (author’s name, title, publication details, page number).
Subsequent citations of a particular source in the same assignment can then usually – depending on
your tutor’s preference – be referred to in a reduced format; simply by listing the author’s name and
reference page number.
3.9 Bibliography
As well as referencing, you must also include a bibliography. A bibliography is a complete list of all
your sources (located on a separate page at the end of your document) that includes all of the same
information as your footnotes, endnotes or parenthetical notes.
One more thing…

 When you are quoting a source directly, make sure it’s word-for-word. Misquoting
someone and then referencing them could land you in just as much trouble as plagiarizing
their work.
 If you follow these simple steps, then you’ll make sure you never plagiarize, as well as
increasing the quality of your work. Just remember to double-check with your tutor which
style of citation they prefer.
4. The revision toolkit

Revision – it’s a dirty word and probably one that no Learner wants to hear as the new year barely
gets going, but actually, there’s no better time to start thinking about what lies ahead and how to
improve your revision techniques before the exam season. We’ve all done revision badly – starting
too late, not working in the best environment, being disorganised, not concentrating properly and, in
the end, panicking.
So, how should it be done?

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There are three essentials: Being organised, finding support and being imaginative.
4.1 Being organised

First and foremost, find a good place to work. There’s absolutely no point perching in front of the TV
and watching your favourite soaps while you try to get to grips with the causes of the economic
crash. Turn off your social media devices as well and find somewhere quiet, without distractions –
anywhere that works well for you, whether it’s your bedroom, the dining table, or a library.
Have a plan, a written tick list, or even better, a timetable, of what you need to do and by when.
Keep to it and it should help you achieve goals and relieve anxiety. See the series of presentations on
the ICM website under the Learner section in learning resources - tutorials (or access them through
this link http://icm.education/learning-resources/videotutorials/). They are presentations that give
tips for before the exam, tips for after a mock exam and tips for during the exam. Below is an
example of a revision schedule found in the presentation for tips for before the exam, if you go onto
the presentation, you can access the schedule in Excel by clicking on a link, so you are able to edit
and make your own schedule from this template.
Day of the Week 9:00am- 12:00pm 13:00pm 14:00pm- 16:00pm 17:00pm 18:00pm- 21:00pm
Monday lunch Dinner
Tuesday lunch Dinner
Wednesday lunch Dinner
Thursday lunch Dinner
Friday lunch Dinner
Saturday lunch Dinner
Sunday lunch Dinner
What needs to be done
Reading course book and

taking notes
Writing up notes neatly
Learn key words/concepts
Exercise
Social time
Set targets but make sure they are realistic ones. Starting to revise at the eleventh hour will be
counter-productive and come with large doses of anxiety. Ideally, revise throughout the year, making
frequent brief notes, and use those notes to help with your revision nearer the exam dates.
4.2 Finding support

Ask your tutors, family, friends and classmates to help you. Tutors are invaluable as they understand
what you need to know and can guide you. Family and friends can also give you their time by testing
you and asking questions. Perhaps one of the best ways to get support is to revise with your fellow

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Learners – testing each other, solving problems and gaining understanding together can be fun and
productive.
4.3 Being imaginative

Of course, you could simply read through your notes and text books again and again until you have
learnt what you need to know, but that would be boring, disheartening and laborious. There are
much better ways to revise; all you need is a little imagination.
 Make question and answer cards.
 Draw mind maps. Sketches and diagrams can also help if you tend to learn visually.
 Look at past papers.
 Make summary notes.
 Use flashcards.
 Use mnemonics to jog your memory.
Get someone who knows nothing about your subject and explain it to them in your own words – a
sure way of making certain that you understand what you’re talking about. They are bound to ask
you some awkward questions and if you can’t answer them, you can go back to your notes to find
out more.
Take regular breaks. Revising when you are tired is pointless, so intervals are important. Watching
your favourite TV program or taking exercise can revitalise your mind and your body. These revision
techniques are, of course, vitally important, but the golden rule must be to start revising in plenty of
time, so you don’t end up panicking.
4.4. Memory training

Maybe you can still recall, verbatim, long Shakespearean speeches learnt at school, but you can’t
remember where you put your mobile phone. Don’t worry, lapses like this are not unusual. According
to many experts, there are three types of memory – sensory, short-term and long-term. Sensory
memory registers information, like where your mobile phone is, but only very briefly and the
memory of it can decay in micro-seconds. If the initial piece of information is encoded by your brain,
it will make it into the short-term memory. This has a limited capacity of about seven pieces of
information (that’s why it’s hard to remember long phone numbers instantly or shopping lists). These
memories are either dismissed or, if significant enough, moved into the long-term memory where
they will be retained and become embedded, though not necessarily retrievable.
Neuropsychologist, Dr Joanna Iddon, co-author of Memory Boosters, says of absent-mindedness: “In

a recent study of healthy adults, the average number of memory slips, like putting the coffee jar in
the fridge, was around six per week, irrespective of age, gender and intelligence,” says Dr Iddon. “In
fact, it was the younger, busier people that were the most absent-minded.
“Remembering is an active process and making the most of your memory involves paying better
attention, planning and organising.” We all know people who claim to have a photographic memory,
but there’s no scientific proof that such memories exist, although there are undoubtedly people with
phenomenal memories. However, most of us could improve our memories, so here are some tips
and exercises:

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 Focus – If you want to remember something, it has to get beyond the sensory memory
stage, so focus on what you’re trying to remember and stop thinking about several
other things at the same time. That way, you have a much better chance of
remembering where you put your mobile phone because it has become a short-term
memory.
 Brain Health – Memories are made in our brains, so improving brain health should have
a positive impact on memory. Brain-stimulation activities – reading, crossword puzzles,
Sudoku, for instance, are known to keep the brain sharp.
 Use your senses – Touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste, all play a part in memory and
can help a memory to be encoded.
 Repeat information – As long as you don’t try to cram too much into your head,
repeating information over and over again can work well.
 Bite-size information – Organise large pieces of information into chunks.
 Mnemonics – These are useful tools for remembering. Make up a sentence with each
word using the initial letters of the information you need to remember, whether it be
the periodic table (yes, there’s a mnemonic song to help you remember that!), Henry
VIII’s six wives (A big secret concealing her past – Aragon, Boleyn, Seymour, Cleeves,
Howard, Parr), or the planets (My very eager mother just served us nine pizzas –
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto). You can make up
your own.
 Learn the way you want – Say it out loud, write it down, record it, sing it; whatever
works for you.
 Physical exercise – Studies have shown that aerobic exercise improves brain function
and is particularly good at enhancing memory. Exercise is thought to encourage the
growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus – an area of the brain important in
memory and learning.
 Eat well – A diet low in red meat and dairy and high in omega-3 fatty acids found in oily
fish and nuts, can help memory. Eating chocolate can improve your memory, say Oxford
University scientists, who tested 2,000 volunteers. A separate study at Northumbria
University found people given large amounts of flavonols, a compound found in
chocolate, found mental arithmetic much easier. Scientists have also found that adults
who consumed dairy products at least five or six times a week did far better in memory
tests compared with those who rarely ate or drank them. At the very least, drink
regularly, preferably water.
 Stop smoking – Researchers at Northumbria University found that when 69 Learners
aged 18 to 25, were asked to memorise a list of tasks, those who had never smoked did
best, remembering to complete 81% of the tasks. The smokers – on an average of 60
cigarettes a week – managed to get through only 59%.
 Sleep – A lack of sleep boosts the formation of beta amyloid, the toxic protein that clogs
up the brain, according to a study in the journal Science. “Disturbed sleep delays
storage of memories and makes us forget sooner,” says Professor Chris Idzikowski,
director of The Edinburgh Sleep Centre.

