Introduction
Hi everyone, my name is Sheldon Yang. I’m from Sichuan, China and my first language is Chinese. I came to Victoria back in 2015 and I’m now in my fourth year at UVic, majoring in Computer Science. Hopefully I can graduate at the end of this year.
To be honest, I didn’t choose computer science because I love it. I picked it because I felt it was practical and gave me a better chance at finding a job, especially with the economy these days. Because of that, studying hasn’t always been fun — it’s often stressful and tiring.
Outside of school, I usually relax by playing games or hanging out with friends. That’s how I balance things out and keep myself going.
My Understanding of Learning
In my view, learning comes from constant practice rather than just rote memorization. The best example of this is mathematics. From what I’ve seen, nobody can get high scores simply by attending classes and memorizing formulas. Math requires repeated practice to really understand and apply the concepts. Maybe subjects in the humanities work differently, but for me, practice has always been the most useful and effective way to learn.
Learning Style
Regarding these three learning theories, I feel that behaviourism plays the biggest role during school years, especially in undergraduate and below. At this stage, we are mainly learning knowledge that has already been discovered by others, so repetition and practice are very important to really master the basics.
After undergraduate studies, if you move on to research, the focus shifts a bit. At that level, you are exploring new areas and trying to discover new things, which requires different approaches. But for me, at my current stage, behaviourism still fits best because constant practice helps me learn more effectively.
Motivation in Learning
For me, the most important factor that keeps me engaged in learning is relevance. I mentioned before that I didn’t choose this major out of passion, but because I believe it will help me in the future. This kind of practical thinking doesn’t always make studying enjoyable, but it does keep me motivated. I know that by finishing this program, I’ll have better chances to find a job and build a stable future. Even if it’s not always fun, that sense of relevance is what pushes me to keep going.
Adult Learning and Prior Knowledge
Before the pandemic, I had been studying for IELTS through online classes. Because of that experience, when the university switched to online courses during the pandemic, I didn’t feel as much discomfort as some others did. My prior experience with online learning made it easier for me to adjust to the new situation.