What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is copying someone else's work and pretending it is your own. When you plagiarize, you violate someone else's intellectual property rights: it is therefore seen as committing fraud and is even punishable in some cases. Committing plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, often has major consequences when submitting your study reports. The first time you often get away with a warning and a re-sit, but if it happens more often it can cause you to be permanently suspended.

When is something plagiarism?

Now that you know what plagiarism is, it's time to look at when something is considered plagiarism. The worst form of plagiarism is when you copy an entire text and only change the author's name. In some cases, plagiarism also occurs when you do not include a correct source citation. This is the case when:

• You copy and paste parts of the text verbatim into a new text;
• You rewrite a text in your own words;
• You summarise someone else's work;
• You synthesize multiple sources without rewriting them;
• You reuse your own work for another assignment.

So, these forms of copying are allowed as long as you mention the source completely and correctly. The sourcing is usually done using a recognized method of citing sources, such as APA, or in line with guidelines your school uses when writing a paper, essay, or portfolio assignment.

How to prevent plagiarism

No one wants to end up resitting an assignment or possibly getting suspended for committing plagiarism. Fortunately, plagiarism is easy to prevent by rewriting sentences in the right way or by quoting from them, always adding a reference including a list of sources.

Preventing plagiarism starts from the moment you start your assignment. Save a source as soon as you think it might be interesting for your text. Remember, just changing a few words compared to your source is not enough. This is still considered plagiarism. Always rewrite the text you want to use in your own words by changing the sentence structure, using synonyms, and changing the order of the information. Then correctly cite the source.

If you still want to copy a complete sentence, you should choose a citation. You can do this, for example, when you want to explain a concept, provide evidence, or when the source has formulated the text so well that the quality would deteriorate if you rewrote it. When you choose to quote, place the copied text between double inverted commas and then close with a correct source citation.

When writing your assignment, make sure you do everything possible to prevent plagiarism: colleges and universities use sophisticated plagiarism scanners that compare the content with other assignments, books, or internet sources.
Do you always write the best plagiarism-free reports or essays and already know that they are worth money? Upload them on Stuvia now and start earning money!

What is an essay?

An essay is a text or article on a(n) (often) self-selected topic about a phenomenon, problem, or development based on your own literature or field research. The objective of an essay is therefore simple: you take the reader into your point of view and try to convince them that this is actually the case. Now that you know what an essay is, it's time to look at the topic of your essay.

Topic of your essay

Starting your essay, as with any other study assignment, is a tricky task. After all, how do you choose a good topic for your essay? We have prepared some tips for you that will make choosing your essay topic a lot easier:

• Start by looking at the essay writing requirements of your school or specific teacher;
• Choose a topic that you are interested in, have a strong opinion on, and can be specific about;
• See if you can present arguments for your chosen essay topic from different perspectives.

Structure of your essay

The structure of your essay is up to you, especially when it comes to argumentation. Then when you are writing your essay, also keep an eye on the requirements of your teacher or course. However, we have listed some essay structure tips for you:

• Place the title at the top

The title of your essay is at the top of the essay itself. Still, you may not think of it until later. It is therefore not a bad idea to add it last, as long as you do it in the right place!

• Write a catchy introduction

When writing your essay, make sure you start with a catchy opening sentence. Further on in our article, we explain more about what a good introduction contains and how you can grab attention with it.

• Present arguments

In your essay, you want to convince the reader of your point of view. This involves both pro and con arguments. It is important here that you always back up your point of view with evidence and conclude with a concluding sentence. When writing your essay, you should also present counterarguments and then refute them with evidence.

• Write the conclusion of your essay

In the conclusion of your essay, you confirm your position based on your arguments. To make this easier for yourself, you can ask the "And so?" question.

Introduction to your essay

Obviously, you start your essay with an introduction. But how do you write a catchy introduction for your essay? An introduction contains the following elements:  

• A catchy opening sentence

For the introduction of your essay, always use a catchy opening sentence. This is because a catchy opening sentence immediately grabs the reader's attention and ensures that they are engaged and captivated. A catchy opening sentence can be a question, quote, proverb, statement, or definition, but in some cases, it can also be your thesis statement.

• Background information

When writing your essay, make sure you always give information about your topic in the introduction. After all, the reader needs to know exactly what your chosen topic is so they can understand what the rest of your essay is about. Here, you can assume that the reader has the same level of education as you have: so only present information that will be new to the reader.  

• Your chosen thesis statement

In the introduction of your essay, formulate the thesis statement that you adopt and that you want to convince the reader of, that it is actually true. It is advisable to place the thesis statement after your opening sentence and background information: this will draw the reader into your story and convince them faster.

Argumentation essay

Now that you know how to choose the topic of your essay, how to structure it, and how to write an introduction, it is important to focus on the most important part of your essay: the argumentation.

With the argumentation of your essay, you defend your thesis against possible criticism. By gathering both pro and counterarguments, you convince the reader that the thesis you have adopted is correct. The arguments you show the reader are based on facts stemming from your own research.

When you write an essay, you introduce your argument to the reader through a (short) key sentence. In this sentence, you introduce the argument that the rest of the paragraph is about. An argument about your chosen thesis statement answers the following questions:

• Why is your proposition correct?
• What evidence do you have to support it?
• What is your conclusion?

Then you conclude this with a short summary that answers the question: what is the main point that the reader should take into consideration when considering whether your position is correct? By answering the above questions and concluding with a short summary, you convince the reader of the argumentation in your essay: the reader will then be convinced of your point of view.

With a counterargument, on the contrary, you emphasize refuting the argument: after all, you want the reader to believe your pre-arguments. So consider what counterarguments the reader might have and convince them that this is incorrect. You can formulate your counterargument by answering the following questions:

• What is a logical counterargument?
• What is the evidence for this counterargument?
• Why is this counterargument incorrect?
• What is the evidence for this?
• What is your conclusion?