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4.5. How to kick-start a successful study day
Starting your day right is vitally important to having a successful study session. Although it’s all too
easy to start a day of revision or assignment writing by flicking through Facebook or scrolling down
your Twitter feed, the first 10 minutes of your working day plays a big part in setting the tone for the
day ahead.
According to Michael Kerr, author and business speaker, “creating consistent habits is largely what
makes [people] successful. And a key time for habit-forming practices is at the start of the day…. It’s
imperative that you start right, with a clean slate,” he says. Take time for quiet reflection and
thoughtful planning. When you first sit down, resist the temptation to switch on your computer or
laptop too quickly. Instead, take the time to consider your day ahead. Ask yourself what you want to
achieve and how you’re going to achieve it.
“Successful people build in quiet time and solitude to do this first thing. They ask themselves: ‘What
did I accomplish toward my goals so far this week — or last week?”, says workplace expert Lynn
Taylor. “Get yourself current on priorities and tasks. Go beyond just making a list, and challenge
yourself to create a realistic hierarchy,” she adds. As well as prioritising your tasks, visualise what a
successful day would look like. “This helps you to focus on the things that are truly important, and
not simply urgent,” Kerr explains. “It can also help you see where potential challenges may lie, so you
can make the necessary adjustments,” he adds.
Get comfortable
Although lying in bed with your laptop might seem like the most comfortable option, numerous
studies suggest that sitting upright at a desk is the best way to avoid back pain and fidgety legs.
Ensuring your workspace is well-lit and at a comfortable temperature is also vital in maintaining
concentration levels. Researchers at Cornell University found that when temperatures dropped from
a comfortable 77 degrees to a chillier 68 degrees, typing output dropped by 46% and mistakes
increased by a whopping 74%.
And, last but not least, make sure your workspace is a distraction free environment; turn your phone
onto silent, switch-off the TV and clear away clutter. “Facing a clean or cleaner slate on your desk and
desktop will better clear your mind for the day’s tasks,” advises Taylor.
Think positive
“A great way that successful people start their day is to identify something they’re grateful for,”
Taylor explains. “It’s motivational and reminds them to put small things in perspective. “Once you’ve
adopted the right mindset and routine for success, the rest of the day flows much more smoothly.”
So, there you go. Follow these three simple steps and get your study session off on the right footing.
4.6 Why you should plan your down-time

It’s the end of the week; you’ve been working yourself into the ground juggling class, revision and
your life outside college. You just want to put your feet up when you’re not studying; we get it. But,
unfortunately, completely zoning-out just won’t cut the mustard.

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If you want to start the week refreshed and with a sense of achievement, then there are five things
you need to do this weekend to ensure your time off does you good…
1) See loved ones
Spending time with family and friends is hugely important to emotional well-being; helping relieve
stress and feelings of isolation that can accompany self-study. Organise an afternoon out with
friends, or invite family over for food. After all, hanging out with those closest to you means you can
unwind while still keeping busy.
2) Keep active
Whether it’s playing sport, volunteering, or learning a new skill, keeping active allows you to start
the new week with a sense of achievement. We all know the benefits of exercise for well-being and
physical health, but keeping active in other ways can also reap considerable rewards. Learning a new
skill – perhaps a musical instrument, a new language, or a craft such as knitting – is great for brain
performance; while helping others through charity work, or volunteering, is well-known to give a
huge boost to emotional health – not to mention your CV.
3) Plan your downtime
To make sure you actually manage to see family and friends and get out and about in-between your
course work, it’s important to plan your time off. As well as organising two or three events and study-
time, make sure you schedule in peaceful downtime, too; which leads us on to our next point…
4) Unplug
For at least two hours a day, be sure to switch off your mobile and computer. Doing so will give you a
much needed break from the internet and studying, and allow you to unwind properly and enjoy
those quiet moments all the more.
5) Get ready for the week ahead
During your time-off, consider what you’d like to achieve over the week ahead and write out your
goals and a ‘to do’ list. As Laura Vanderkam, author of What the Most Successful People Do on the
Weekend, says: “You need to hit Monday ready to go.” “Saturday I take off. I hike. And then Sunday is
reflections, feedback, strategy and getting ready for the rest of the week,” explains Twitter co-
founder Jack Dorsey.
So, although you need to schedule in time to kick-back and relax, taking control of your downtime by
organising a variety of activities and planning for the coming days will boost productivity and help
you to start the week on the right footing.
4.7. The dangers of all-night study sessions

Study sessions that go on well into the evening, or through the night, are common fall-back options
for Learners feeling the pressure of looming exams or deadlines. But they do much more harm than
good. Here’s why…
 Decreased productivity - Over the past century, there have been numerous studies that shine
a spotlight on the relationship between long working hours and decreased productivity.
Here’s a few examples…
- During World War I, the Health of Munition Workers Committee discovered that labour
output significantly decreased after 50 hours work a week.

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- Similarly a 2013 study conducted by John Pencavel of Stanford University revealed that
there was absolutely no productivity increase between a 55 and a 70 hour working
week; rendering the extra 15 hours of work entirely pointless.
Although these studies were conducted on manual workers, the principal can also be
applied to studying. And especially to Learners who are juggling their studies with family,
life, or a job.
 Fatigue and increased stress levels - and it’s not just a drop in productivity you need to
consider; overworking can have significantly detrimental effects on other areas of your life…
Experts all agree that getting between seven and nine hours sleep every night is vitally
important to mental and physical health; both in the short and long term. If you regularly
work late into the night you’re in danger of damaging your circadian rhythm (or sleeping
cycle). Here’s why that’s a problem:
- During sleep, memories are consolidated, which is why you’re able to recall information
you learnt from the day before more clearly than if you’d only snatched a few hours kip.
It’s because during sleep, the brain commits information from a place where memories
are temporarily stored (the hippocampus) to the neocortex, where they become more
permanent and much harder to overwrite.
- Sleep deprivation makes it harder to concentrate. So, on top of finding it harder to recall
facts and figures from yesterday’s revision, after pulling a late-night session, you’re less
likely to be able to focus on today’s tasks.
- The stress hormone cortisol is released in high quantities when the body is lacking in
sleep, which can damage your ability to focus, as well as impair decision making and
creativity.
“When you’re sleep deprived your ability to process new information drops, your ability to deal with
distraction is impaired, and your short-term memory declines,” said Professor Michael Chee, director
of the centre for cognitive neuroscience at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore. “All the
fundamental elementals of having to process information rapidly are diminished.” So, pulling an all-
nighter is certainly not a good idea the night before an exam or deadline. And it’s not just sleep that’s
affected… long working hours can also damage social life, leading to increased stress levels and
feelings of isolation.
4.8. How to avoid overworking

The most effective way to ensure you don’t overwork yourself – and damage your productivity and
mental health in the process – is to create a comprehensive study/life timetable. Although we
understand there are many Learners who have to work long hours due to other commitments,
making sure you get between seven to nine hours rest per night, and scheduling in time for family,
friends, exercise, hobbies and extra-curricular work – as well as study periods – is vital in maintaining
healthy productivity levels and emotional wellbeing.
4.9 Maintaining a healthy study-life balance

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Maintaining a steady and sustainable work-life balance can be especially hard for Learners, many of
whom have to juggle academia with family life and social commitments, extra-curricular activities
and a job. But a healthy equilibrium is vitally important, not only for study success, but also for
mental and physical health, too.
To help our Learners get a handle on their study-life balance, we’ve put together a list of top
techniques…
 Time management is perhaps the most important method to master in order to achieve
a good study-life balance. It’s easy to get bogged down with stress, which can leave you
entirely unproductive during working hours and preoccupied during your down-time,
unable to relax. To avoid this toxic combination, create – and stick to – a schedule…
 Draw-up a study programme that gives you plenty of time to complete assignments and
revision; last minute cramming isn’t effective and will disrupt your daily rhythm, leading
to soaring stress levels and damaging your sleep. Create a schedule built around regular
hours and work towards achievable goals; doing so will give you the best chance of
nurturing a successful balance and will give you a motivational boost each time you
reach a milestone. It’s hugely important to include down-time in your schedule, too; if
you don’t account for relaxation time, the chances are you’ll work later into the
evening, and miss-out on essential rest.
“Be serious about using these time blocks and seek support from your significant others to follow
through,” advises Todd Dewett, Management lecturer at Wright State University’s Raj Soin College of
Business.
 Create a dedicated study space to help draw a line between study-time and down-time. If
you study in the same space you sleep, the chances are the lines will blur and both rest and
work periods will merge, increasing the chance of them becoming ineffective. Reduce
caffeine intake, too, to ensure you can unwind properly after your day’s work.
 Factor-in family time and extra-curricular activities during your off-duty periods, but be
honest about your limitations and learn to say no; advises Ben Cober, a recent Indiana
University and Bloomington Kelley School of Business MBA graduate.”Explaining why you
can’t do things… is OK, and appreciated if people understand why and ahead of time,” he
says.
 Stay healthy by eating and sleeping well and exercising regularly. Like diet, sleep is also vitally
important for brain-function and emotional well-being; establishing a regular sleep routine
of between seven and nine hours per night is recommended by experts. Taking the time to
exercise three or four times a week is also a beneficial way of spending your non-study time;
as doing so decreases stress-levels and increases energy at the same time as improving your
overall physical health.

