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Creative Commons licensed image posted at Flickr by A&A Photography
- Select one of the handouts, and complete what is suggested of you.
- Write a reflection on whether or not you think it did, or will, help with your motivation.
- Share your reflection.
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blairar15
June 26, 2014 at 5:15 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Setting goals is a somewhat new concept for me. I don’t usually think much about the future. I kind of take things as they come. Because of this I thought it would be good to complete the Motivation and Goal Setting Worksheet. This handout was really helpful because it made me think about my future both long term and short term. I’m hoping that by doing this it will help me stay focused and motivated through my summer classes and the upcoming school year.
It was hard for me to answer the question about what are my life time goals. I’ve always said “to be happy,” whenever anyone has asked me that. My dream has been to play in the NFL. Yesterday’s back surgery has made that dream a challenge, but I am still motivated. I know that I have to have a back up plan and that is my plan for the next three to five years. I want to be able to graduate from ODU with a 3.0 and have a career rather than just a job. I would want that career to be something that I love and not just a place I go every day. In order to meet that goal I have to stay focused and motivated for this coming academic school year. My goals are to pass all my classes with B’s and maybe an A. I also need to choose a second major for my fifth year because I have been red shirted. In order to accomplish those goals there are a lot of things I need to do. I need to research different majors I’m interested in, such as sports management, sociology, or psychology to decide which appeals to me the most and which would help me meet my three to five year goal. This year I will also have to continue to work on time management and improve my note taking skills. It will be difficult to get the GPA I want without doing these things. One other goal I have for this academic year is to improve my study habits. I think I should study a little bit each night instead of waiting until the night before a test to cram for many hours.
Making a to-do list for today was interesting as I had surgery yesterday. So I have to walk in ten-minute intervals to keep from stiffening up. That is a priority. I also have to take a “bird bath” since I can’t shower for 5 days. Because I am pretty much home bound I set the goal for today to complete as much of my unfinished homework as I could and then email my teacher and let her know that it was finished. Honestly, I’m not really looking forward to any of these activities, but there are good consequences from achieving them all. Walking will help in my recovery and that is a top priority for me. I want a good grade in class and I will feel good when the homework is off my plate so I am motivated to do that. So the consequences of these goals are both intrinsic and extrinsic. My consequences will also be both immediate and delayed. I will feel better after I walk and it will help in my long term recovery. I will feel better not having this homework hanging over my head and it will help with my overall GPA.
I think the motivation and goal setting worksheet was very helpful for me. It is something I can print out and look back at throughout the upcoming school year and adjust as years go on. I can see it as a tool to keep me motivated. I can keep setting new goals as I achieve the ones I’ve already set.
TSMorris
June 13, 2014 at 4:28 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The ‘Planning Study Time’ handout was useful for me because setting aside time to study is always the most difficult part of school for me. It would be better for me go home and study directly after my classes, but my most difficult classes are in the evening so it would hard to do the daylight study and study after the classes. The best tip on there for me was to plan out times to study. Normally I end up procrastinating and trying to study for several weeks of material the night before, or for some assignments I’ll completely forget about them.
Mihir Patel
June 13, 2014 at 3:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I chose the Motivation and Goal Setting worksheet. It helped me break down my long term goals into short reachable goals as I progress. My lifetime goals were to become an Aerospace engineer at NASA, and also go to space. This seemed like big dreams, but if I can break it down, nothing is impossible. My goals for the next five years are to graduate college and find a good job with an Aerospace engineering firm, which brings my overall goal to an achievable position. Next it asked me for my goals for this coming academic year, which are to maintain my grade point average above a 3.3, this is what I have to achieve for my closest goal. These are all my goals, but how can I achieve them, well, the solution is to work hard, easier said than done. I have to change my studying habits this upcoming semester. Instead of studying at random times, I start right after my class is over, it helps because the material is still fresh in mind, this will also eliminate the need for studying the night before a test, which involves cramming as much as I can, every formula and approach. This technique has risks to it, and now I want to change it. I will also get help from my professors as much as I can, this includes seeing them often. Once I get a grasp of the material in class, constantly doing practical problems will help also. My next goal is to get an internship, which will boost my experience, and also give me knowledge of what is required in this field. My daily life also has to revolve around my goals, what I do, how I do it. It may include socializing or just attending a religious event. If I keep this at the center of my life, I will become successful.