By following all the tips in this article, you can be sure that writing your essay will be a great success.

Did you know that your essays are also worth money? So don't wait any longer and start selling your (old) study documents.

How to write a conclusion?

Before writing a conclusion, it is essential to check the requirements for the conclusion, as defined by your study or school. This way, you’ll know exactly what is expected of you concerning, for example, the contents, length, and grammar of the conclusion.  

The main purpose of writing a conclusion is to answer the central research question of your research or thesis or to confirm the thesis statement of your essay. Therefore, always start your conclusion by repeating the research question or thesis statement. Then you can either choose to:

• first give the answer to the central research question or statement and explain the details of the answer afterward, or
• build up towards the final answer by first presenting partial conclusions based on your own research results, and answering your sub-questions, before coming to the final answer of the central research question or statement.

Make sure to only briefly repeat research results, and only the results that contribute to answering your research question. Explain the answer to the central research question or statement descriptively, but briefly, and take the reader on a small journey on how you came to this conclusion.

Some handy tips for writing a conclusion are to always end with a powerful final sentence. Also, make sure to never include new information in your conclusion that you haven’t mentioned somewhere else inside your thesis or essay.

Length of your conclusion

The conclusion of your document is often not longer than one page (A4 size), and anywhere between 200 and 400 words. However, your school or university may have different guidelines for the length of your conclusion. Make sure to check this carefully. Is your conclusion a bit longer at first? Don't worry! After all, deleting text is a lot easier than adding things. Just go through your conclusion again, and you’ll probably be able to write things more compactly.

Verb tenses in your conclusion

Always use correct grammar when writing your conclusion. This is because you apply two verb tenses in your conclusion:

• Imperfect present tense:

You use this tense when describing facts, for example: "The company does not currently have a TikTok account" or "The company's ambition is to use social media more."

• Completed present tense

You use this tense when referring to the research you have conducted yourself, such as: "The results of this research showed that company X does have an ambition for social media, but has not yet started working on it internally".

Checking the spelling in your thesis is just as important. After all, you've been working on your thesis for months so you don't always spot spelling mistakes anymore. Ask a friend who always corrects your spelling mistakes or use an online spelling check to make sure you don't get any unpleasant surprises afterward!

Have you completed writing your thesis and passed it with a good grade? Then help yourself and other students by selling your thesis on Stuvia. This way, you will earn a passive income and hopefully help others complete their studies.

APA rules source citations

There are several rules attached to APA source citations. First of all, the author, year, and page numbers (if your source is a book) are mentioned in the text by default. Next, a source list is made, which you place at the end of your report. Additional information such as the book's publisher or the source's link will be mentioned here. Stuvia has listed the most important APA rules for source citations for you, so you can apply them to your reports without errors.

In brackets or narrative citations?

There are two ways to introduce a source in your text. You can choose to put the source in brackets or use narrative citations. But what exactly does that look like? With a source in brackets, you put both the author's surname and the year in brackets. With a narrative citation, you place the author's name in the sentence and only put the year in the brackets. In the examples below, you can see exactly how this looks:

Sources with multiple authors

Sometimes a book or other source is written by two different authors. In this case, join the surnames together by adding an '&' or 'and'. For three or more authors, write only the surname of the first author, followed by 'et al'. You may also use a group of authors, such as Stuvia or Statistics Netherlands, as a source. In this case, put the name of the group in brackets.

If the name can be abbreviated, such as CBS, only give the full name the first time, but put the abbreviation in text brackets. For the times after that, you can just use the abbreviation between the brackets or in the text. In the diagram below, we show how APA source citations with different numbers of authors will look in your text:

Unknown author or date

The author or date of your source may not be known. Fortunately, this does not matter at all! When the author of your source is unknown, choose the title of the document (37 relevant trends for communication, 2021) or the name of the organization behind the document (Stuvia, 2021). Make sure the title and organization are also included in your source list.

When the publication date of the source is unknown, write 's.d.' in the reference. This means without a date, for example, Stuvia (s.d.).

Avoiding ambiguity

There are some ambiguous situations you may encounter when writing your assignment while referring to your sources. We have briefly listed the most important ones for you so you know how to resolve them:

• Two or more sources by the same author in the same year:

You can easily solve this situation by adding a lowercase letter to your APA source citation in your text after the year. You then use (2022a) or (2022b).

• Authors with the same surname

There are also rules in the APA source citation for this situation. In this case, you add the initials (initials) of the author, for example, J. Meijer and G. Meijer.

Referring to a source within a source

This is also called an indirect reference. Sometimes, when searching for specific information, you find a study made by someone else. In this case, you always look for the primary source, also known as the original source. This ensures that the reader gets the right context to your information. If you cannot find it, it is advisable to look for another source that provides the same information.

Source citation personal communication

Many studies require you to conduct interviews with the target audience or experts for your thesis or other reports. These will not be included in your topic list, but they should be referenced in your text using APA source citation. In this case, first put initials with the surname in brackets, followed by the form of communication and the exact date. In most cases, the form of communication will be an interview, but it can also be an e-mail or telephone conversation.

How often to cite a source?

You may use a source several times for your essay, thesis, or another school assignment. Still, it is important to indicate to the reader where exactly you got the information. You do this in the following way:

• In a narrative citation of a source, you indicate both the author and the year in the first reference. If you then continue with the source, you no longer need to place a narrative citation here;
• In the case of a reference in brackets, place the reference at the end of the text your source is about. Should you use the source again, later on, you place it here again. Make sure you do not mention a source too often, but also not too little.
  

