Week 2 Assignment 2
Learning styles and competencies

The learning styles and competencies outlined by Merlette in chapter two of Keys to Effective Learning are a way to help distinguish what kind of learning style fits you best. The results I got from these exercises were very surprising. I thought I was going to end up a bodily kinesthetic learner, but after completing the exercises, I found that you are not limited to only one learning style. In fact, according to Howard Gardner, everyone has eight different intelligences. Depending on the person, some of these intelligences are more developed than others.
Finding a solid way to study and to do whatever works best for you is key to being effective at learning. After doing the exercises and reading chapter 2, I found that the best way for me to be effective at studying is to stay active. When I am doing school work at home I try to take a break every 30 minutes. Doing this helps me stay focused and not zone out. When I study I like to make flash cards and look at them while I walk my dog. Doing these things makes it easier for me to retain information as a kinesthetic learner.
Knowing your abilities and competencies is essential to being proficient in anything you choose to do. If you know your abilities and competencies, you can work on them and practice different exercises to make them further developed. Doing this will help you in a professional environment because if you have confidence and you know what your strengths and weaknesses are then you already seem proficient. Job interviewers want to know your strengths and weaknesses so they can determine what kind of worker you will be. If you go in to an interview scared and unknowing of your abilities and competencies then they have no way of determining what kind of person you are. Knowing your abilities and competencies will help with confidence and