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If you strike the right balance between all of the above, then you’ll be on the right track to
maintaining a healthy study-life balance. However, if you still feel irritable, anxious or depressed after
weaving these techniques into your routine, then seek help from your tutor.
4.10 Stress busting tips

Mindfulness courses have sprung up everywhere, books have been published, apps created, even the
UK’s National Health Service prescribes it. The aim is to help people take better care of themselves
and get more out of life by learning to handle stress brought on by challenging emotions, moods,
relationships or physical feelings.
Although Mindfulness uses some meditation techniques, it differs from meditation in a number of
ways. While similar in the early stages in that both encourage conscious breathing and allow
thoughts to drift by, meditation is based on Buddhism, spiritualism, karma, yoga and a withdrawal
from your thoughts and the world.
Mindfulness, on the other hand, especially when more advanced, encourages you to be mindful. In
other words, to pay attention. Its roots are more related to psychology, it lacks the spirituality of
meditation and teaches a focus on the investigation and acknowledgement of your thoughts. It is
also much more flexible because meditation takes time and requires people to sit, often cross-
legged, to do it, while Mindfulness can be made a part of daily life and relates more to our actions,
thoughts and emotions.
4.11 So what exactly do the techniques of Mindfulness involve?
Stress tells us to watch out, keep on our guard and activates the part of our brains that can set off a
rush of adrenaline and the ‘fight or flight’ response. The exercises used in Mindfulness aim to
counteract these feelings. Focusing on breathing, concentrating on elements of the natural world,
focused listening, immersing yourself in activities and appreciating the people and things around
you, are all employed to block the over-thinking that we tend to do when we are anxious or stressed
about something, in order to make way for more positive thoughts.
While this may all sound as clear as mud and rather nebulous to the sceptical, or totally relaxed
individual, studies have found that Mindfulness programmes, where participants learn techniques in
daily life over the course of several weeks, or more formally in weekly classes, can bring about
reductions in stress and improvements in mood. According to the Mental Health Foundation, the
techniques used can result in increased activity in the area of the brain associated with positive
emotion, the pre-frontal cortex, which is less active in those with depression.
Scores of studies have shown changes in brain wave activity during Mindfulness meditation and
researchers have found that areas of the brain linked to emotional regulation are larger in people
who have meditated regularly for five years. Evidence also shows that Mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy can, on average, reduce the risk of recurrence of depression for people by 43%.
Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, said that
mindfulness means knowing directly what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by

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moment and that the methods used can be an antidote to the “tunnel vision” that can develop in
our daily lives, especially when we are busy, stressed or tired. The techniques employed involve
becoming more aware of the present moment by using one’s senses, as well as the thoughts and
feelings that occur from one moment to the next.
“It’s easy to stop noticing the world around us. It’s also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies
are feeling and to end up living ‘in our heads’ – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice
how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour,” Williams says. “An important part of
mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means waking
up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment.”
Although not miracle cures for anxiety, concentrating on sensations as simple as the feel of a banister
as we walk upstairs, a door knob as we open a door, the sight of leaves on a tree, or the details of a
flower, can place people in the moment. “Awareness of this kind doesn’t start by trying to change or
fix anything,” says Williams. “It’s about allowing ourselves to see the present moment clearly. When
we do that, it can positively change the way we see ourselves and our lives.”
4.12 The stress relieving benefits of Mindfulness

If you ever feel unable to cope, your mind hi-jacked by recurring worries to the point where you can’t
sleep, feel tired, anxious, irritable or depressed, you might well look for ways to alleviate your
feelings, perhaps with social withdrawal, but there’s another way – Mindfulness.
Over the past couple of decades, more and more people have been turning to Mindfulness because
of its tried and tested stress relief benefits, which offer a way for people to take back control. The
technique involves becoming aware of the present moment, rather than dwelling in the past, or
fretting about the future. It generally involves a heightened awareness of sensory stimuli, such as
noticing your breathing, feeling the sensations of your body, and being “in the now.”
It was defined in the late 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor of medicine at the University of
Massachusetts, as “paying attention, on purpose, moment by moment, without judging”. His stress-
busting programmes were a blend of Buddhist meditation and science, but there was no religious
component, so it was accessible to anyone.
Decades of scientific research since those early days have demonstrated that Mindfulness-based
stress reduction can positively, effectively, and often profoundly, reduce psychological distress and
encourage more resilience and productivity. Great for all you busy Learners. Now the technique has
moved into the mainstream and today, it is used in schools, hospitals, prisons, in government, by
corporations like Google, and even Save the Children’s compound at the Dadaab refugee camp in
Kenya has programmes running.
It differs from orthodox cognitive behaviour therapy by including meditation which, experts say,
encourages areas of the brain linked to controlling emotion to become larger in people who have
meditated regularly for five years.

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During a Mindfulness course, techniques of relaxation, coming back to sensations in the body, to
breathing and an awareness of unhelpful habitual thought patterns, are learned, so that instead of
using the intellect, you can focus on your own body and listen to your intuition.
Focusing on breathing is key and has been described as a way to switch off the brooding process and
treat thoughts and feelings as a temporary weather pattern in the mind. If you can embrace and
work on what Mindfulness has to offer, a more positive approach to life can be developed, where
you are able to accept emotions and fears and able to stand back from difficulties rather than be
submerged by them. Some people also feel they have gained the ability to create space and calm in
their lives and have learnt wiser ways to respond to challenging experiences. Confidence grows too
and you can learn to enjoy fleeting moments of happiness, such as a beautiful view or an act of
kindness.
4.13 Avoid procrastination: the key to successful studying

Procrastination, or the action of delaying something, is a familiar beast to the majority of Learners; in
fact, nearly 70% exhibited signs of postponing the hard-graft in a recent study conducted in North
America.
We’ve all been there; a quick email check or glance at Facebook and then we’ll get our head-down
and begin our essay, we promise ourselves. But in reality that’s much easier said than done, and 2
hours down the line we can end-up feel dejected and frustrated, and no closer to crossing the finish
line.
To help, we’ve put together our top techniques to help you avoid procrastination.
1) Prioritise your studying
Human nature means we often opt to complete the easiest task first. The problem with this
is that the harder or most daunting jobs are left to the last minute. To avoid this last-minute
panic, create a to-do list, prioritising the most important or hardest tasks. Overcoming
these sooner rather than later relieves stress as the deadline looms and will give you a
good dose of motivation and self-belief before embarking on your exam or essay
submission.
2) Use dead-time to ‘micro-study’

There are plenty of times throughout an average day when we find ourselves staring into
space and whiling away the minutes; waiting for the bus, sitting on the train, waiting for
your dinner to cook. Although these moments are brief and sporadic, they add-up; and
using them for micro-studying can be positive on two counts. Firstly, these brief moments
can be excellent for embedding small concepts or facts which can, in turn, give you a great
motivational boost. This sense of achievement (however modest) can help inspire you to
avoid procrastination during study time.
3) Make it as fun as possible

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Let’s face it, research, revision and essay writing will never be as fun as hanging out with
your friends. But, it’s unavoidable, so it’s worth your while to make it as appealing as
possible in order to evade procrastination. One of the best ways to jazz-up study time is to
create a reward system. For instance, for every hour of uninterrupted work, give yourself a
treat – this could be 10 minutes on Twitter, or reading a chapter of your book. Whatever
takes your fancy! Creating such a system of self-study can encourage you to get your head
down and crack on.
4) Break-down your study into chunks

Considering all of the studying you have to do en-masse can be incredibly daunting, and
can create a sense of panic and impending doom that will only feed procrastination. To
avoid this crippling situation, break your studying down into manageable chunks. For
instance, if you have an enormous essay or dissertation to complete, separate it into
different study sections: researching, writing the introduction, exploring the different topics
involved, writing the conclusion and finally proof-reading. Create a tick-list with each
‘chunk’ and tick them off as you go; perhaps rewarding yourself as you go.
5) Remove distractions
Procrastination is fuelled by silly distractions; radio in the background, family buzzing
around, friends gaming in the corner. To reduce the risk of getting drawn away from your
books, remove yourself from as many distractions as you can. This could be turning-off the
TV and shutting yourself away in your room, or perhaps even relocating to the library.
Another effective way of reducing the risk of distraction is by downloading a site-blocking
tool, such as Google Chrome’s StayFocused. With such tools you can block yourself from
visiting certain websites for a certain amount of time.
6) Live healthily
During stressful study periods, unhealthy habits can soar; you might find yourself
consuming more junk food and energy drinks and sleeping and exercising less. Ironically,
such periods are when you need to be at your most healthy to maintain energy and focus.
Resist temptation; eat healthily, make sure you sleep 6-8 hours per night and schedule in
regular daily exercise.
Dr. Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation says that “aside from the cliché that Learners
are more impulsive, in your early 20s you’re still developing your pre-frontal cortex, home of the will
power.” It is no wonder, therefore, that Learners struggle with procrastination and reject pen and
paper in favour of Facebook. Don’t beat yourself up if this sounds familiar. But follow these six simple
techniques and you should see your study-times become more successful.
5. Distance or classroom learning: what is best for you?