Do you know that your (old) study documents, including essays and theses, are worth money? On Stuvia, you can upload your summary within minutes and start earning.

What is the best way to learn vocabulary?

Everyone learns differently. But what is the best way to learn vocabulary? There are several methods you can use to learn vocabulary. In Stuvia's ‘Study Smartly Step-by-step Plan’ we have listed five steps for you to learn vocabulary in no time.

It can help to divide the learning material into smaller parts beforehand. This is also known as the Salami technique. It makes the learning process easier and allows you to plan more easily. Curious about the five steps? Please read on.

Practicing vocabulary: Stuvia's ‘Study Smartly Step-by-step Plan’

Learning new words is necessary for competitive exams like the GRE, where there is an entire section dedicated to vocabulary. But it's not always easy to get started. Practicing and memorizing vocabulary can be done using the following five steps, which come together in Stuvia's ‘Study Smartly Step-by-step Plan’.

1. Come up with a mnemonics

2. Learn with variation

3. Create flashcards

4. Read aloud

5. Take plenty of breaks

Come up with mnemonics

If you have problems remembering a specific word, it could be useful to come up with a mnemonic. A mnemonic is a memory aid that helps you to remember something, such as words that are difficult to remember. Mnemonics can be in the form of a phrase, acronym, rhyme, or images, and they use associations between easy-to-remember constructs and the difficult-to-remember information. One example of this technique is “Roy G. Biv” for the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Another is an association you could make to remember the word ‘arcane’, which means secret or obscure knowledge. Arcane sounds like arrrr + cane, which you could remember as being ‘a pirate with a cane and a secret message’.

Learn with variation

Always make sure your learning session is diverse. So never learn the words in exactly the same order. In addition, it is advisable to learn the vocabulary both ways. So if you need to learn the word 'Computer' in French, you should also know that the French word 'L'ordinateur' means the word 'Computer'. And remember: practice makes perfect.

Create flashcards

Did you know that you can very easily create flashcards yourself with our review tool? Flashcards are study cards with the word on one side and the translation or meaning on the other. Using our tool, you can easily create flashcards online yourself.

Read aloud

Did you know that you remember words better when you read them aloud? This has to do with the fact that your two brain halves have to work together when reading and reading aloud. This cooperation makes you remember it even better. However, it is advisable not to apply this tip in a crowded reading room or library ;).

Take plenty of breaks

As smart as it may seem to study for hours on end, studying smartly starts with taking sufficient breaks (and rests). So a useful technique for practising vocabulary is the Pomodoro technique, where you divide your learning sessions into 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.

Sell your flashcards

Did you know that you can easily link the flashcards you create on our website to other study documents and sell them. So don't wait any longer and start creating flashcards!

What is a SMART learning objective?

A SMART learning objective is a learning objective formulated using the SMART method. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Setting your learning objectives SMART is the first step towards achieving them. We briefly explain each part of SMART so you can apply this method flawlessly to your personal learning objectives.

Specific → An objective should be specific. Literally, it means "precise in parts". You want each individual aspect of your objective to be completely clear.

Measurable → An objective must be measurable to determine whether it has been achieved or not. Measurable literally means "expressable in a measure". The measurable concept can be, for example, in euros but also in hours or end product(s).

Acceptable → If an objective is acceptable, which literally means "agreeable", you want to do everything to achieve it, while being supported by your environment.

Realistic → An objective should be achievable and therefore realistic. Still, it is important to formulate an objective that challenges you.

Time-bound → When you start working on an objective, you should indicate a start time and an end time. This is because an objective that is not time-bound loses its urgency.

Why formulate learning objectives SMART?

By formulating your learning objectives SMART, you make your objectives tangible, easier and faster to achieve. You also give direction to your learning process. This keeps you sharp and focused on your personal development. This not only provides extra motivation but also enthusiasm. Formulating SMART learning objectives is also often a requirement from your college, university, or (internship) company.

Setting a SMART learning objective: how to do it?

Now that you know more about what a SMART learning objective is and why you should formulate your learning objectives SMART, it is time to set SMART learning goals yourself. Invest some time in online study courses to grab on new skills to increase your goals primarily to the next level. Easily formulate SMART learning objectives with this step-by-step plan.

Step 1: Be specific

It is important to make your learning objective specific. A useful tool here is the ‘W-questions’: who, what, where, why, and when? If you can answer these questions in your learning objective, your learning objective is specific and well formulated. So think carefully beforehand about what you want to achieve so that you can fully elaborate on your objective.

Step 2: Make your objective measurable

Your learning objective must be measurable. After all, how else can you know whether you have actually achieved your objective? You make a learning objective measurable by answering the following questions:

• How many hours will I spend on it?
• How can I best measure my result?
• What do I expect from the final result?

Step 3: Acceptable to yourself and others

While formulating your SMART learning objective, you must also take into account various factors from the environment; your learning objective must be acceptable to everyone. After all, you don't want your learning objective to hinder colleagues, fellow students or family. So always discuss your learning objective with the people around you. Some questions you can ask yourself to check this are:

• Can I achieve these learning objectives at my internship company and do they support it?
• Do I support the learning objective myself and do I have the motivation for it?

Step 4: Set a realistic learning objective

Don't set the bar too high for yourself and keep your objectives realistic. Achieving an objective will increase your motivation and enthusiasm. At the same time, definitely don't set the bar too low either; after all, you do want to keep it challenging for yourself. You can test the feasibility of a SMART learning objective with a few questions:

• Do I have the knowledge or resources to achieve my learning objective?
• Isn't my learning objective too simple?

Step 5: Give an end date

Set yourself a period for when you need to achieve an objective; make your learning objective time-bound. Often, a deadline is also given from your education or (internship) company. It is important that you also note this date when you set up a SMART learning objective. You can do this by answering the questions:

• When will I start working on my learning objective?
• When will I have achieved my objective?

