Theme 1

Research and referencing:

First of foremost, I will start to mention about the most significant things in some of
the modules such as Biology, English and Physics. while I am doing the research and
referencing in both Biology essay and lab report, I need to familiar with the Harvard
Stirling Referencing and the correct format of the referencing style in the academic
writing. As long as there have a larger difference between both of the Harvard Stirling
Referencing and the Harvard Referencing. As we all known the difference between the
Harvard Stirling Referencing and Harvard Referencing are for cite the in-text citation
of the academic sources in the academic essay for the Stirling referencing the author’s
surname and the year of the publication with the separated by comma (e.g. Smith,
2010). In contrast, for Harvard referencing need to cite as the

Theme 2:
Academic Development and academic writing:
During the process of learning Biology in the university, as the matter of fact that
overall learning process throughout the term for Biology lecture. I think I have quite
improved a bit in understanding the learning material that the lector had taught during
the lecture. During the Biology lecture, there are three things that I have ever faced.
The first difficulties that I suffered from is when I write the Biology Lab Report, I feel
very confused and do not understand the format of it. The second difficulties that I
have ever faced is that when the lector told us to do the experiment, I used to get stuck
on the calculation of the volume of the chemical that need to use in the experiment.
The final difficulties that I faced during Biology lecture is that sometimes
I do not understand the things that the lector teaches during the lecture. From the
above three difficulties that I have been facing during the first two-semester term in
the INTO university of Stirling. In order to solve the above three difficulties, I will try
to pay more attention in the lecture, if I stick on the things that I do not understand I
will try my best to seek for help, better practise more calculation of the chemical
volume which will make me easier when I am doing the Biology experiment when I
study in the University of Stirling in Year 2. Overall, for the academic development in
Biology, during the beginning of the lecture I was confused with understanding the
topic but now it is much better to understanding the topic and I can do more practise
to increase my memories which is helpful for me to get well preparation for the
examination and the lectures materials. Furthermore, there are three main academic
writing process which I want to reflect in terms of studying Biology in this academic
year. The first strengths are that no matter when writing the Biology essay or Lab
report I need to fully understand the question. Also, I need to understand the
background theory and the knowledge of the key words that the question appeared in
order to get higher mark in the assignment and the examination. The second strength
when writing the lab report is that I need to concentrate more on the academic
vocabulary and the academic style, and I need to focus on the word limited because
sometimes when writing the biology lab report may have 1500 words limited more or
less. The last strength is that whenever during the lecture or doing the assignments I
have prepared for the lecture and prepared for the assignment that the teacher
provided thus it is easier for me to do the assignment straight away. Overall, the above
three strengths have mentioned above which can help me to do the essay easier.

Theme 3
Critical thinking:
While I am writing the Biology lab report I need to use the three steps for critical think
ing to help me to write the biology lab report. The first step is to analyse the data. Wh
en I am analyzing the data, I need to search for the linking and patterns in each data
given by the research or in the study, as well as need to think the relationship and m
ake the comparisons between each of the data mentioned in the graphs. The second
step is to evaluate whether the study and the research that I have found have the ac
curate information and I need to determine whether the source is appropriate to use t
o write the lab report. That is because it mainly shows whether I have considered the
alternative explanation from the academic sources that I have found on the internet.
The third step I need to take is that I need to use critical thinking to draw the final con
clusions. It is important for the reader to understand the main idea of the research fro
m the previous research that I have found. On the other hand, in psychology essay
for example the essay I need write about the conformity in Zimbardo experiment
after i found the academic source I need to deeply understand the academic article
about the experiment first. After I understand the source, then I need to critical
evaluating about the source whether the source is suitable for the use of the
conformity essay. After finished evaluate the sources then I need critical thinking how
I can organize the structure of the discussion part of the essay. To conclude from the
above mentioned, I found that it is quite difficult for me to do the critical thinking no m
atter in an academic essay or in the lab report. The main reason behind it is that I ne
ed to totally understand the source that I found which can help me use the steps to h
elp me write the essay in a better way. Which can get higher grade in the assignment.

Theme 4
Working with source :
Whenever doing the academic essay writing in Biology, Psychology and Physics
need to use the academic sources such as journal article, government website,
science direct. While I was doing the physics essay, although it is hard to find the
suitable academic sources for the topic for kinematics in daily life because it was a
wilder topic and for the term kinematics mainly happen within our lives. Although it is
hard to found the sources but at least I can found the some useful sources to do the
essay and I have also ask my physics teacher Deborah for helping me to found the
sources related to kinematic in daily life and the drawbacks of kinematics. Overall, it
was useful for me to minimize the time limited to found the not useful academic
sources for kinematics. Moreover, in the academic essay sometime if I found the
academic sources without author but I can still use the sources if the sources are
appropriate to use for academic writing, but I need be more careful whether the
article are updated or not updated.

Conclusion:
overall from the above mentioned,I do believe during this academic year is actually
quite stressful for me to do the assignments and even preparing for the upcoming
examination.The major reasons are difficult to concentrate during the lectures,
struggle with the assignments especially for the lab report for Biology and
Psychology , because I need to critical thinking whether the source is suitable and
the main idea of the writer written the article