We know ourselves better than anyone else knows us, so making the decision to distance learn or
classroom learn should be easy. Distance learning is education where the Learner learns remotely; it
includes online learning, e-learning, home learning, and correspondence learning. Classroom
learning is the traditional method of teaching in which Learners learn together in a class, with a

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teacher/lecturer/trainer. Almost all of us will have experienced that format but before you make a
decision for your higher education, do think about the pros and cons of each style of learning.
5.1 Distance learning advantages:

Cheaper, Convenient, Time efficient: Distance learning is a good option when you live a great
distance from an appropriate college or university. Fewer costs, little or no travel, learning where you
want to whether it’s your bedroom, a library or a café, are all possible if you choose to distance learn.
Learning at your own pace: Learners learn at different speeds and distance learning allows you to
spend time on aspects that you find tricky, and less on those you find easy.
Independence: Distance learning can offer more scope to go into more depth or go off at tangents on
subjects you are particularly interested in. Choosing when you study instead of having to get to your
college, gives you the opportunity to tailor your learning to your lifestyle. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But there are what some Learners might see as disadvantages.
5.2 Distance learning disadvantages:

Solitary Learning: This is the most significant disadvantage of distance learning. With no
teacher/lecturer/trainer around, you’re on your own – no-one to pose questions to, explain difficult
concepts, put you on the right track.
Stunts Social Interaction: Solitary learning also limits who you are meeting on a day-to-day basis. In
the classroom, you would interact with Learners from different backgrounds and learn about their
cultures. Working on your own can mean that you don’t have the opportunity to make new friends
or develop your social skills. It can also inhibit a growth in confidence.
No monitoring: Evaluating your own progress is difficult. Without a teacher/lecturer/trainer present

giving you feedback or spontaneously testing, it can be tricky to know whether or not you’re learning
effectively. Still not sure? Then let’s look at the upsides of classroom learning.
5.3 Classroom learning advantages:

You have a teacher/lecturer/trainer: A teacher/lecturer/trainer is a hard-to-beat aspect of classroom
learning. A teacher/lecturer/trainer guides Learners, helps them understand difficult concepts and
helps them learn how to study efficiently.
Throwing ideas around: Being in a classroom with other Learners is a great way to get heads together
in group study. Class discussion and helping each other is one of the best ways to learn and can be
particularly appropriate when it comes to preparing for exams. Prepares you for the outside
world: Often, class learning involves standing up in class and addressing your fellow Learners. The
more you do this, the better and more confident you become and it will help once you start a career.
Mixing with Learners studying other subjects: Classroom education has the edge when it comes to
interaction. Getting to know Learners on your particular qualification and those from different
disciplines can help you understand better the direction in which you should go and, in the process,
you will make new friends.

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Healthy competition: Solitary learning can never provide you with the healthy competition you get in
a classroom, with Learners pitting their wits against each other to strive and improve.
Classroom teaching sounds engaging and effective. However, there are some cautionary notes to be
sounded…
5.4 Classroom learning disadvantages:

Structured learning: Because of the group nature of classroom learning, it has a rather rigid study
structure. Of course, how rigid depends on the teacher/lecturer/trainer and how he/she works, but it
can be a limiting factor.
Negative competition: Peer pressure is a significant and unavoidable aspect of classroom

learning. Feeling pressure to be popular, wear the ‘right’ clothes or have fashionable hobbies, can all
affect Learners deeply.
Inhibits imagination: At times the rigid structure of learning of classroom learning may limit the
growth and scope of a Learner’s creativity, independence of thought and innovation.
Cost: Classroom learning can be a lot more expensive than distance learning which has far fewer, if
any, costs for qualification material, tuition fees, accommodation fees and commuting expenses.
If you’re still unsure how to decide your best learning style, think about what kind of person you are.
Are you independent, motivated, or with a preference for solitary study? Or do you have a liking for
structured and supported education and being with like-minded people with whom you can bounce
ideas around?
Maybe also your age is a factor. Young, straight-from-school Learners may be attracted to classroom
learning, a tried and tested method for them and one that develops their social lives. Older people,
on the other hand, perhaps with full-time jobs and busy lives away from education, may find distance
learning enticingly convenient.
6. The pitfalls of skipping class

It’s 7am, your alarm clock is buzzing and you know you should get up – now – if you want to make it
to class on time. But the temptation of the ‘snooze’ button and your warm, comfy bed are too much
to bare. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Indulging in lie-ins at the expense of lectures and
seminars is the scourge of many a Learner. But missing class can have devastating effects on your
studies and it’s important to nip any bad habits in the bud before they get too ingrained…
According to a recent Harvard study which analysed Tweets about attendance, 87% of Learners
admitted to skipping class. And there are a number of reasons why: it could be good, old-fashioned
laziness that keeps you behind; or dread at boredom in class; it could even be a sense of
complacency (perhaps you think you know all there is to know about a specific topic already), or a
confidence that you aren’t going to write your assignment on this subject-strand, so don’t need to
bother going. But for some Learners, the reason behind skipping class is more sinister; for some,
social anxiety, and perhaps even depression, can lead to worrying dips in attendance.

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Although the reasons behind missing lectures and seminars can vary, the pitfalls remain the same…
You could miss out on important information. It might sound obvious, but missing class means that
you forego the opportunity to learn about certain things; things that might just crop-up in an exam,
or could form an integral part of an assignment. By missing class, you are – in a sense – setting
yourself up to fail.
Active learning helps to embed knowledge

One reason you might be keen to skip a specific class could be that you’ve already read-up on the
topic at hand and therefore feel you would get no benefit from attending class. But the interactive
nature of class is a great way of cementing your understanding. Seminars provide Learners with the
opportunity to discuss, debate and explore a subject in a way that just isn’t possible during self-
study. Your fellow Learners or tutor might address a misunderstanding of yours, illuminate
knowledge gaps, or provide you with the opportunity of viewing something from a different
perspective. All of which could be vital in maximising your success. In addition, the note-taking that
forms such a key part of higher education can help embed knowledge as you listen to facts and
reframe them in your own words. Lecture notes are also great for revision and could seriously help to
improve your grades.
You could harm the relationship with your tutor

Although it might not be on your list of priorities, maintaining a good relationship with your tutors is
key to making the most out of your course. Not only will they form a better opinion of you if you
have positive attendance rates (which could be key for securing a good reference come graduation
time), but you will feel more able to approach them if you ever need their support.
You could miss out on the opportunity of meeting new friends

Attending class is the best way of creating strong bonds with your classmates, who could provide you
with excellent support throughout your studies and even beyond if you really click. By skipping class
you starve yourself of the opportunity to nurture good relationships; which form a key part of
emotional health.
So, next time you feel the urge to skip class, think again. The benefits of regular attendance are
manifold and will all contribute to your overall success. If you are really struggling, then seek support
from your classmates and tutor and take a look at our blog ‘Studying with Depression’ for more
advice.
7. English: A global language

It is thought that about a quarter of the world’s population of 7.4 million (March 2016) can
communicate – to a great or lesser extent – in English. It is now the third most spoken language in
the world after Mandarin and Spanish, and in Asia alone, 350 million people speak English – more
than the number of native speakers in the USA, Canada and the UK put together. So, how and why
has this happened? And what does it mean for young professionals the world over?
In the Middle Ages, language was Latin dominated; in the 18th century, French ruled the roost, but
when the British began to explore the world and colonise, they took with them their language to
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, to India, Asia and Africa; in fact you could say, right

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around the world. As Britain’s industrial, economic and political power and influence grew, so too did
the English-speaking world and today, English is the global language of business, science, air traffic
control, computers, international politics and diplomacy, academia and finance – and of the BBC
Radio World Service and Hollywood.
Travel anywhere in the world and English is the language you will hear at hotel reception desks, in
shops and restaurants and at tourist attractions, being spoken not just to native English speakers but
to all foreigners, as a linguistic bridge of communication.
Teaching English as a foreign language is an expanding industry currently worth about £2 billion,
while growing awareness of the huge advantage English-speaking countries have and the importance
for young career-minded people around the world to gain a strong grasp of English, means that the
momentum for it to embed itself as the official global language could well be irresistible.
A report from The British Council published in 2013 says:

