Speaking from Experience - 'Product' Ideas

Reflecting back over the past year about the times when I felt most unorganised, I considered what I could have used that will have helped me to keep on top of things. I put together a mind map of different ideas, as well as reasonings as to why they could have helped.

From these, and the results from the survey I put together, the most useful things that I think would help a first year Graphics student on our course would be:

• Notebook - we have lots of different lectures and seminars to take notes in, as well as taking notes when researching and what ever, so I think a notebook would be a useful thing to do. Even so, t is easy to just go pick up a every day book from the library or where ever, so I will make it so that it goes one step further to ensure the student using it can keep track of their notes and what is for what, etc.
• Folders - we get so many different handouts and briefs for all the different modules, as well as sketches and layouts and what ever else is done on separate pieces of paper, and when we have 3 or 4 modules running at once it is hard to keep them organised all on one pile. So I think producing folders for each of the modules will help the student to keep on top of this, and will ensure everything is in the same place and easier to find.
• To Do Lists - keeping a list of what needs to be done for what will ensure that the student keeps track of things and doesn't miss anything out. You can make a list on anything, but you have to bring yourself to making it in the first place so I will look at making something for the student so that the list can be made when ever and will prompt them to do them more often.
• Wall Calendar - personally, a good way that I have kept track of what is needed when, and when I have certain things and all that is on a wall planned I bought at Christmas. I write things on when I know it and it is always basically in front of me at home so I can browse when ever to see what needs to be prioritised. I will create one of these calendars but rather than it going from Jan - Dec, I will make it for the academic year of Sept - Aug, that way it will all go on one and see the student right through the year.
• USB - a USB is essential for this course as we do a lot of things on Macs, and if you are going from the Mac suite to your Mac at home and back again, it is important you always have all the files you need and know where they are, so I think having a USB stick with already created folders for each module would encourage the student to keep this organised better. I will look at a way to package this rather than just putting a USB stick in the pack.