Reflections of a Dean

Goals are essential in the planning of a higher education career. Adult learners should have a plan to follow as they embark on their curriculum studies. Goals solidify a focus and can generate a road map to plan classes, acquire aid, and budget time.

With regard to present goals, students need to reflect. Are they currently working? Are they driving me toward my completion of a degree? Are my goals in need of a “tune-up”?

If goals are more than a year old, perhaps now is the time to plan a new set of goals. Did the year-old goals help me? Maybe minor adjustments are needed. Perhaps a tweak of two. If the goals have helped only a little or there has been no progress, then it may be the time to regroup and create a new set of goals. It is important to remember how you formulated the current set of goals. What lifestyle milestones influenced your previous decision about goals? It may be time to keep a few goals and create new ones.

One important aspect of setting goals needs to be mentioned—goals should be reachable by you (the student) and not a frustrating series of tasks. Goals can be short, concise, and focused. Setting a time frame which is reachable helps students as the forge their goals. For example, during a current semester, I plan to speak with my advisor one time before the end of the semester. By planning now, this can be a reachable goal and should not create frustration.

Separate goals by family and school-related areas. While they may often overlap, it is important to keep them separate. Balancing the family responsibilities with school tasks can be a daunting challenge which may require adjusting and fine tuning. As an experiment, create two to three family goals and two to three school-related goals. Wait two to three months and then assess the effectiveness of these goals.

If unsure about creating school goals, consult your advisor or a favorite professor. These higher education staff members have the experience in helping guide students. Ask a few of your classmates who they would recommend in seeking advice. Remember to have a tentative plan when you meet with the staff member.

Use a calendar to date the time of meeting with your advisor and when to complete the two to three month check-up. Do not feel compelled to keep non-working goals. Start new and feel confident with fresh goals. With each goal, you are raising the bar of your confidence and academic success.

From time to time, I will include a quote at the end of the blog. I have used these quotes with my students and they have said how much they enjoy the focus and content of each quote. In addition to the quotes, I have searched and found several tips on student success from noted leaders in higher education. I hope you enjoy the quotes and tips for success. The next blog entry will be focusing ideas on working with the faculty.

QUOTE—“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” (Unknown)

Tip for Student Success: “Before entering a school program (undergraduate or graduate), sit down with those in your support network and discuss the demands the program will place on you the student. It is important that your loved ones know that your schedule will change and that you might need to schedule more things in advance. Discussing the topics early can prevent familial stress and frustrations down the road.” (Katy Kemp, University of North Texan/Center for Academic Performance)