“English changes lives. The impact of globalisation and economic development has made English the
language of opportunity and a vital means of improving an individual’s prospects for well-paid
employment.” Political and economic factors have been the main driving forces in spreading English
around the world, but other factors may have been incidental in encouraging its growth.
There are 20 volumes of the revised OED (Oxford English Dictionary) containing 615,000 words,
200,000 of which are in common use. Thanks to this vast vocabulary, English has a richness and
depth other languages lack. The grammar is also easier than other languages with no noun genders
and no familiar and formal forms. Sentence construction is not totally rigid either and, although
there are plenty of examples where logic seems to have been cast aside, still 84% of words conform
to general patterns and rules.
Historically, English has also been highly absorbent, embracing words from Old Norse, Norman
French, Arabic, Indian, Chinese, among other languages. This gives it a cosmopolitan flavour, while its
cultural and class connotations have given it a legitimacy and importance.
With so many people from so many different countries learning and speaking the language,
inevitably, there are different ‘Englishes’ emerging: Singlish in Singapore, Taglish in the Philippines,
Pidgin English in parts of Asia, Spanglish in Mexico, and Globish, an international incarnation, to
name a few, all of which are developing words, syntax, pronunciations and a character of their own.
As Salman Rushdie says in Imaginary Homelands (Granta Books 1992): “What seems to be happening
is that those people who were once colonized by the language are now rapidly remaking it,
domesticating it, becoming more and more relaxed about the way they use it – assisted by the
English language’s enormous flexibility and size, they are carving out large territories for themselves
within its frontiers.”
As it spreads, that evolution will continue. More and more, the changes will not be within the control
of its native speakers but rather those across the world who speak English as a second language. In
fifty years time, the various Englishes now developing could be having an impact on standard native

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English and it’s possible that, further into the future, the language as we know it will come to sound
as unfamiliar as Old English sounds today…
Proper English Grammar – does it matter?

Are you a user of the grocer’s apostrophe, do you write ‘your’ when you mean ‘you’re’, ‘could of’
instead of ‘could have’, and do you construct entire emails without commas, full stops or capital
letters?
If so, you may be damaging your career prospects. Criticism of literacy standards comes from
educational bodies, literacy experts and business employers, who believe that bad grammar, spelling
and punctuation, mean bad business.
Why? They believe that if you can’t spell accurately, punctuate correctly or construct a sentence
grammatically, if you can’t communicate information effectively or produce business-like
correspondence, you are not properly equipped with the skills required to be employable,
particularly for post-graduate jobs. Bad grammar is either anathema or a matter of disinterest, so
faux pas like the ones below may go unnoticed, or, they could make a boss weep:
The most frequently seen punctuation gaffe is the grocer’s apostrophe which pops up routinely in
bog-standard plurals – orange’s, apple’s, onion’s etc, or ‘pine range’s, table set’s, sofa’s, bed’s’, and
even, ‘lot’s more’. In 2014, Tesco, the supermarket giant, won The Idler Academy Bad Grammar
Awards with the double superlative gem, ‘most tastiest’, when describing its own-brand orange juice,
while a council road sign warning ‘slow children crossing’ left some drivers on the look-out for
uncharacteristically slow-moving children and others looking for the much-needed comma.
There are plenty of people who don’t mind these howlers; as Charlie Higson, comedian and author,
says in The Guardian newspaper: “People all round the world, and for thousands upon thousands of
years, have been using language to communicate perfectly well without needing to be told how to
do it by a bunch of grammar Nazis who think that the way they talk and write is the correct,
unchanging way.”
Newspaper columnist and sketch writer for the Daily Mail, Quentin Letts, disagrees: “Grammar is the
coat hanger on which language can hang. Grammar is not just about grammar: it is also about logic
and intellectual rigour. We need those skills if our country is to compete with the likes of China, India,
Russia and Brazil.”
8. The importance of maths skills

It’s likely that almost every mathematics teacher/lecturer/trainer has, at some point, been asked by a
frustrated Learner, ‘what’s the point in learning maths?’. More than any other, maths is a subject that
baffles and dispirits, a marmite subject either loved or loathed, leaving adults who are marked by a
lack of passion, little ability or bad teaching, insisting they don’t need maths in their everyday lives
anyway.
But does that add up? After all, maths is present in every aspect of our lives. If we look at nature,
maths is there in its patterns and structures – the complex hives of bees, spiders’ webs, the perfect
symmetry of snowflakes. In everyday life, whether we are shopping, planning a holiday, applying for

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a mortgage or measuring up for new curtains, maths is there, and in our jobs, as mechanics or
doctors, musicians or cooks, shopkeepers or architects, maths is there.
The ICM qualification list is full of qualifications which include modules on finance or accounting,
obvious ones like project management, retail, purchasing and supply, business, and accountancy, but
also less obviously maths-orientated careers such as maritime management and sports
management.
More advanced maths, largely unseen and unappreciated by the vast majority of us, has many
acknowledged, practical applications in areas such as, politics, engineering, computer science,
statistics and data analysis, while for purists, maths is an awesome discipline in its own right, lauded
by experts as challenging and beautiful – the queen of science.
Its importance in our lives should not, therefore, be underestimated. Try managing your personal
finances, understanding health information or making sense of economic news or statistics without
numeracy, and it would soon lead to chaos and bad decision-making. Without realising it, our
decisions both inside and outside the home are often based on numerical information. Even
something as simple as following a cake recipe or understanding your restaurant bill, requires
numeracy, and so too does understanding the UK’s deficit or global warming statistics. In short, to
make the best cakes and the best decisions, we need to be numerate.
Even advanced maths which doesn’t appear to have an obvious application is important, says
Professor Sir Timothy Gowers, a Royal Society Research Professor at the Department of Pure
Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at Cambridge University. Using such knowledge in research
may not yield any practical applications for years, he says, but still there is a value in maths research
because advancing the subject has deep implications for human progress. However, says Gowers: “A
typical mathematician does not actively try to be useful.”
For him or her, the subject is enough as a mental exercise alone, a thing of beauty, interesting,
enjoyable, challenging and satisfying. Its principles of pattern and structure, logic, deduction and
calculation furnish it with the tools for understanding a whole host of fields and hold the key to
developing careers for the future.
The capacity maths has to develop imagination, train in clear and logical thought, enable reasoning
and problem solving and, at the same time, be creative and be an international language which
transcends cultural boundaries, makes mathematics one of the most crucial disciplines on earth,
making difficult things easy, explaining why things are as they are, and challenging research
mathematicians to harvest the huge amounts of data that technology now enables them to
accumulate and apply it in our technologically advanced world. “A good way to look at mathematics
as a whole is that it is a huge body of knowledge, a bit like an encyclopaedia, but with an enormous
number of cross-references,” says Gowers.
9. Getting a Job
9.1. Employability skills

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It’s all very well having impressive qualifications but if you don’t have employability skills, you will be
letting yourself down. In a recent Confederation of British Industry (CBI) skills survey, 44% of
employers said they were not satisfied with the levels of business and customer awareness among
candidates. The CBI says the vast majority of graduates do have many of the capabilities employers
need, but it’s not universal and not everyone has enough.
Employability means a set of achievements and skills, understandings and personal attributes that
make Learners more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which
benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy.
It goes without saying that young recruits looking for work should be producing sparkling CVs,
excellent covering letters and developing a good interview style, but the Department of Education,
Science and Training, in partnership with the BBC and Microsoft and reported in the Financial Times,
points out a number of other areas that should not be neglected. These include written, verbal and
communication skills, teamwork, commercial awareness, analytical skills, initiative and drive, time
management, planning and organisation and flexibility.
What if you think you may lack some or all of these skills?
There are several ways to increase your attractiveness to potential employers. Here are a few:
 Work shadowing: learning from others can be highly instructive.
 Working part-time or in your holidays: learning how to deal with customers, handle
money and work under pressure will hold you in good stead for your future career.
 Using your qualification: analysis, verbal communication, numeracy, teamwork, IT and
technical skills can all be honed while at college or university.
 Developing leadership skills: by heading up a club or society, leading a project,
captaining a sport’s team or being a mentor you will pick up the skills required to lead in
your job.
 Improving writing and speaking skills: being at college should help these disciplines –
writing dissertations and essays, debating, doing drama, contributing to seminars or
giving presentations.
 Get better at working in a team and co-operating: Become involved in group projects,
the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, an orchestra or band.
 Planning and organisation: by working out a revision schedule, a qualification project,
organising society or Learners’ union activities will all help to improve your planning and
organisational skills.
 Become commercially aware: this can be done by reading the business sections of
newspapers, going on a business course, talking to businessmen etc.
These are just a few ideas. There are other skills it’s a good idea to have such as self-motivation,
flexibility, effective networking, good decision-making and the art of persuasion. No-one can be
talented at everything though, so concentrate on the key skills or the ones you feel may be most
helpful to you in your future career.
9.2 How to make your CV look good

