7. Compiling a Literature Review

Before compiling a literature review, it is important to put a few things into consideration. The first and most important is to understand what literature review is, the purpose of the literature review and what is required to do a literature review. 

My first experience with this subject was a bit of a challenge because I did not understand the meaning let alone how to compile one. However, at the end of the assignment, I discovered it was worth the challenge because I now have a clear understanding of what  literature review is.

How was this achieved? I received lecture on the subject, carried out some research, and went through some past literature review samples. Literature review in my understanding is the compilation of what has been published on a particular research topic with the use of secondary sources of information such as the internet, newspaper articles, books, text etc.

Before compiling my literature review, I explored some materials to gather facts on the topic and after a in-depth study and assimilation of my research articles; I narrowed down my findings into specific pieces of information to establish my point ensuring my piece of work was well organised and presented. I gave an introduction of the topic and an overview of my body of work. Separate paragraphs were used for each point made but I tried to make it as concise as possible. Finally, I finished by summarizing my entire discussion. To avoid plagiarism, I referenced all my sources of information accurately using Harvard style referencing.

5. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of claiming other people's works as one's own. It is replacing, paraphrasing or summarising information from the internet, books, journals etc. without giving credit to the original author. It is as good as giving yourself the praise you do not deserve. Plagiarism is considered an offence in ITB. Any student found guilty of the offence will be subject to the Institute's disciplinary procedures. Any assignment, examination or project that is not correctly referenced would be awarded zero marks.

Plagiarism sometimes occurs as a result of negligence when completing an assignment or writing a project. This often occurs when sources of information are not recorded at the time they were used. It is therefore important to always reference any information taken from other sources immediately so as not to lose track of them.


As a student in ITB with the understanding of the Institute's policy on plagiarism, I try as much as I can to avoid it. Thus, when I was compiling a literature review, I ensured to refer to all the sources of my information. It is one thing to know the sources of information and it is another to reference correctly. I found Harvard referencing style very effective in achieving this purpose. I personally believe it is one of the best styles of referencing. After going through the Harvard Referencing Tutorial, I was able to reference my work appropriately and therefore found my way into completing a literature review without a trace of plagiarism.

Other than the Harvard referencing tutorial, I also found this video clip very helpful. It is quite detailed and educative in relation to the subject.

4. Effective Presentations

The first time I knew I was going to present, I trembled. I remember asking myself:  what am I going to talk about? How will I present it and so on? I got myself worked-up at the thought of it but guess what, it was not as difficult as it sounded. I found it very interesting at the end. 

I began by assuring myself that it was only a presentation and not a death-sentence. The easiest part of the process was, having to choose a topic of my own. That prompted me to go for a topic of my interest, something I was comfortable with and at least a bit confident to talk about. I did a mind-map on the topic to gather information. While I was doing so, I avoided too many information and therefore picked out the most importation points. It was concise and clear.

As a result of my research on effective presentation, I decorated my slides with some images to elaborate my points, which made it appear interesting and eye-catching. My cue cards were also ready with the main points written therein. Another important thing I did was practice my presentation within the time-frame given using a few of my friends as my audience. This was done repeatedly until my timing was accurate.

At the beginning of my presentation, I saluted my audience, introduced myself, my topic and gave an overview of my presentation.  During the presentation I ensured to maintain an eye-contact with my audience and at the end I concluded by summarizing my entire presentation, referenced my sources of information and finally appreciated my audience for their time.

1. Effective Note Taking

Success is determined by the effort we channel into our works. Academic success for instance, is determined by the extent of one's study, regular class attendance and effective note taking. The importance of effective note taking skills cannot be over-emphasized. It promotes engaged listening and memory during and after study. It also provides a record of learning that would be useful for revision and exam preparation. It is basically one of the keys to successful studying.

The most effective method of note taking depends on one's learning style preference. It is therefore necessary to begin by identifying one's personal learning style preference. Being a visual learner, I take note better using mind-mapping method. I put the topic in a circle with the main points as the branches and build them up after lecture. I also find it helpful to convert lecture notes into picture after which those pictures are put back into words. The use of diagrams and sometimes pictures, video, hand-outs etc. also gives me grounded understanding of my notes.

After discovering my learning style, I decided to put a note taking strategy in place. Before lecture, I revise the last topic to refresh my memory and get ready for the next lecture. During lecture, I try to avoid distractions, and takes note using my preferred method. Where I have to write in words, I do so in my own words for clearer understanding. After the lecture, I go through the lecture notes plus the note I have taken in class later that day. I also get other resources to establish my understanding of the topic covered. Finally, I carry out a periodic review of my notes.

These videos below will provide you with some important tips for note taking. I found them very helpful.

9. Time Management

       Source: webstockpro.com

The ability to manage time is a skill that is important in everyone's lives. If you are a student, an employee, an employer or self-employed, it is essential to be able to manage your time well as this would go a long way in helping you achieve the best of every passing day.

Before my admission into the college, I often took time for granted; always assumed time was on my side. However, I have been proved wrong on several occasions such as rushing to meet deadlines, running late for appointments as well as loosing valuable time without having anything reasonable done at the end of the day. All of these were down to my inability to manage time.

After my admission into college and I discovered the amount of work to be done, the hours to spend in school, the little time left to do assignments coupled with other responsibilities at home, I said to myself, now is the time to get started with time management. With the lectures received in class and my personal research I now understand how to use my time effective. I now plan my days ahead by making a list of the tasks to carry out each day according to priority. I have a master and weekly schedule created which I strictly follow ensuring to use all time available. However, I carve out some time for relaxation as my lecturer would always say 'reward yourself'.

I have come to realize that every time we have is an opportunity that must not be taken for granted but utilized effectively.  I make good use of every opportunity I have with time because time, they say, waits for no one. This is really working for me. I believe it can work for you too.