TIP: A SMART learning objective usually focuses on an objective that you can achieve within a year (in the short term). Do you have a longer-term objective? Then try to divide it into sub-objectives that eventually lead to your final objective. By keeping it small, you can meet the five requirements of the SMART method and stay motivated.

SMART Learning Objectives: Examples

You now know more about the definition of a SMART learning objective and how to set up SMART learning objectives. To help you even further, we’ve listed some SMART learning objective examples:

❌ 'I don't want to get distracted anymore'.

✅ 'In the coming months, I want to focus on working more productively and be less distracted by external factors like my smartphone. My screen time needs to be cut by 15%.

❌ 'I want to be in charge more often during projects'.

✅ 'In the coming year, while working, I want to be the project leader on at least one project and be ultimately responsible for the planning and outcome'.

❌ 'I want to conduct an investigation'.

✅ 'During my internship, I want to conduct a research, that contributes to the growth and awareness of company X, to take my research skills to the next level'.

Always keep in mind that learning objectives are personal. So you can use these examples of SMART learning objectives as a guide, but always choose a learning objective that you personally support and find challenging.
Do you want to make money with your (old) study documents? Then don't wait any longer and start selling them on Stuvia.

What is a schematic summary?

A schematic summary is a summary that describes a process. It contains only the most important concepts from your textbook. Unlike a regular summary, in a schematic summary, all the important concepts are visible in one glance. Because you link the most important concepts yourself, these are no longer isolated facts: a coherent picture is created that makes all the learning material clear. This not only helps you understand the concepts better but also helps your argumentation during the exam. A schematic summary is also called a schematic overview, because it shows you in one glance what your study material is about.

When to make a schematic summary?

The choice between making a regular summary or a schematic summary is partly determined by your personal learning preferences, and partly by the specifics of the course involved. Especially when you have to learn many different concepts and find it hard to remember the connections between them, it is useful to make a schematic summary.

How to make a schematic overview?

You now know what a schematic summary is, and when you should make one. But how do you make a schematic summary? Please follow the 10 steps below and you will be well on your way:

1: Find out what study materials you need to learn

Before you start making a schematic summary, it is important to carefully check what study materials you need to learn to pass your test or exam. You can often find this information in a module manual, course guide, or study plan. Make sure to do this before you start, because often specific paragraphs and even chapters are not part of the mandatory study materials.

Also important is to take a look at the school’s learning objectives for the course involved. This will show you more about which processes to recognize in your schematic summary. Write this down, so you know in advance which specific parts need your attention. Completed this first step? Then move on to the next!

2: Carefully read all of the text once

After you have figured out what study materials you are required to learn, you must read through all of the text once. This will help you create an overview, and gives your brain a chance to take in the different concepts, processes, and relationships inside the study materials. A quick tip: Reading the texts aloud could help you remember them better.

3: Determine the described process(es) inside the study materials

Study materials always describe a process. Therefore, in step three, determine the process of the schematic summary. Find the beginning of this process, and give it a name (if it is not already given). You can use the name of the process as the (sub)title of your schematic overview.

4: Highlight the concepts

Highlight the most important words and phrases from the text. You can, for example, use different colors for main and slightly less important concepts. An easy and quick way to know what paragraphs are about is to look for sentences that summarize a paragraph. These sentences are often at the beginning or end of the paragraph. Also look for bold, italic, and underlined words in the text. These words are often concepts that you are expected to know during your exam.

5: Start with the main process

The preparation is done; it's time to make your schematic outline!

Write down the title of your schematic outline and then funnel it to the processes you have spotted. In the example below, the chapter title is "Sleep yourself fit!" and describes specific processes of sleep, such as the biological clock. Come up with questions to go with these processes. This way, you will find it easier to remember a particular process.

Tip: Not quite getting there? A mind map can help you organize all the titles, processes, and concepts. By making a mind map, you can see connections faster. You can then include these in your schematic summary.

6: Complete the schematic summary

Once you have identified the core concepts, you need to examine what influence this concept has on other concepts and how the different concepts are related to each other. Again, it is advisable to use a mind map. After you have noted down the core concept, you can divide the core concept into various branches. These are also called sub-topics, which you then can divide further into smaller subsections.

7: Indicate connections through the use of diagrammatic symbols

It is important to use diagrammatic symbols in your schematic summary to indicate connections. These include characters such as =, <, >, → and ?

An arrow can be used here to indicate mutual influence and can be used in any direction:

• Model A affects (→) concept B;
• Concept A and Concept B mean the same / are related to each other (↔).

The equals sign can be used when a concept is similar to another concept:

• Concept A and Concept B mean the same thing (=).

The symbols for is smaller than or is greater than can be used to indicate the relationship between two concepts:

• Concept A is smaller than (<) concept B;
• The result from Model C is greater than (>) the result from Model A.

A question mark (?) can be used to indicate the question of the process. This could be your learning objective from school or a question that comes to mind about your topic.

8: Rewrite or shorten your schematic summary

Now that you have listed all the key concepts as well as sub-concepts, you probably have a page full of chaos in front of you. The next step is therefore essential: you are going to make your schematic summary clear. Start again by writing down your core concept and its sub-concepts. This time, put the concepts in a logical and clear position. When doing so, avoid explanations or examples. By doing this, you not only make your outline clear but also re-learn the process.

9: Start learning

Congratulations, you created your schematic summary! And so, preparation is done and you can start learning. Through your schematic overview, you will be able to recognize all concepts, processes, and their connections quickly.

