Transition Skills

1. Transition Skills Self-management of expectations

2. Self-management of expectations Do you have a clear idea about what is expected of you as a successful learner in higher education? Have you a set of well defined, dynamic goals and a plan of how and when you will achieve them? If you answered ‘no’ to either of the above, you could benefit by developing your skills to manage your expectations.

3. Managing your expectations It is important to be clear about your expectations of what it is like to be in higher education. It will help if your expectations are informed and realistic. If your expectations and your reality are different then there is a gap that could widen and impact negatively on your academic success.

4. Try this activity: establishing your goals • There is evidence that people who have clear goals remain motivated in achieving them. The goals themselves are important but the experience that you can gain in setting and achieving goals can also help you to be successful in the future: • Using the ‘establishing your goals’ handout provided, without prioritising or trying to think of any order, write down a few goals under each of the 4 headings of health, finance, career and relationships. • Now using the drop down menus, allocated a period of time in which you believe you could achieve each of these goals. You can choose from up to 1, 3, 5 or 10 years. Work out how many goals you are planning to achieve in each time period and give some thought to the balance. 15 minutes

5. Try this activity: establishing your goals • Choose the 3 goals you consider to be your most important and type these into the boxes in your handout. • To complete this activity, look carefully at the words that have been provided in the handout and choose 3 which describe you and/or the qualities that you will need to have to achieve your goals.

6. Some quotations about goals

7. Try this activity: increasing motivation Once you are clear about your goals and the timescales you have to achieve them, it is useful to make sure that you are focused and motivated. There are many online resources that you can use that may increase your motivation: • Search for ‘motivational quotations’ or excerpts from poems on the Internet and try to find any that appeal to you or could inspire you to achieve your goals. • Choose 2 of the best quotations and type them into the Inspirational Quotation boxes on your handout. • Remember to also complete the Written by boxes so you are acknowledging your sources 15 minutes

8. Try this activity: increasing motivation An affirmation is a positive statement that describes a situation that you desire. You will find sample affirmations in your handout: • Read the affirmations provided in your handout and decide if any of them feel as though they apply to how you need to feel if you are to achieve your goals. • Choose 2 of the affirmations and type them into the boxes provided. Note that you can edit or replace what you have been given with your own words. • Now go to the final page of the workbook and reflect on what you have created.

9. Sample affirmations • My potential to succeed is infinite. • I am courageous and I stand up for myself. • My life is full of prosperity. • I have an incredible family and wonderful friends. • I acknowledge my own self-worth. • My confidence is soaring. • I am strong. • I am tenacious. • I radiate beauty. • I am defeating my illness steadily each day. • My obstacles are moving out of my way. • My path is towards greatness.

10. Supporting effective management of expectations Students transitioning into or from higher education should be able to access information to develop their own pathways for growth. They need to understand the higher education environment and their role in it. Setting Goals:Establish your goals for what you want to achieve and plan how they will fit into your longer term goals. Informed Realism: It is important to become familiar with any new requirements and to be realistic about how you will meet them. Flexibility: Good coping mechanisms will come from approaching differences between reality and expectations with some flexibility.

11. Strategies for self-management of expectations • Use these strategies to improve your management of expectations and goal setting skills • Try to find out as much as possible about what the expectations will be. Think carefully about your goals and make sure you have a healthy mixture of short term achievements and a longer term plan. Be aware of any difference between what you expected to happen and what is happening. Act quickly to close any gap that is opening. • Some things you can try • Attend any open days or induction events • Speak to other students including the students’ union or association • Ask questions and seek clarification if you are unsure • Some things you can try • Create a list of goals • Revisit this lists to keep it dynamic and ambitious • Use inspirational quotations and stories to keep yourself motivated • Develop a vision board Setting and achieving goals is an important part of your development as a learner. A vision board is a visual way of capturing your goals and helping you stay motivated.