My Own Personal Learning Style example essay topic

Personal learning styles are highly complex and unique to specific individuals. It is often difficult to pinpoint an exact learning style. Though there are different categories, we often fine tune them to our own abilities. By examining our traits and tendencies we create a clearer understanding of how we process and learn information. With careful review, I have developed a specific analysis of my learning characteristics, including an evaluation of skill levels.

Based on what I have recently learned and know from experience, I have also devised a structured plan for improvement of time management and study skills. From a very young age, writing has been a passion of mine. Through writing I have developed an understanding of my personality and learning capabilities. One of the main components to my personal learning style is the necessity of writing. I have a strong need and urge to write everything down.

While some students learn well in a lecture environment, extensive note taking is often required for me to retain any information. Written notes also correspond with the visualization and tactile elements of my learning abilities. Having something tangible at my disposure is the easiest way for my personality to respond to the material. According to my score on the "Pathways to Learning" (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2002) assessment, I am highly developed in the Intrapersonal Intelligence. Both my written and visual tendencies, I believe, trace back to this underlying personality trait. As a child, I was extremely shy and very independent.

Working in a group setting was completely undesirable for me; as I would much rather work on my own. With an introverted personality, I understand my need for independent thinking. I am only able to concentrate in quite, personalized settings because of easy distractions. Similarly, organization is a key element to my unique learning style. After taking the "Personality Spectrum" (Carter, Bishop, Kravits, 2002) assessment, I have become even more aware of my compatibility with structured learning environments.

In class, I need information to be presented in an easy but detailed fashion. I prefer outlines style formats over summaries of information. It is also essential that I know what is expected with academics and assignments. This knowledge insures confidence in my academic ability and allows me to set extra goals when needed. With respect to my stronger skills, there are still underdeveloped areas of learning which I would like to improve on.

Reading, for example, is my biggest struggle. I have a significant amount of trouble remembering and comprehending what I read. This has ultimately caused my lack of interest in this type of learning. I also struggle with lecture style environments, which is again due to my deficient ability to retain information in this type of setting. While my new found academic goals reflect my desire for personal achievement, I also realize my need for a structured plan of success based on my individual personality. I have been unsuccessful in the past, due to my lack of proper time management and a strong tendency toward procrastination.

I always thought I would work better under pressure to complete an assignment, and often, my assignments would be completed in a hurry at the very last minute. From experience, I have learned this lack of commitment produces high stress levels and a significant amount of worry. My first goal includes eliminating added stress by reducing a tendency to postpone school work until the last minute. Even though my life is very busy right now, I plan to accomplish my work by committing at least two hours every evening to learning. Furthermore my new academic goals involve re-training myself to use different under-developed personality skills, in order to succeed as a well rounded and adaptable student.

"An instructor's teaching style often reflects his / her learning style" (Carter, Bishop, Kravitz, 2002, p. 27). For this reason, it is important to understand our unique way of learning, so we can succeed in any type of learning environment. In order to improve my skills, I am committed to reading all assigned material. As an extra effort, I plan to write summaries of what I have read.

My ultimate goal with future reading is to ensure accurate comprehension and reduce anxiety with this type of learning. While we all possess different learning styles, each individual must examine personality traits to determine how they learn best. My personal learning style involves a high dependency on writing and visualization, along with an intrapersonal personality. There is also an apparent need for organization and structure in learning environments. Although some of my learning skills are under-developed, I am committed to my education and choose to plan accordingly. By eliminating high stress catalysts, using effective time management skills, and setting specific goals, I am on my way to understanding and adapting to my own personal learning style.

Bibliography

Carter, C., Bishop J., Kravits, S. (2002). Learning Styles and Self-Awareness. Keys to College Studying: Becoming a Lifelong Learner (pp. 25-47). Prentice-Hall, Inc.