10: Upload your schematic summary and start to earn money

Did you make the perfect schematic outline? Do you want to help other students with it, and earn some extra money at the same time? Then don't wait any longer, upload your summary and start earning!

The functions of a thesis summary

You write a thesis summary for various reasons:

1. To introduce the topic and research question of your thesis;
2. To give the reader an explanation of your thesis;
3. To briefly describe the main results of your thesis.

In other words, the management summary of your thesis is a representation of the key elements of your thesis. You want to tell the reader what you have discovered and what the significance of that discovery is. Always make sure to write in an academic writing style that matches the writing style of the rest of your thesis.

How long should a thesis summary be?

A thesis summary should not be longer than one A4 page. The thesis summary is on one of the first pages of your thesis. Generally, it is inserted right before the table of contents. However, do not write your thesis summary until the rest of your thesis is finished. This way, you can integrate all parts of your thesis into the management summary. Also, spend enough time writing your thesis summary, since it is the first part of your thesis that readers, also the person who is grading your thesis, will come across.

Your college or university may have specific requirements on the maximum number of words in your thesis summary or on where it is placed in your document. Be sure to check this to avoid unpleasant surprises.

The structure of your thesis summary

Now that you know more about the functions of your thesis summary, its length, and its location in your thesis, it is time to structure your thesis summary. It is important that in your thesis summary, you address only the most important parts of your thesis, such as:

• The topic of your thesis, including the research question, objective, and problem statement and why this topic appealed to you;
• The research method applied and answer to the question "How did I conduct my research?";
• The main research findings from the different chapters;
• The answer to your main research question and the conclusion.

Since you only have limited space in the management summary of your thesis, you can only write a few lines for each section. So, keep it short by only mentioning the most important findings that helped you answer the main research question. One tip is to write one or a few sentences about each chapter. By putting those sentences together, you will already be far on your way toward a good thesis summary. Keep reading for more tips.

Checklist for a good thesis summary

By using the checklist below, you can be sure that you're on the right track to writing a good thesis summary:

• Your thesis summary is one page (A4 size);
• You have inserted the summary before the table of contents;
• You have stated the research question at the beginning of the summary;
• You have stated the objective(s) of your thesis;
• You have highlighted the problem statement of your research;
• You have explained the research methods and approach you used;
• You have listed the main results (by writing a few sentences per chapter);
• You have explained the results;
• You have answered the research question of your thesis.
  

In addition, always make sure that your thesis summary only contains information that is mentioned elsewhere in your thesis.
Could you use some extra money while writing your thesis? Upload your (old) study documents now and start cashing in!

What is the salami technique?

The Salami Technique is used to make the learning process easier. The comparison with a salami goes as follows: eating an entire salami in one go, will probably make you sick, or at least make you dislike salami. But if you divide the salami into smaller slices, and eat only a few slices at a time, you will keep feeling good. Applying this technique to your study materials and projects will make you learn and go through them a lot easier. Moreover, by dividing your study materials and tasks into smaller ‘slices’, creating a good schedule has also become much easier.

The Salami Technique combines well with the Pomodoro Technique. You could, for example, use the Salami Technique for planning and the Pomodoro Technique to study.

Salami Technique: Learning with more focus and motivation

Now that you know about the Salami Tactics, it's time to apply them yourself. The step-by-step plan below will help you learn optimally with the Salami Technique.

Imagine the following: You have an exam week, test week, or project week coming up, and the number of tasks is rising and rising. It’s only a matter of time before you lose the overview. But don’t worry. By applying the Salami Technique you can plan and complete tasks properly fast.

Step 1: Analyse your task, project or exam

Start by dissecting a task or exam. For example, if you have to learn chapters 1 to 5 of a book, it will be impossible to read and learn all information in one day. Instead, divide the salami into several smaller parts, in other words, divide your learning tasks over multiple days.

Step 2: Pick the days and times you want to study or work in advance

The second step is to pick the days and times you want to study or work in advance. Mark these specific days and times in your calendar. Take into account that some people are more productive in the morning, while others perform better in the afternoon or evening. Don't forget to schedule a rest day once in a while. This will improve your results.

Step 3: Spread your tasks over these days and times

The next step is to spread all tasks over the days and times you picked in the previous step. It is advisable to work your way backward, starting just before the deadline.

You will see that after planning and dividing your study materials into smaller tasks with the Salami Technique, you will learn a lot easier and be less stressed. You will also be much more aware of your free time and, therefore, better enjoy your life next to your studies and work.

Do you want to earn some extra money while studying? Then upload your (old) study documents and start cashing in!

What is a priority?

A priority is a task that has precedence over another task. So the urgency in the task you set a priority for is higher than that of another task. Therefore, you want to finish the task with priority sooner than a task without priority. Setting priorities helps you create an overview. Instead of having all your tasks in one giant pile, you rank them based on urgency. Where one task might take another week to complete, another needs to be finished before the end of the week. By determining your priorities in advance, you ensure more peace of mind and stress reduction.

Looking for more tips to make completing your tasks or courses easier? Then take a look at our learning styles.

The Eisenhower Matrix

A useful tool for determining your priorities is the Eisenhower Matrix. This matrix is also called the 'Urgent-Important' Matrix. In this matrix, you look at the task at hand and ask yourself the following two questions:

• Is the task important or not important?
• Is the task urgent or not urgent?

The importance of the task is about whether it needs to be completed and whether it creates problems if not completed. An important task can fit within your range of duties or could be a requirement for passing a course. Urgency is about when the task needs to be completed. An urgent task needs to be completed, for example, this week. Based on the answers to these two questions, your task will be placed inside the Eisenhower Matrix.

You can also set priorities in your learning objectives. It is advisable to use the SMART method here.

