BUSS508 Economics & International Business Assessment 1 2026 | AUT

BUSS508 Assessment 1

The aim of this assessment is that after starting to study BUSS508 you review how you are learning to be a critical self-reflective student with good study skills and an awareness of where you can find support, and to be able to find and evaluate good information.

Study skills:

• Understanding how to schedule and plan your study, workshop and learning tas preparation, and preparation for assessments
• Knowing the sources of support available at AUT and where to find them
• Knowing how to navigate the library to find quality information, and to be able t evaluate the quality of information
• Being able to reflect on your own performance to review the skills you need to work on
• Being able to make a plan to improve your future performance
• Reflect on what study skills you have learned, where you are now, where you would like to be, and present a short plan of action points to get you there

help you write the document:

Review the reflective writing video and DIET framework in the Canvas>Assessment area. You can even colour your writing as per the example in the video.

• You can also review the library guide: https://library.aut.ac.nz/doing- assignments/reflective-writing
• Review and reflect on the following exercises and study planning discussions from the Learning Tasks and Workshops
  reminder you have covered the following information which you may reflect on:
• Learning task 1.1 Using the library and finding quality resources
• And in the workshops we have made use of UNCTAD, WTO and other datasets covering shipping, trade etc.
• Workshop 1 discussion: what makes workshops successful/ successful online and study buddies
• Workshop 1 Key Course contacts
• Workshop 1 Changing Workshop times
  Learning task 2.1 How to do independent study and take effective notes Diploma Students Workshop 2 - What's my learning style?
• Week 2 Workshop Materials: Making your own study timetable using the BBus Assessment Structure calendar and Study planning StudentHub scheduler, Other StudentHub services

Economics and International Business

• Week 4 Workshop: SCAs, course refunds and booking peer mentors
• You may even reflect an information and advice you have learned from other courses and discussion with your fellow students
• Journal entry word limit: Main body maximum 500 words
• Supplementary materials: You may include other materials such as a timeline, tables or figures you might refer to within this document. You should also include a reference list (if appropriate.) Supplementary materials are not included in your word count.

Reflective Journal Entry 1: My study journey

In your first weeks of University study at AUT you have been shown new ways to find information, to evaluate information, find sources of study support, to plan your study and develop study skills to investigate broad and complex topics in Economics and International Business. Reflect on what you have learnt, and how to plan to continue to develop. Main body 500 words max. You can refer to any supplementary materials such as timelines.

Journal entry word limit: Main body maximum 500 words

During remote online learning we have learnt about the society, natural environment, sustainability, and globalisation. So far in this course has tested me on personal skill sets such as self-reflection, critical thinking, independent learning especially during remote study, academic and information literacy, team and social skills and 'self-belief. I think that these skill sets will help me to better myself in both the real world and during my study. Currently, I am struggling with procrastination and time management as I need to balance between my part time job and my study. I have found myself procrastinate often in this remote study because I have more distractions at home e.g., there is no set time for me to watch the lectures. I also found that I haven't been summarising my notes for each lectures for the past weeks. However, I have found that the AUT library website, teaching support such as courses resources, workshop tutor/materials, and friends/group mates have been beneficial towards my study during this remote study.

The AUT library website has allowed me to find more credible sources in comparison to Google. The teaching support, is very helpful when I need to quickly find information on course/study materials. The workshop has also been helpful because I have found that workshop material enhances the lecture materials, this allow me to absorb the knowledge better. I am also lucky enough to have good groupmates which some have become friends, we have been in each other's support system by helping one another or testing each other's knowledge. Furthermore, when I re-write, summarises, and re-read my notes this will allow me to obtain the materials better. This also come in handy especially during exam period, instead of going through all the lecture slides I will have a summarised notes in front of me. In the future of my study, I would like to continue bettering myself and combating my procrastinations because it is very unproductive, improving my time management skills, and improve my summarising skill sets, along with critical thinking. To do this, at the beginning of each week I need to note down all important dates e.g., assignment due dates in my calendar. This will help me with my time management skills as it gives me glance of what my week will look like and how I can prepare for the week. 

I also need to prepare for the lectures beforehand such as essential readings, reading the lecture slides beforehand. This will gives me a heads up on this week material, and I would not feel so lost during lectures as now I have prior knowledge of some of the discussed materials. Lectures will now be held on campus, so I think this will fight off my procrastination as now I have scheduled time for me to go to lectures, I think having friends during university also plays an important role as they can help me to reinforce on learnt materials.