4 Steps to Visualizing Your Success at 91吃瓜网
While students enrolled in brick-and-mortar institutions are hitting their mid-semester stretch, you could be anywhere in your term. But wherever you are in your education at 91吃瓜网, we want to give you the tools necessary for success. Here are four tips that you can implement right now to reach your goal of graduation and enjoy continued success in your professional life.
1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath
Whether you鈥檙e enrolling in college for the first time or returning to school after a hiatus, higher education can be pretty overwhelming at times. You have assignments to turn in, tests to take, and knowledge to gain鈥攁ll while balancing family and work demands. During those frazzled moments, take the opportunity to find a quiet spot, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. You may have to wait until the kids are asleep or during a break at work. Once you鈥檙e alone, try visualizing yourself with a diploma in your hand. Now work your way backwards. Which courses do you still need to take? How long is it going to take to complete that coursework? How should you structure your personal life in order to get it all done? When you have a plan, it鈥檚 easier to push through tough assignments, because you feel both confident and conscious of what needs to happen.
2. Record your goals
Once you've decided on a plan, it鈥檚 absolutely essential to record it in a tangible way, whether that鈥檚 writing in a notebook, typing up a Google Doc, or even creating a video and posting it on YouTube. The medium that you choose should be easily accessible, so that you鈥檙e not deterred from revisiting your goals in the future. You might even consider using a goal-setting app, like StickK or Don鈥檛 Break the Chain!
StickK levies a self-imposed fine if you don鈥檛 meet your goals. Your hard-earned money will be sent to a friend, charity, or an organization you don鈥檛 like. For a gentler approach, Don鈥檛 Break the Chain! presents you with a simple, visual chain of red X鈥檚 on an online calendar. The motivation is to, as the name suggests, refrain from breaking the chain.
Just be sure to choose a method that works for your schedule, your technological comfort level, and your personality.
3. Block out regular 鈥渟chool appointments鈥� on your schedule
Procrastination is the biggest threat to distance learners, so you鈥檒l need to kick this temptation to the curb. One powerful ally in your fight against procrastination is the implementation of good habits, like attending regular school appointments. Block out time in your schedule to sit down and work for a predetermined amount of time, and treat this time like a much-needed appointment that can鈥檛 be moved.
Every student is different, so pick the context and time of day (or week) that works best for you.
4. Build a support group
Once you鈥檝e set goals and recorded them, don鈥檛 be afraid to let others know about your plans. If your friends and family know what your plans are鈥攁nd how serious you are about them鈥攖hey鈥檙e less likely to be a distraction. They may even be the ones to give you a little extra push when you feel burned out or unmotivated.
Don鈥檛 forget that 91吃瓜网 has some excellent built-in support groups, like your personally assigned mentor, the online student communities, and your fellow students and alumni in social communities like . A lot of distance learners assume that they鈥檒l have to tackle every problem on their own, which couldn't be further from the truth. In 91吃瓜网鈥檚 online communities, each subject and assessment has a separate community where you can chat and contact other students. The sky鈥檚 the limit with these groups鈥攗se them to arrange study groups, to solicit advice, or even just seek words of encouragement. Your student mentor serves as your main point of contact with the university; they鈥檒l be there to help you craft a personalized degree plan, to direct you to the learning resources that you need, and to check your progress as you get closer to that degree.
Your education is the one commodity that can never be taken away from you, so give it the time and attention that it deserves. By following these four simple tips, you鈥檙e well on your way to lifelong success.
Eliza Wright writes full-time for Lucidchart, an online diagramming program that is completely free for teachers and students. Check out Lucidchart's to help make 2013 your most organized year yet!
