New Semester Resolution

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 systems or routines did you have in place in the past?

* 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?