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Research shows you’ve only got a matter of seconds to catch an employer’s eye, so you have to make
sure your CV looks neat, professional and attractive. Here’s how…
According to the results of a study conducted by recruitment site TheLadders.com, your CV has – on
average – just six seconds to impress an employer before they make the initial ‘suitable/not suitable’
decision. Which means it needs to make a positive visual impression; as well as conveying your
relevant skills and experience quickly and clearly, of course – if you haven’t yet, take a look at our
blog ‘CV Advice: The Essentials‘ for more information on how to do this.
Layout
Unless you are applying for a design role (in which case a touch of creativity wouldn’t go amiss),
keeping your CV neat and consistent is vitally important…
- Stick to portrait orientation: if you vary too much from accepted CV formats then it’ll
delay the recruiter’s ability to analyse how suitable you are for the role. And considering
you only have a few seconds to impress, this could be valuable time wasted. You want to
stand-out, but for the right reasons; namely organisation and professionalism.
- Make sure it’s short and sweet: experts all agree that CVs should fit onto two A4 sides,
at most. A recruiter’s interests will wane if your CV is dauntingly long and the chances are
you’ll land in the wrong pile.
- Ensure your page margins are all symmetrical: it’s simple and easy to double-check your
CV’s margins, and it can significantly contribute to the document’s tidiness.
- Save your CV as a PDF file: formatting can get mixed-up across different platforms, so
saving it as a PDF will ensure consistency.
- Use a neat, professional typeface…
Choosing the right typeface

According to letterer and illustrator Jessica Hische “typefaces definitely have personality”. And
because CVs are all about personal branding, you need to choose one which reflects the person
you’re trying to convey to an employer; most probably professional, reliable and organised.
And according to a 2013 study conducted by the New York Times and film-maker and author Errol
Morris, there’s one font that takes the biscuit: Baskerville. Gathering 45,000 participants under the
pretence that they were being tested to see if they were naturally optimistic or negative, Morris and
his team asked readers which statement they found the most trustworthy. All the statements said
the same thing, but were written in different fonts; Baskerville came out on top. Other serif
typefaces, including Garamond and Cambria, are also recommended by recruitment experts,
because, like Baskerville, they’re associated with reliability and authority.
“Since a prospective employer is looking at the résumé for only [a few] seconds, you want [a font]
that is aesthetically pleasing and grabs the employer’s attention at a quick glance,” said certified
professional résumé writer and founder of The Writing Guru, Wendi Weiner. “The résumé should be
sophisticated in design with clear headings that stand-out.”

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Although the content of your CV is the document’s most important aspect, presenting it well is also
vital to grabbing a recruiter’s attention initially.
9.3. Psychometric testing: The new CV?

You’ve jumped all the hurdles and have a stack of written qualifications to show off to prospective
employers, but companies have added another string to their bow in the recruitment process. Along
with the traditional requirements of a CV, formal interview and references, they are now increasingly
likely to be using psychometric testing to select new employees. Modern psychometric testing has its
roots in the work of Sir Francis Galton (a cousin of Charles Darwin), James Cattell – who first coined
the term, ‘mental test’ – and Alfred Binet – who introduced the first modern intelligence test.
From those early days and throughout the 20th century, psychological tests have evolved and grown
in popularity and today, they are widely used, especially when recruiting graduates. A 2007 survey,
reported in The Daily Telegraph, suggested that up to 70% of British organisations were using some
form of psychometric assessment in their recruitment processes and it seems that for almost all
types of jobs, at all levels, there is now a test that claims to predict who will make the best employee.
Psychometric tests are used to assess candidates’ strengths and to provide insights into their natural
abilities. There are many different types aiming to shed light on your personality, aptitudes,
reasoning powers and behavioural style – in short, to assess your suitability for the job for which you
have applied.
Perhaps the most used test is the personality test. Expect questions such as; are you more inclined to
experiment than to follow familiar approaches, are you more gentle than firm or more firm than
gentle and do you value justice higher than mercy? Such questions seem nebulous, yet practitioners
maintain that the answers can reveal truths about candidates, which traditional interviewing cannot.
Depending on the potential job, you might also have to complete several reasoning tests – maybe
verbal, numerical or abstract, perhaps mechanical if you are applying for an engineering or technical
post, and often situational judgment tests which can measure your suitability based on your
responses to work-related situations.
As well as measuring intelligence, critical reasoning and personality, the tests can also indicate your
motivation, values, priorities, opinions and, some claim, unearth hidden traits. It all seems a bit scary
but taking psychometric tests is not like taking an exam as they tend to involve multi-choice
questions with no right or wrong answers and at the end, you are simply given scores and
categorised.
Given the shortcomings of other means of candidate assessment – the subjectivity and possible bias
of a formal interview, the hard-to-verify sales patter of a CV, and the common belief that job
references aren’t worth the paper they’re written on because data protection laws make it hard for
employers to be honest – fans of psychometric testing point to the scientific credibility and
objectivity it lends to the recruitment process, offering a fair and accurate way of assessing a

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candidate and eliminating those deemed to be unsuitable quickly and efficiently, thus cutting
recruitment costs, in some cases, by 30-40%.
The cost benefit is valuable to companies in itself, but supporters of psychometric testing also believe
the tests can weed out those candidates who are simply ‘good in interviews’ and give shy job seekers
a chance to shine. Added to that, they say, the opportunity to compare candidates to each other and
to an employer’s expectations can act as a benchmark while, at the same time, gauging potential in a
candidate, rather than other recruitment tools that tend to highlight already-stated skills.
Detractors, however, maintain that psychometric testing cannot guarantee a successful recruitment
and that not all candidates are truthful when answering the questions. Worse still, they say that
some tests may not be fit for purpose, because correct training has not been given or because they
allow gender, age, race or mental health bias. Whichever camp recruiters fall into, it must be said
that psychometric testing is not a magic bullet. However, as one part of the recruitment process, it
may have its place even if, at the end of all that testing, interviewing and paperwork, the hunt for the
perfect employee still seems elusive.
9.4 The most difficult interview questions and how to answer them
A few years ago, Google became notorious for putting questions of extreme difficulty to job
interviewees. After much criticism, these eye-watering posers were eventually abandoned but for
the unfortunate people hoping to land a job with the corporation, the experience no doubt left scars.
Here are just a few of Google’s little gems presumably crafted to bring out applicants’ creativity,
ingenuity, mental versatility and articulacy:
 How many piano tuners are there in the world?
 Describe the colour yellow to a blind person.
 How many golf balls fit into a school bus?
 How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?
Don’t worry, you’re unlikely to be faced with questions like these at your job interviews, but don’t be
complacent either. Just because you’re in the running, that coveted job isn’t in the bag just yet.
Often, it’s in the later interview stages when competition is stiffer and the stakes are higher, that the
questions get harder, not as hard as Google questions but tricky nonetheless. Here are ten of the
knottiest questions you’re likely to be asked:
 What is your greatest weakness?

This is a common late-stage question and it’s not easy to answer well, but a word of advice,
don’t say, ‘I don’t have any weaknesses’. Everyone has weaknesses, so focus on turning any
weaknesses you have into positives by saying something like you work too hard or you’re a
perfectionist. On the other hand, you could take a gamble and be honest because some
interviewers aren’t looking to trip you up, they simply want to find out whether you are
self-aware and able to criticise yourself.
 Can you tell me a little about yourself?

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That’s an easy question, you think, but think again. You ought to avoid a detailed account of
your passion for stamp collecting and you should resist a full no-holds-barred run-down of
your education and previous jobs. Instead, try to base your answer on your achievements
and the highlights of your life that may qualify you for the job.
 Why are there gaps in your employment history?

Any gaps, whether caused by unemployment or sabbaticals, are a negative to a potential
employer so sound positive. Explain how your time not working allowed you to focus on
discovering new skills. Maybe you took classes or volunteered, anything that suggests
positive action. Avoid at all costs giving the interviewer the impression that you watched a
lot of daytime TV or honed your computer game skills. If you were fired from a job, be
honest and say what you learnt from your mistakes.
 What salary do you deserve?

Tricky, especially if you feel uncomfortable negotiating payment. Do some research online
about what salaries similar jobs might command so you’re not way off the mark.
 Where do you see yourself in five years?

Don’t say, ‘I have no idea’. Try to forge an answer that suggests you have ambition, goals
and plans. An interviewer will pay real attention to your answer because he or she will
know it’s in a company’s best interests to nurture these qualities and keep good people.
 Why should I hire you?