RosangelaB
June 13, 2014 at 2:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I picked the self-management checklist. I write down “to do list” and make my own check list throughout the days. This helps me immensely, also planning out things just seem to work for me, if I don’t I feel lost. School isn’t the only thing that is on my mind these days, spouse, child, house, bills, also need attention. I am actually glad I stumbled upon these exercises; it gets you thinking about how you are doing things and how you can improve them, in order for it to benefit you. The self-management check list had a couple of things that I will be more aware of and trying to accomplish. One of the things are, “Think small” this is one of my biggest issues with time, I sometimes think I’m super women and I try to do too much in one day. This becomes a problem because I either end up exhausted or I concentrate too much on the first things and then don’t give much attention to the ones I left to do lastly. “Specify” I believe this is something else that I can also use, I’m good at making my list, however I can spend hours just doing one thing out of five things on that list, so actually setting timely goals on how long I need to spend on something and maybe setting an alarm might really help. I will be keeping all of these great exercises in mind.
cynthiarosario1
June 13, 2014 at 2:11 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I did the Motivation And Goal Setting Worksheet because I know it will be a good thing to write it down. It helped me to write it down because i know what I want and look forward to. For me Motivation been something I struggle with everything day. Being motived comes along way in life and having the right people to support me through the process. I am the first in my media family to go to college; however, I feel overwhelmed as well as honored to show my mother how much I have accomplish in my life. What is affecting me is that I feel like I am alone. My mother feels that she not a good help because she dropped out in 10th grade and she not smart. All I am asking for from her and my family is just a little drive. Show me that they are proud of me because what I am doing is not stress-free. My mother does not have to be clever to help me make smart choices. I need her around to care and ask me about school sometimes. The little things matter the most and can really help. I know she loves me and is happy for me but she never came out and express that to me. I just need her around because nobody knows me like she does and I feel anxiety doing this all alone to have a better future for not just me but for her. So doing this really helped me with that even though I want my mother around i know i have to focus on my goals and that worksheet was good it got me thinking and wanting to achieve.
Jennifer Harrington
June 13, 2014 at 1:27 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I chose to go over the Study Tactics Checklist handout.
A lot of the things on the list such as making to-do lists, and putting goals on paper, are things I already do that have proven helpful. There are other suggestions, however, that I think could help me be more attentive to studying. One of the biggest ones, for me, will be focusing on the output or information, or testing yourself after periods of studying. I am really good at taking in and storing information, but when asked to recall it, I have a hard time formulating those ideas in a quick and coherent manner, which is significant on timed exams. Also, rewarding myself for my academic success or completing certain academic tasks might be another good idea, since I tend to undervalue my own efforts.
mayax
June 13, 2014 at 12:02 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I chose to complete the Planing Study Time Handout. I chose this option because the subject is one of my biggest issues when it comes to academics. I always plan to study, but never actually get around to it or just not at the time I planned. Usually, I end up trying to cram right before the exam. I think the tip of using daylight hours would help me the most. I am more active during the day, therefore I have more energy and drive to study. As soon as night falls, I automatically want to “fall” too. I would also apply the tip of planning my tasks before each study period. I think it would help me be more organized in terms of what I study and what I use to study.
ashley.romar
June 12, 2014 at 10:11 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I looked over the motivation and goal setting worksheet. To me personally, I felt that it wouldn’t really aid me in my studying habits. This worksheet was more for me setting long and short term goals. It would fit more of if I was planning for college. My long-term goal would be graduating college and the short term would be completing the classed towards graduation. The worksheet help me look at things in a different perspective and reevaluate my priorities. I believe that it would aid in motivation, because putting your ideas on paper help you to reevaluate your goals.
JoeyScally
June 12, 2014 at 10:03 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The handout that I completed was planning study time. I think the handout did help because I found that actually planning out time do homework forced me to sit down and actually do my homework instead of messing around on my laptop. I also think that being on schedule helped me because i mental knew that I had homework to finish at specific times during the day. Also, to my surprise I found that motivation to do homework is a lot stronger now that at the being of the semester. I can adapt planning my time to do homework with my other classes and since my schedule for next fall semester is going to busy I’m glad I’ve started using this skill now before my days were to chaotic.
davidhale
June 12, 2014 at 8:12 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
After going through the list for increasing motivation and picking the one that most describes me; “I get distracted a lot. There is always something to do other than school — and usually, it’s more fun.” I heading over and investigated the checklist.
The statement above is my basic problem however; it isn’t always a case of something more fun to do. I have entered college at an age where most of my contemporaries are working with the degree they had earned when we were half our current ages. Life is what my major distraction is. Work, kids, bills, home repairs and the ever onset of “old” age is my “fun” stuff.
The Self-Management Checklist has some very good ideals that I will attempt from this point forward. The first three are something I try to do now. With work and class schedules I establish times and a length of time to complete what it is I need to do. If I neglect to complete an assignment in the block of time I had set up, I have built in time that I would usually nap in, but can use to play a little catch up. Having a commitment with my family is a very good idea and is something I had never thought about. But the idea of them checking up and then paying a penalty if I fail to complete is a good bit of motivation. Distractions are always present, but placing myself in a room alone, along with the commitment/penalty challenge could turn out to be a very successful plan. And as with any plan or idea, there must always be a follow up to check the progress of your plan.