We are all very different. Whether you are interested in Big 5 personality traits, your love language, or type of superhero you would be, there is a plethora of tests available online to satisfy your curiosity about, and increase your understanding of, yourself and your behaviour. Unfortunately, there are no quick hacks in real life, so it is up to you to consider your personal circumstances when optimising your approach to academic tasks. I would encourage you to think about these six questions when determining your academic work style:
1. Working hours (remote work – office work)
How much freedom do you need when you are doing your everyday work? Do you prefer to be left alone to work any time, any place in any way you feel, or do you need a routine and prefer a more stable and well-defined working environment? Remote work can have amazing benefits because of its flexibility to fit your life, but it can also become disorientating and disorganised.
2. Social environment (solitude - companionship)
How much social interaction do you need to have a productive and enjoyable workday? Do you like to bounce ideas off other people, are you inspired by conversation and discussion, or do you find social interaction exhausting and distracting?
3. Research questions (novel research – replication studies)
Do you enjoy making decisions and following your own interests, or do you get inspired when following existing projects? Do you tend to be overwhelmed when there are too many undetermined factors at play, or do you often find yourself bored and not challenged enough in your work?
4. Research methods (qualitative - mixed methods - quantitative)
In your thinking, and by extension in your work, do you often find yourself saying “it depends”, or do you prefer the world reduced to "0" and "1"? It is important to note though, that qualitative research can be more open to new topics, but the findings are less generalisable and, in certain research environments, are less likely to get funding.
5. Writing styles (narrative - reporting)
When writing, do you like to describe the setting and backstory in a free-flowing way, or do you make points in a procedural sequence? If your stories are too elaborate, you might lose the attention of readers because your main points get lost in the narrative. On the other hand, if you write in bullet points it might be too dry, and not give readers enough context or insight into your thought process. Whatever your natural preference is, it might be beneficial to explore and expand it.
6. Presenting styles (interactive - structured)
When talking, whether in a conference or a lecture, do you allow questions during the presentation, or do you prefer people to wait until after your speech is done? Some people prefer more interactive settings, where the audience is involved throughout the whole presentation (e.g., asking audience questions, making jokes), while others prefer to follow a “talk-then questions” structure. If too interactive, a presentation can become chaotic and result in a good time but no learning, but too rigid a presentation might result in people falling asleep and not learning anyway.
There are a couple of points to be made here; firstly, as in everything in life, very few of us occupy such extreme positions on the scales mentioned above - most people fall somewhere around the center points. Secondly, a way of working that was successful for you a year ago might be completely inappropriate today. Contact us for a personal session to help you adapt to ever-changing life and work rhythms and find the best approach for you.