Prepare for this one and single out your past achievements so that you can show a good
track record. The interviewer is trying to find out how ready you are for the job so highlight
your abilities and accomplishments as they could be applied to the job itself. If you are
over-qualified for the job, reassure the hirer that your high-level skills can be used in the
job advertised.
 What do you know about our company?

Do your homework and write down a few key points to show that you’re interested and
well-informed. Look for newspaper articles which may help you size up the company’s
strategies, plans and values.
 What would your worst enemy say about you?

This question has everything to do with how you react to others and the way you feel that
people perceive you. The interviewer isn’t interested in your worst enemy so there’s no
point trying to paint him or her in a bad light. Focus on making a positive from a negative.
 What didn’t you like about your last job/why are you leaving your current job?
This is a tough one, but you need to be honest and positive. Whatever you do, don’t knock
your past employers. Instead, offer a response that shows you want new opportunities and
explain why and how this role and company is a better fit than previous positions. The
interviewer may be probing to find a weakness so suggest that you are hungry for more

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responsibility, didn’t feel stretched enough or that you’ve gone as far as you can go in your
current position.
 Do you have any questions for us?

Don’t say, ‘No’! Reinforce your interest in the job by asking the interviewer what they like
about the company and the company culture. Ask questions about the department you
would be working in, the team you’d work with, ask about new projects or products, the
company’s initiatives, new strategies etc.
Mostly, interviewers ask challenging questions in order to coax out of candidates aspects of their
personalities that may be relevant to the job, how they perceive themselves, their communication
skills and their potential value to the company, so planning well should mean you won’t be stumped
by tricky questions.
9.5 Questions to ask at the end of an interview

You’ve survived to the closing stage of that all-important interview and are feeling pretty good about
yourself when the interviewer suddenly asks you if you’ve got any questions…
You weren’t ready for that one and the ball unexpectedly landing in your court stops you in your
tracks. The coveted job opportunity slips away from you, beads of cold sweat glisten on your
forehead and your brain stops working. Nightmare! But meltdown doesn’t have to happen. Simply
think ahead. Prepare a few questions before the interview and you will be ready to end the session
with your composure intact. Asking questions is an opportunity to find out more about the position
you’ve applied for, to show your interest and drive and to demonstrate that you’ve done your
research about the company, its history, aims, ambitions and the field in which it operates. Avoid
questions that only require a yes or no answer. Equally, it’s a bad move to ask questions that are too
complicated and could faze the interviewer.
Here are a few suggestions of useful questions to ask:

 What’s a typical day for someone in this position? This question gives you a chance to
hear about the role and gain an insight into the qualities the successful candidate might
need.
 What’s the biggest challenge/opportunity for the company/department at the moment?
This might help you understand what to expect in the first months of your new job.
 Can you tell me about the general culture of the company? This might help you decide
whether you will fit in.
 Are there training opportunities available? In other words, will I be able to advance
within the company?
 Similarly, are there promotion chances? Another signal that you’re thinking about
moving up within the company.
 Why did you choose this company and what do you like about working here? This could
be quite revealing.
 Am I a good fit for the job? Ask this and you’ll have an opportunity to describe your
strengths and argue your case should the interviewer point out a couple of your
weaknesses.

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 Why is the previous person leaving? This is a fair enough question to ask and if
answered in a straight way, it could offer you some insight into a whole range of
features of the position, and something about the company itself.
 What do you think are the qualities needed to be successful in the role? Another
question that should illicit information to help you decide if you’re a good fit.
 How do I compare to the perfect candidate? Again, this question will offer insights.
 What is the time frame for making decisions about hiring a new employee?
 What are the company’s aims in the next few years? The answer to this could indicate
how ambitious and forward-thinking the company is; you don’t want to end up working
for a deadbeat company.
 Is there anyone else I will have the opportunity to meet before the end of the interview
process? If so, you might have an opportunity to see the company and your role from a
different angle.
 Can I call you if any other questions occur to me?
Don’t ask too many questions. You wouldn’t want to irritate or overload the interviewer and most
importantly, don’t ask questions about the salary, holidays, perks, company cars etc at the
interview. Those subjects can be broached later on.
9.6 How to deal with interview nerves

Do you get butterflies every time you think of your first job interview post-graduation? You’re
certainly not alone if so; according to a recent study by Harris Interactive and Everest College in
America, job interviews make 92% of adults feel anxious. “I think that nervousness prior to a job
interview is caused mostly by the fact that there’s so much at stake,” explains Andy Teach, author
of From Graduation to Corporation, and host of the YouTube channel FromGradToCorp. “Getting a
job, especially one you really want, can certainly impact your self-worth and general happiness. It
enables you to pay your bills, save money, have health insurance, and do something every day that
you look forward to doing. It makes you feel like you are contributing to the greater good of the
company; that you are a part of something bigger than yourself,” he adds. In addition to the internal
changes nerves can invoke (think racing heart, angsty thoughts and jelly legs), the pressure of an
interview scenario can also make us act differently, and can even change our outward appearance.
So, in order to ensure you make a winning impression on a potential employer, it’s important you
keep a hold on those butterflies. Here are a few tips to help out…
 Breathe deeply - Just as your heart rate increases when you feel a dose of anxiety, so too
can the speed at which you speak. The problem with super-speedy-speech is two-fold. The
first is technical; the faster you speak, the harder your listeners will have to concentrate –
particularly if you end up stumbling over your words. The second sends out a clear-cut
signal that you are nervous. Now, while everyone understands that all interviewees will feel
jittery, it’s also important that you project confidence and self-belief. To try and avoid
whizzing through your words, pre-interview take a few minutes to breathe deeply and
slowly; this should slow down your heart rate, which should – in turn – calm and slow you
down generally.
When we’re nervous, our bodies also release the hormone adrenalin, which increases our
blood circulation and metabolism in a bid to ready our muscles for fight or flight; an

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evolutionary throw-back that helps us avoid danger. One side effect of increased adrenalin
is shaky hands. And just like speedy talking, shaky hands are a tell-tale sign that you’re
nervous. And just like reducing speedy speech, deep breathing is the best way to calm
those shakes. Try breathing in slowly for four seconds, holding for your seconds, and then
breathing out for four seconds; a technique dubbed ‘tactical breathing’ and utilised by the
military to preserve adrenalin and manage nerves.
 Arrive early - Arriving early for an interview gives you time to prepare; figure out where
you need to go, get accustomed to the environment, visit the toilet, and take those vital
deep breaths! If you arrive with little time to spare you’ll be flustered and more likely to
project a nervy demeanour.
 Do your homework - “My biggest piece of advice to Learners is always do your research,”
says Ashley Strausser, associate director of the Center for Career and Professional
Development at Otterbein University. “The best way to stay calm is to be very prepared in
every way possible. The more time you spend preparing, the more confident you’ll be.
Research the company and the industry, write down the questions you have for the
interviewer, practice answers to anticipated questions aloud – either by yourself or with a
friend or family member who will give you honest feedback, and write down the three to
five things you want the interviewer to know about you before the interview ends so you
can tailor your answers appropriately.”
While anxiety is entirely normal and can give job candidates a much needed energy boost, getting a
grip of those jitters is key to projecting a confident and attractive persona. So, try these three simple
techniques to help bust those interview nerves!
9.7 From Learner to employee

Going into the real world after graduation can be daunting. After several years of relative freedom,
fun and, presumably, some work, you are finally ready to launch yourself into the job market and be
a proper grown-up. The prospect can be enticing. Often though, comes a startling reality check as
the implications of starting a career dawn on you.
Having lie-ins, being late for lectures or seminars, long summer breaks will all be a thing of the
past. You may not even have appreciated those little luxuries at the time, but now, faced with the
less forgiving environment of entering the working world – where being late will, in the end, get you
fired, and as the new boy or girl, your holiday may be allocated to you in January – you look back on
those happy days and mourn them. No, it’s not quite as bad as that! But, the transition from Learner
to employee can be a tricky one, so here are a few things to bear in mind.
 Do some research well in advance of leaving college. Your institution and professional
bodies can help you find a mentor, give you tips on networking, information on
internships, or scholarship, research and job opportunities.
 Use what you’ve learnt at college about managing your time to help you in your new job
and to keep a balance between your job and your social life.