Learning to plan

Now that you know more about what a priority is and how to set priorities, it is time to learn how to plan. Following the step-by-step plan below will already help you a lot.

Step 1: Start your day with a to-do list

When you start your day, it is useful to create a to-do list. Creating a to-do list will help you get an overview of your tasks and will calm your mind.

Step 2: Set your priorities with the Eisenhower Matrix

Now that you know what you need to do, based on your to-do list, it is time to determine your priorities. Add the importance and urgency of each of your tasks, based on the Eisenhower Matrix. You could think of this as creating a comprehensive to-do list, also taking into account the time a task would take.  

Step 3: Take your energy level and rhythm into account

Everyone works differently. Where one person gets mountains of work done in the morning, another prefers to snooze for a while to be productive in the afternoon. So try to find out for yourself when you work most productively and organize your tasks accordingly. A useful tool here is the Pomodoro Technique, in which you divide your day into small parts of 25 minutes.  

Step 4: Monitor your schedule

Delaying your planning is often very appealing. Therefore, always try to monitor your schedule and plan moments of rest for yourself. In addition, it is advisable to reward yourself. For example, if your goal is to summarise chapters 1 and 2, you can reward yourself afterward by watching a short episode of your favorite series. Need more tips? Stuvia has several tips for optimizing your planning.

Step 5: Annoying tasks first

Now that you have set your priorities and planned your tasks, it is advisable to start with the most tedious tasks. This is also known as 'Eat That Frog', which assumes that if you would start your day by eating a living frog, the rest of the day would be a breeze. This also has a psychological reason: finishing the most tedious task is very satisfying. Try it out for yourself! You will see that after the most tedious task, the other tasks will go a lot easier.

Would you like to earn extra money? Then sell your (old) study documents for a passive income.

The Pomodoro Technique for more focus

The Pomodoro Technique originates from an Italian man, Francesco Cirillo. In the 1980s, Cirillo noticed he had a hard time concentrating and keeping focus at work. He was not satisfied with the number of tasks he could finish daily, mainly because his colleagues were constantly distracting him. One day, Cirillo had enough. Things had to change. He grabbed a tomato-shaped timer (‘Pomodoro’ in Italian) from the company kitchen and set it to 25 minutes. In these short sessions of 25 minutes, Cirillo could complete much more tasks, especially because his colleagues were asked not to disturb Cirillo during the 25-minute sessions. The Pomodoro Method has since become one of the most popular focus theories in the world.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

De Pomodoro techniek is een techniek om gefocust te werken en efficiënter met je tijd om te gaan. Het idee achter de techniek is dan ook simpel: je zet een timer op 25 minuten en gaat deze minuten zelfstandig aan een taak werken. Maar waarom zou je dat eigenlijk doen? Het toepassen van de Pomodoro methode bij de uitvoering van je taken heeft diverse voordelen:

The Pomodoro Technique is a technique for studying and working more focused and more time-efficient. The idea behind the technique is simple: you set a timer to 25 minutes and start working on a task. After 25 minutes, you take a 5-minute break, followed by another 25-minute session, and another 5-minute break, etcetera. After four 25-minute sessions, you take a longer break.

Applying the Pomodoro Method for study and work has several advantages:

• You stay focused on your tasks;
• It helps you prioritize;
• You cope better with distractions;
• Completing tasks gives you more satisfaction;
• You are more motivated to study and work;
• It reduces stress.

The Pomodoro Technique: step-by-step plan

Now that you know more about the Pomodoro Technique, it's time to get started yourself. Using this step-by-step plan will get you started right away. But before you start, you need two things:

• Timer;
• Blank document in Word or Google Docs.

Did you collect both? Then you're ready to start.

Step 1: Make a to-do list

Before you start, it is important to see what you actually have to do. So always grab your schedule to know exactly what is expected of you. Write down the tasks that need to be completed this week on your to-do list.

Step 2: Create a new document listing your tasks

Create a new document in Word or Google Docs. Take a look at your schedule and start writing down your tasks. You can divide bigger projects, which might take you weeks to fully complete, into several smaller tasks. Written down all your tasks? The next step is to prioritize them. Which tasks have the highest priority and how much time do you expect to spend on each task? If you expect a task to take you about 1 hour, you can divide it into two 25-minute Pomodoros, with a 5-minute break in between.

Dividing projects or study materials into smaller tasks spread over several days is also known as the ‘Salami Technique’. This is an effective way to reduce stress for bigger assignments.

Step 3: Set your timer to 25 minutes

Sluit al je afleiding af en zet de timer op 25 minuten. Het is aan te raden om een losse timer te gebruiken in plaats van de timer op je smartphone. In deze 25 minuten ga je aan een stuk doorwerken aan een taak.

Block out all your distractions and set the timer to 25 minutes. It is recommended not to use the timer on your smartphone, but a separate timer. During the 25 minutes, you work on a task without interruption.

Step 4: Check off finished tasks and take a 5-minute break

Yes! Your timer has just gone off. Check off the task(s) you just completed and take a 5-minute break. It might be useful to set a timer for the break as well.

Step 5: Take a longer break

After doing four sessions of 25 minutes, it is time to take a longer break. It is recommended to take a 30-minute break, not much longer.

Do you still have (old) study documents lying around? Then don't wait any longer and start uploading them to earn some extra money.

What are personal learning objectives?

Om beter te begrijpen wat persoonlijke leerdoelen precies zijn, is het handig om het verschil te weten tussen een leerdoel en een persoonlijk leerdoel:

To better understand what personal learning objectives are, it is useful to know the difference between a learning objective and a personal learning objective:

• Learning objective

A learning objective is a goal you set to learn specific knowledge and skills. Learning objectives mainly concern your development as a professional. Learning objectives give you insight into your development when learning a (new) competency or skill for your work. The emphasis with these objectives is therefore on the learning process and the knowledge or skills you acquire in the process, rather than on the result.

