Give yourself credit for what you have learned
Over several years I have been involved in university programmes that build workplace learning into the coursework where the students are asked to apply their academic learning to real life situations and reflect and report on what happens. I love reading this kind of submission. The stories are often full of experiences and outcomes that are unexpected to the writer and should form the basis of their understanding of their own skills and talents as well as recognising what they might want focus a bit of attention on developing.
But I am often disappointed that the emphasis is on that “developing” bit and there is only a quick mention in the passing of what went really well let alone a plan for how they could do more of that.
Myexperience of performance appraisal systems is a bit out of date as it’s been a while since I have been an employee so I had hoped that things had changed recently but I know from many conversations that these is most often what I would call a “deficiency” position ie establishing what needs to be put right. I know, though, that there will be good organisations out there – and good line managers - who do recognise what is going well.
But maybe we don’t help ourselves – and I include myself in this here. Personal learning happens all the time – it does not have to be scheduled, sourced or indeed paid for – but if you are not recognising and valuing what you have/ are learning then maybe it’s about time to start.
I am group coach for a 2 cohorts of management students right now. From what they say their written reports I can see clearly that they have learned a great deal from being part of the programme. I will stress to them that the measure of what they learned is less about the mark they get for their work and more about how they are using that learning.
I agree – and one step further. Help them set personal goals. Some students passively accept the university’s goal system when they should be setting goals for themselves.
Not everyone needs or wants and A and moreover the universities won’t allocate A’s to more than a handful of people.
The normal mark in a British University is a Lower Second/ B-. A B++ is brilliant or as uni’s say, competent. Some people need no more than a C (attendance) for whatever it is that they are doing.
I had great students who toddled through A+ and then wanted to raise their 85 to 95. I would take them through the arithmetic. An A+ is what gets recorded and then it is converted to 9 (in that uni) to calculate GPA. All they had to do was make sure their average was 85+ to get that 9. No further reward was possible.
Why was I so adamant? Universities teach you what customers want. Listen to your customers. The university doesn’t want more than the 85 average.
And is what the customer wants of value to you? Is it the whole picture? What about your other courses? What about your family & relationships? What about sport & excercise? What about leadership? What about part-time work? What about all the things you learn and do outside the classroom?
Uni is tough on students for this ancillary learning – learning how to set goals and plan work in the shifting sands of the adult world. This is what we get from uni rather than poly or an apprenticeship (they deliver other things of value.) Generally students find it hard to let go of the “parents/teachers know it all”. If students have experimented with setting their own goals and standards by the end of third year, then they have won. And the university and employers (and future partners) know that.
The best universities will even withdraw a first from a student who ONLY has a string of A+ on the argument that they haven’t exercised that judgement which is the hallmark of a first class intellect.
And another question – did they have fun?
PS When students came to me complaining, but I worked so hard and only got a . . ., I would assert this logic: If working hard gets you a disappointing mark, why not reduce the amount of work you do and go out and party (alarming to the introverts). Being trusting students who put a lot of weight on what people in authority say, they would. And their marks would shoot up. They need to learn to trust they full set of their needs and priorities and the best way to learn is experientially. But it does help to have someone watch their back while they do. They are lucky to have you there to coach them.
Jo – your comments are worthy of a further post . – Thank you .. . so much – I will follow up.