With each New Year comes New Year’s resolutions. Millions of people commit to stopping old
unhealthy habits, starting new productive and healthy habits, or finally
starting a project or working toward a goal.
Realistically, people can set goals for themselves at any time; there is
certainly no need to wait for a new year.
I will concede, however, that psychologically, a new year suggests a new
beginning, and making a resolution seems to make good sense. The beauty of being a college student is that
each semester brings a new beginning. This new beginning offers ripe
opportunity to reflect on your strengths, to think about the areas where you
might need a little work, and to put a plan in place – a New Semester
Resolution!
First, consider some
of the skills that lead to academic success. Time management, study skills, utilization of
student support services, work/life/school balance, completion of assignments,
writing and reading skills, class attendance and participation, and communication
with instructors and other students are a few that come to mind.
Next, identify the skills you would like to improve. Perhaps you found yourself starting to tackle
assignments later than you would have liked (okay, I’ll come out and say it –
perhaps you procrastinated).
Evaluate the system you had in place last semester. Perhaps you
tried to use Google calendar to manage your time and keep track of your
assignments. Why didn’t the system work? Maybe you kept forgetting to enter
assignments onto the calendar.
Next, consider your
options and make a plan. You might look at your syllabus and enter all semester
assignments onto the Google calendar immediately after your first class. You might decide to review your assignments
daily and generate to-do lists. Or, you
might decide either a time management app on your phone or the CCV planner is a
better time management option for you.
The key to making a successful resolution is not only to
make a meaningful goal, but also to evaluate what has and hasn’t worked and why,
and then to put a deliberate plan in
place. Then, and this is the biggie
– you must stick with the plan. You will also want to evaluate your new plan and make adjustments as the semester
progresses. Here are some guiding
questions for making New Semester Resolutions:
* Which skill area would you like to
improve?
* What about these systems or
routines has worked well? Be sure to
consider the who, the where, the when, and the how often.
* Do you have any habits that
interfere with the systems or routines you have tried to establish? Be sure to consider the who, the where, the when, and the how often. What is your plan to address these detracting
habits?
*What about these systems or
routines has not worked? Be sure to
consider the who, the where, the when, and the how often.
*What new system or routine will
you implement? Do you need to be aware
of any habits or tendencies you have that may hinder the success of your new
plan? Be sure to consider the who, the where, the when, and the how often.
* When will you evaluate your new
plan? How will you know it is working?
My New Semester Resolution is to dedicate daily time to
reading important materials, and I’m happy to share that I have my plan in
place. What do you resolve to accomplish
this semester?