• Personal learning objective

A personal learning objective is an objective you set for yourself to personally develop specific knowledge and skills. You can set personal learning objectives for your studies (or work or internship), but also for a hobby or sport you do. So they focus on what you want to develop, not your work. Like a learning objective, the focus of a personal learning objective is on the learning process and not the outcome.

If you set learning objectives for your work, you can think of objectives that will take you further in your career. Setting personal learning objectives during your studies can help you focus better on achieving them. Of course, you can also have personal learning objectives for your private situation, such as learning to cope better with change or stress. By working on your personal learning objectives, you make your personal development measurable. This also ensures that you keep challenging yourself and find out exactly what you like or don't like.

How to formulate a personal learning objective?

Formulating a personal learning objective is not always easy. If you formulate your objectives too vaguely, chances are you will lose grip and motivation. Most importantly, you need them to be clear and specific. But how do you formulate such a personal learning objective? Following this step-by-step plan will make formulating your personal learning objectives a lot easier:

1. Focus on positive behavior
   Learning something new is easier than unlearning something. Therefore, focus on positive behavior to promote motivation:

❌ “My smartphone should not distract me while studying”.

✅ “I want to study productively”.

There is a very simple reason for this: namely, when you are told "Don't think about a pink elephant", you will do just that and it will only work against your personal development.

1. Make your personal learning objective as specific as possible
   The more specific your learning objective is, the easier it is to start and stick with it.

❌ “I want to speak more confidently in public”.

✅ “I want to speak more confidently in public in front of my colleagues during the regular Monday morning meeting”.

1. Keep your personal learning objective achievable and realistic
   Don't set your standards too high or put yourself under pressure. No one turns from a wallflower into a TV presenter in a fortnight..

❌ “I want to be able to speak English fluently with my foreign clients”.

✅ “I want to be able to express myself better in English to my foreign clients by August this year. To develop this, I will start a Business English course next week”.

1. Make sure you fully support your personal learning objectives
   Only when you fully support your personal learning objectives, you will find sufficient motivation to stick to them.

Have you set your personal learning objectives and want to know how best to reflect them? Then read the article on the STARR method.

Personal learning objectives: examples

You now know what personal learning objectives are and how to formulate them. To help you even further, we’ve created some examples of personal learning objectives on a personal, work, and study level.

Examples of personal learning objectives

• I want to be able to verbally communicate stronger and listen more actively;
• I want to learn to set my boundaries better;
• I want to make my summaries more specific, which makes me sell more documents;
• I want to engage in dialogue instead of discussion.

Examples of personal learning objectives work

• I want to increase my work pace and work more efficiently;
• I want to be the project leader on at least 2 projects in the next year;
• I want to develop basic Python skills and will take a course to do so.

Examples of personal learning objectives study

• I want to study for the exam for at least three hours a week from the beginning of each semester;
• Every weekend, I spend at least three hours on homework first and then I get to do fun things;
• I do the most important tasks at the beginning of the day.
  

In other words, start by thinking about what knowledge and skills you will need for your aspirations for the future, translate this into personal learning objectives and get to work! With the right formulation and motivation, personal learning objectives are a great way to develop yourself on a personal level.
Do you have the perfect examples and want to make money from them too? Start selling your study documents and start cashing in!

What is a mind map?

A mind map is a visual overview with one central word, the subject, surrounded by all kinds of terms related to the subject. If you were to translate the word 'mind map' literally, it would mean 'map of the brain'. Making a mind map helps you show what a particular subject is about, which (sub)subjects are related to it, and what the relationships and connections are between them. You can use a mind map at different times: during a brainstorming session where several ideas come together, during research, when you need to come up with creative ideas, or as a study aid.

Making a mind map: step-by-step plan

Now that you know what a mind map is, it's time to get started yourself. By following the 6 steps below, you can easily make a mind map yourself.

1. Start with the subject;
2. Connect branches and sub-branches to the subject;
3. Use one term per branch;
4. Connect big branches with sub-branches;
5. Use different colors for each branch and sub-branch;
6. Finish your mind map.

Do you prefer a more detailed explanation to get started with making a mind map yourself? Please read on.

Start with the subject

Start by grabbing paper or an online tool to make your mind map. Then place the main topic in the middle. In the example mind map, we will use the topic 'Sleep'.

It’s preferable to make your mindmap on paper first since it generally makes you more conscious of what you are writing about. You can always digitalize your mind map later.

Connect branches to the subject

Connect branches to the subject. Give each branch its own color for an even better overview. You will use these branches to add terms that are related to your subject. From these sub-subjects, you can draw new branches to sub-sub-subjects. As you can see, you’re creating a tree. The main subject is the trunk of the tree, your sub-subjects form the branches, and your sub-sub-subjects are the smaller side branches.

Use one word per branch

Insert the connected terms at the end of the branches, preferably using only one word. After all, this keeps your mind map clear both on paper, digitally, and in your head. This process is all about making associations with the subject. For example, what associations would you make in connection to the subject ‘sleep’?

Connect large branches with sub-branches

Complement the branches with smaller branches. For example, when you think of the word 'dreams', what else comes to mind? Maybe ‘nightmares’ or ‘processing impressions’. These connected terms are placed at the end of the sub-branches. By doing this, you are going more into detail with every step. In other words, when making a mind map, you work from global to specific.

Use different colors for each branch and sub-branch

If you haven't yet used colors in your mind map, this is your next step. By adding colors you can easily indicate connections and know exactly which sub-branch belongs to which branch. Also, by using colors, you activate the other half of your brain, which makes you remember the material even better. You can also choose to highlight sections.