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 College is a rite of passage, a period in your life that you will always remember, probably
with affection, for its freedoms and scope for making mistakes. At work, mistakes may
not be viewed as sympathetically and missing deadlines – while you could get away with
handing in an essay a few days late at college – will not be well received if done
repeatedly.
 You’ve done well at college and have a sheath of qualifications to prove it, but don’t be
cocky. In starting a new job, focus on what you can contribute rather than on how
impressed your new employer is with you.
 Finding a job isn’t easy for most people. The harsh reality is that job-hunting is hard
work, time-consuming and it can be disheartening. Many people will be chasing the
same jobs as you, so get ahead by networking and learning how to be a good
interviewee.
 “You want me to do what??” Even if you have to make the coffee or run errands, don’t
turn up your nose at a lowly job. It’s a start. Going in at the bottom gives you a chance
to get to know the business. When you’ve landed your first job, it may have long hours,
low pay and require hard work, but look upon it as a chance to prove yourself.
 It’s unlikely that you will be totally prepared for your day-to-day working life – working
in a team may be a new experience, dealing with people and different personalities too,
managing your own money or moving to an area where you know no-one, all these
issues can unsettle you.
 If you’re lucky enough to be offered more than one job, you need to weigh up which
one is for you. What matters to you? Is it the salary, the perks, the clear career path, the
good working conditions, the holidays, the lovely boss? Choose wisely!
 Smarten up! You’re not a Learner any more so dress professionally, and don’t spend the
day on social media – many companies have tracking devices on company computers
that monitor activity.
These are just some of the considerations when you leave college; there are many more – and there
are many people who can help you make it easier than you might think, but at the end of the day, it’s
only a positive attitude that can make the transition painless and possibly even exciting as well. Good
Luck!
9.8 Useful websites

The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/business
The Times www.business.timesonline.co.uk
The Daily Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk/money
Business Week www.businessweek.com
Bank of England www.bankofengland.co.uk
BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business
Business in the Community www.bitc.org.uk
Federation of Small Businesseswww.fsb.org.uk
The Business Channel www.thebusinesschannel.com
Dragons Den www.bbc.co.uk/dragonden
British Franchise Association http://www.thebfa.org/

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Bized http://www.bized.co.uk/
BBC Bitesize www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/
Business Link www.businesslink,gov.uk
Business Plans / Starting-up http://www.uk250.co.uk/frame/5379/barclays.html
Enterprise and Entrepreneurs http://www.ft.com/indepth/enterpriseweek.
Federation of Small Businesseshttp://www.fsb.org.uk/
Statistics http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
Times 100 http://www.thetimes100.co.uk
Revision http://rapidrevision.co.uk/business-studies-Learner/
Business studies online www.businessstudiesonline.co.uk
10. Social media
This guide to social media is relevant to Learners and affiliate users of all ICM social media. ICM's
social media is provided for educational, training and research purposes. ICM reserves the right to
exclude/delete comments from these systems and anyone who fails to demonstrate respectful
behaviour may face ICM disciplinary procedures, criminal procedures, or both.
When communicating on ICM systems you must:
 Remember that you are conversing with real people so the normal rules of social
interaction apply.
 Always be respectful and think of others when interacting with any body’s social
media.
 Give proper acknowledgement when using quotations as these are regarded as the
intellectual property of the authors:
- either in a publication (electronic or printed)
- or where the user incorporates material into a contribution where that user is not
the author.
 Direct personal exchanges to a user's mailbox (i.e. an email), not on a public page or
forum.
 Ensure that any contributions made to further the aims of the forum are appropriate
to the discussion.
When communicating on ICM systems you mustn’t:

 Contribute illegal or offensive material. Any material which is considered to be illegal or
offensive may be removed from the system and ICM may take action against you with
ICM disciplinary procedures and/or criminal procedures.
 Use the remoteness of the recipients as an excuse to communicate in an anti-social
manner. Examples of such anti-social behaviour are:
- Harassment or intimidation of another user
- Person-to-person aggression
- Deviation from the spirit of a conference
- Group intimidation of a another user

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- Doxing. Researching and revealing the personal details of another user and
urging people to contact them in an attempt to intimidate.
 Excessive or inappropriate use of jargon, swear words and banter.
 Make contributions containing personal comments about other users and their views in
public forums.
 Use them for any business or significant personal purposes.
 Copy or forward private messages to another person without the author's explicit
permission. This is a breach of confidentiality.
 Bully other users.
Issues concerning private email or chat
If you have received an unwanted communication from another user on one of the ICM’s
communication systems, then the first stage is to contact that user to request that they do not make
any further contact with you. If the communication contains offensive or illegal material, or your
request that an individual does not contact you is ignored, you may make a formal complaint to
[email protected].
Issues relating to radicalisation

If the use of ICM Social Media causes concern that a person may be at risk of being drawn into
terrorism, if you are concerned, or have any suspicion that a fellow Learners is in danger of being
radicalised, contact the Chief Executive Officer, Adair Ford for confidential advice at
[email protected].
In summary:
1. ICM's social media is provided for educational, training and research purposes. You must not
use them for any business or significant personal purposes.
2. You must not jeopardise the integrity, performance, availability or reliability of the ICM's
computing resources.
3. When you use the ICM social media and ICM public forums, you are expected to follow the
same standards of respectable behaviour that apply to normal rules of social interaction.
4. You must not interfere with information that belongs to another user.
5. You must not copy software or information that does not belong to you without permission;
you should always use quotations when citing another author’s work (See section 3.4 of this
handbook).
6. You must not use ICM's social media to create or distribute obscene, libellous, defamatory,
malicious or illegal material.
7. You must inform the Chief Executive Officer, Adair Ford at [email protected] if a
fellow Learner is in danger of being radicalised, or you have a concern of any terrorist risk.
10.1 Facebook
The ICM Facebook page is to be used as a platform for Learner engagement. It is also a great way to
network with people on other ICM qualifications. It is also an opportunity to receive regular updates
on what’s going on at ICM and any new ICM qualifications. With regular updating and monitoring
Facebook should be used by Learners if they have general queries about qualifications. When using
this form of social media as a platform, please demonstrate respectful behaviour.

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More information from the social media platform itself on how to use Facebook responsibly can be
found through this link: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms
10.2 Twitter
The ICM Twitter page should be used by Learners to share opinions and views through a tweet; it can
be a great way to share opinions with fellow Learners and ICM. Twitter is for Learners to have access
to regular updates on ICM and ICM qualifications. When using this form of social media as a
platform, please demonstrate respectful behaviour.
More information from the social media platform itself on how to use Twitter responsibly can be
found through this link: https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules
10.3 Instagram
The ICM Instagram account is a platform that Learners can support each other and share ideas
around ICM’s work and beliefs. Instagram will be updated and monitored regularly, responding to
any comments or questions posted by followers and any requests for posts will be considered. When
using this form of social media as a platform, please demonstrate respectful behaviour.
More information from the social media platform itself on how to use Instagram responsibly can be
found through this link: https://help.instagram.com/478745558852511/
10.4 Linked In
The ICM Linked In account is a more business orientated social media platform, mainly for
professional networking many of whom have gone on to senior positions as a result of ICM
qualifications. Linked In is to help Learners search for people, opportunities and jobs, Learners can
seek company profiles of potential employers and employers can search for Learners with specific
skills. ICM’s Linked in should be used by Learners to add business connections through known fellow
ICM qualification Learners and to view and connect to accomplished alumni of ICM qualifications
posted on ICM’s Linked In page. ICM’s Linked In page could be used as an example of how to lay out a
personal Linked In account; ICM’s Linked In page will provide access to links for guidance for Learners
on how to create a commending Linked In profile. When using this form of social media as a
platform, please demonstrate respectful behaviour.
More information from the social media platform itself on how to use Linked In responsibly can be
found through this link: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement

Page 41 of 41

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Learner

Institute of Commercial Management (ICM)

2. Learners with special needs

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

What does this mean?

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

What needs to be done

Reading relevant course

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Tips to help dyslexic Learners

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

3. Good academic practice

3.3 Facilitating academic malpractice

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

There is a distinct difference between referencing, paraphrasing and quoting:

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

3.5 What are citations?

Citing in the text

3.6 When do I have to cite?

3.7 How do I cite?

Citations come in three accepted forms:-

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Citing in the reference list or bibliography

Journal article (Print)

Journal article (Electronic)

Newspaper article (Print)

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

3.8 In summary how and when to use citations

One more thing…

4. The revision toolkit

So, how should it be done?

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.1 Being organised

What needs to be done

Reading course book and

4.2 Finding support

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.3 Being imaginative

4.4. Memory training

Neuropsychologist, Dr Joanna Iddon, co-author of Memory Boosters, says of absent-mindedness: “In

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.6 Why you should plan your down-time

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.7. The dangers of all-night study sessions

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.8. How to avoid overworking

4.9 Maintaining a healthy study-life balance

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.10 Stress busting tips

4.11 So what exactly do the techniques of Mindfulness involve?

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.12 The stress relieving benefits of Mindfulness

Learner Handbook August 2018 (renewal date August 2020)

4.13 Avoid procrastination: the key to successful studying