Achieving Academic Success: Goal Setting & Planning

1. Achieving Academic Success:Goal Setting & Planning Presented by the Walker Center for Academic Excellence

2. Part I: Finding Your Motivation

3. Why is motivation important? • Motivation is a person’s individual values, beliefs, and desires which propel them into action. Your motivation will help you achieve your goal. • It is important to understand what drives you. Examples of motivators are: * Family * Friends * Community * Other • Another example is self motivation. Do you have the internal drive to accomplish your goals?

4. Activity 1: Recognizing Motivators • Identify what motivates you to succeed at: • School:_____________________ • Work: _____________________ • Home: ____________________ • Other: _____________________

5. Classifying Motivators Now that you have identified your motivators, it is important to understand the quality and depth of your motivation through your values, beliefs, and desires. 1. Values – things that are meaningful and significant in your life. Examples: * Family /relationships * School / academic success * Career * Money * Status * Social Causes * Travel

6. Continued...... 2. Beliefs – those ideas or thoughts individuals believe to be true. 3. Desires – longing or hoping for something or things you want to accomplish. Example: Longing to obtain a college degree *Once the importance of a goal is identified and assigned a value, individuals are more likely to give 100% to attain a goal.

7. Activity 2 • Make a list and identify your values, beliefs, and desires. • How do the items listed relate to one another?

8. Part II: Strengths & Challenges • The next step in setting goals is assessing academic strengths and challenges. These are areas in which you excel or in which you struggle. • To begin assessing your academic strengths and challenges, reflect on the positive and negative experiences you have had: * In the classroom * Working in a group * Writing a paper or memo * Presenting to a group * Doing math problems or using a calculator

9. Strengths & Challenges Continued... • Remember, an accurate and honest assessment is essential to helping you overcome challenges. • The role of strengths and challenges can affect your motivation. Building on strengths allows you to use your talents to achieve a level of success. This success will increase your confidence as well as your motivation. • Learn to work simultaneously on improving your challenges and honing your strengths. Focusing solely on your challenges can decrease your motivation and confidence. • Continue to work toward achieving your goals. This sense of direction is vital in maintaining positive motivation.

10. Activity 3 • Make a list and identify your academic strengths and challenges. Do you notice a pattern?

11. Importance of Failure • Failure is the inability to do or perform a function adequately. • The idea of ‘failing’ is also a state of mind. • It is important to accept failure as a ‘positive’ instead of a negative. This will allow you to learn from your mistakes and use them to identify what is needed to succeed in the future. • Failure can affect your level of motivation. • Failure can also be used as a catalyst for success. “To Accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.” Sandra Bierig

12. Part III. Goal Setting Planning, Executing and Evaluating Your Success

13. Planning Steps The following steps will help you achieve and maintain academic success: • Set SMART goals (see next slide) • Make a plan • Be accountable • Do regular check-ups • Evaluate and celebrate!

14. Set SMART Goals • Specific – Set a specific goal you can accomplish. A specific goal has a greater chance of being achieved than a general goal. • Measurable –Establish a criteria for measuring your progress toward attaining your goal. • Attainable - After your goal has been established and you begin working toward your goal, you begin to see ways you can achieve it. You begin to develop the attitude, skills etc. necessary to accomplish your goal. * Writing your goals down on paper is important because it serves as a constant reminder.

15. SMART Goals Continued.. • Realistic – Your goal should be a true realistic reflection of how willing and able you are to accomplish your goal. • Timeline – Set a timeline to your goal. By putting an ending point to your goal you are giving a clear target to work towards.

16. Example: Example of goals using the SMART technique: • Specific – Earn two B’s in session 3 • Measurable – Attend all class sessions • Attainable – Write down your goals and establish a study schedule • Realistic – Set goals you can successfully accomplish. Begin planning for exams early. Start studying 5-7 days before the exam. Utilize academic support services, if needed. • Timeline – Mark examination dates on your calendar. Designate specific days and times to study for exams.

17. Short & Long Term Goals • Short-term goals are goals you can achieve in a day, week, or in the near future (i.e. a few months.) Example: *Attend all scheduled classes. • Long-term goals are goals you can achieve over a longer period of time (i.e. a 14 week term, 1 year or 3 years.) Example: * Gain membership into Chi Alpha Epsilon (XAE) honor society.

18. Make a Plan • Identify any strengths and challenges you may face when meeting this goal (i.e. personal challenges etc.) • Identify resources such as family, classmates, instructors, study groups, academic support services, advisors, etc. who can assist you in reaching this goal. • Develop a plan.

19. Plan Your Goals • In the next few slides, use the Academic Planning form to assist you in creating and achieving realistic goals.

20. Academic Planning Form Goal: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Overall Academic Strengths/Challenges: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Resources: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________

21. Continued.. Action Plan: I will: • Attend (and be on time for) all classes • Actively participate in and be prepared for each class • Complete all assignments and study for all tests • Contact my instructor with any questions or concerns I have during the course ___ Participate in academic workshops: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

22. Continued.. ___ Work with a tutor: ___ time(s) per week for the following class(es) ___ ______________________________________________________________ ___ ______________________________________________________________ ___ ______________________________________________________________ ___ ______________________________________________________________ Evaluation Plan: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

23. Get a check-up! Put planning time into your schedule to evaluate your progress to your goal. This is like a well-visit to the Doctor. Reflect on the following questions: • Who will you check-in with? • When? • Can you schedule it?

24. Evaluate and Celebrate • Did you meet your goal? * Why or why not? * What did you learn? * What will you do differently next time? • Identify a reward! * How will you celebrate your efforts and success?

25. The Walker Center for Academic Excellence Programs and Services The Walker Center provides a number of academic services and resources to help meet your goals. • Program Advising • Tutoring/Supplemental Instruction/Smarthinking (online tutoring) • Career Counseling • Disability Services • Academic, Career and Leadership Workshops • Cultural Events • International Student Services • Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society • Scholarships • Laptop Borrowing Program • Academic Enrichment Program For more information contact The Walker Center for Academic Excellence, 2nd Floor, Alumni Hall, 215-670-9251, WCAE@peirce.edu; http://www.peirce.edu/second/cae/default.asp

26. Walker Center Information Continued... • Click on the links below to learn more about tutoring and workshops that can assist you in achieving academic success. * Tutor schedule Tutor Schedule * Workshop schedule Workshop Schedule

27. Workshop Evaluation • Please complete the evaluation found at this link to let us know how you liked this workshop and to give us your ideas for future workshops and programs. http://www.peirce.edu/Eval/eval.asp