Thursday, March 20, 2014

Keep it Real

Another week is coming to a close and it’s time to take stock of how you’re doing.  If you need some help, check out the personal habits inventory  (from the Resources) on my website.  Hopefully each week you will find that you can check “Most  Always” for items more than you are checking “Hardly Ever.”  However, as long as you find yourself making progress and moving along over time.

The semester ends in 5-6 weeks (depending on your school) and now is the time to kick it in gear.  Some of you are already there and I encourage you to stay the course and don’t burn yourself out.  Find a way to balance your academic pursuits with things you enjoy and allow you to get away for a while.  The NCAA basketball tournament is a great distraction when you need to lose yourself in something completely non-academic.

Now, if you’re experiencing some challenges, let me encourage you to take an honest look in your academic mirror and think about what you can do differently.  Be real with yourself.    If your first one or two exams in a course didn't go well, then you have a bit of ground to make up if you are aiming for a passing grade.  Earning that grade isn't impossible, but doing so means you will have to make some different decisions.  Go to office hours if you haven’t been.  If you are going, go more.  Incorporate some time at your campus’ academic success center into your time management plan.  If you are making up ground, your time management plan will be much tighter than the person who is seeking to maintain.

Whatever you do, aim for excellence.  The idea is that you will complete each semester with a GPA and knowledge base that will make you competitive for whatever you seek to do and give you options.  The person who graduates from college with the minimum required to complete a degree has very few, if any, options.  And that’s real!

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