Finish your mind map

Before finishing your mind map, it is a good idea to put it aside for a little while. Give your brain some rest, before looking at your mind map again with fresh eyes. You might see new connections, or think of new terms that should be included in the mind map. If you have the time, sleep on it for a night. Then you are sure to look at your mind map with fresh eyes the next morning.

Did you know that a mind map is also a good start to a schematic summary? After all, a mind map will also make you recognize connections quickly and easily.

Mind map example

The steps above will help you shape your own mind map. But what does a mind map look like? We created an example mind map to give you a better understanding. You can see that we used colors to create a better overview.

Is your mind map ready, and do you still have (old) study documents lying around somewhere? Then sell your study documents quickly and easily on Stuvia. You can upload your documents within 1 minute and earn some extra cash.

Vermunt's four learning styles

A study conducted by Jan Vermunt showed that students’ motivation and learning styles are linked. Based on this research, Vermunt's four learning styles emerged:

• Meaning-directed learning style
• Reproduction-directed learning style
• Application-directed learning style
• Undirected learning style

The learning styles by Vermunt are explained in detail below. Vermunt's learning styles mainly focus on a person's motivation to learn and the associated learning behavior. Curious about learning styles that focus more on the thinking steps someone displays when learning? Then take a look at Kolb's learning styles.

Meaning-directed learning style

In a meaning-directed learning style, you are motivated and have a personal interest in the subject. Your goal is therefore very simple: you want to understand the theory, recognize connections and keep identifying new ones. You apply this learning style if you are proactive, ask a lot of questions, and enjoy learning.

Reproduction-directed learning style

In a reproduction-directed learning style, you learn about a subject to obtain your degree. In this learning style, the subject itself does not motivate you. You focus on increasing your knowledge and being able to apply it to exam questions. With this learning style, the subject matter is not always understood and, above all, quickly forgotten.

Application-directed learning style

In an application-directed learning style, you learn information about a subject to apply it later in practice, for example during an internship or to prepare for your profession. Being able to translate into practice yourself keeps you motivated when applying this learning style.

Undirected learning style

In an undirected learning style, you learn without purpose. The person applying this learning style often learns for others rather than for themselves. With this learning style, you run around like a headless chicken and have no clear system. What you learn is, therefore, also not processed. People often apply this learning style when they don't know exactly what their learning style is. Fortunately, various learning strategies can help you on your way.

Always keep in mind that the learning styles by Vermunt are about how you learn at that specific moment. Therefore, everyone can apply several styles during their studies or work. Just think about it. You probably raced through the study material for an interesting subject with a meaning-based learning style. However, for a boring subject, you probably applied a reproduction-directed learning style, just to get a good grade. And where in one subject you were motivated to learn for an internship and used the application-directed learning style, another time you had no motivation at all, resulting in an undirected learning style.

Do you still have (old) study documents lying around? Then don't wait any longer and start uploading to earn some extra money.

Kolb's learning cycle

Before we find out what your learning style is, it is important to know more about the types of learning stages. This is also reflected in Kolb's learning cycle and is based on a person's personal preferences when learning:

• Do you learn actively (by doing) or reflectively (by watching)? - horizontally
• Do you learn concretely (by feeling) or abstractly (by thinking)? - vertical

Kolb's learning cycle starts at the step 'Concrete Experience' and continues like this. According to Kolb, the learning process would go best when all thinking steps from the cycle are followed. Keep in mind that everyone has their own learning style: while some learn more through application, others learn more through self-experience. The starting point, therefore, depends on your style from Kolb's four learning styles. When working together in a team, it is always advisable to look at the learning style of your teammates. This way, you ensure better and faster cooperation.

Kolb's four learning styles

Now that you know more about which learning phases there are, it is time to look at which learning styles fit them. Kolb distinguishes between four learning styles, namely: the thinker, doer, dreamer, and decision-maker. These four learning styles can be linked to the thinking steps a person exhibits when learning something new. In the diagram, this looks as follows:

Curious about the explanation? Read more about Kolb's learning styles below.

Thinker

The learning style ‘thinker’ is reflective and abstract. The thinker fits the person who learns best by watching, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. You can think of someone who learns the material for an exam by following the lectures or absorbing the material after watching a video. The thinker, therefore, likes an overview composed of facts and theory.

For a thinker, the following learning methods work best:

• Summarising the material independently;
• Conducting research;
• Using analytical models

Doer

The learning style ‘doer’ is active and concrete. The doer matches a person who learns best by rolling up their sleeves and by simply trying things out. You can think of someone who prefers a practical assignment or internship, rather than learning theory. The doer, therefore, likes to do things, even if there is a risk involved.

For a doer, the following learning methods work best:

• Giving a presentation;
• Practising theory in a practical assignment or internship;
• Carrying out a creative assignment.

Dreamer

The learning style ‘dreamer’ matches a person who learns best by observing and imagining something. Think of someone who is sensitive and wants to take into account the feelings of different groups of people. The dreamer is rather cautious in their performance and reflects intensively afterward.

For a dreamer, the following learning methods work best:

• Brainstorming and mind mapping;
• Coaching;
• Self-reflection.

Decision maker

The learning style ‘decision maker’ corresponds to a person who likes to apply what they learned in practice and is often assigned final responsibility. This could be someone who often solves problems and acts in a self-assured manner. The decision-maker is a good discussion partner and likes to work with diagrams and checklists.

For a decision-maker, the following learning methods work best:

• Learning by schematic overview;
• Planning;
• Result-oriented assignments.

Do you prefer a theory based on motivation rather than behavior? Then take a look at Vermunt's learning styles.

Are you a real thinker and do you still have old summaries lying around? Then don't wait any longer and start uploading to earn some extra money.