5A: Give it all you've got!

Have you ever had the thought “What an overachiever!” toward someone? If so, then did you take a step back and analyze what that makes you? Does it mean that you are under achieving or maybe that you are simply just not trying to achieve at your maximum potential? Then if that is the case you’re not doing yourself any justice. We shouldn’t ever be mad at or criticize anyone who strives to do their best, but instead we should be disappointed with ourselves for not trying to be the best we can be.

This brings me to the fact that we are already four weeks into the semester, and how we now have the chance to reflect on our academic habits as individuals. Personally, I must admit that college life can be quite exhausting. One thing that disappointed me was that I spent so much time and effort studying for an exam and only managed to get a mediocre grade. Coming into this I knew the work was going to be more difficult than it was in high school, but actually living it rather than just expecting it was a smack into reality. Something that came to my attention is that I already use some of the helpful tips and techniques mentioned in several of this week’s readings. Few of which include eliminating all distractions when doing homework or studying, staying organized, trying to edit and outline notes for studying, keeping a planner with assignments and deadlines, and working toward keeping a balanced schedule.

However, this in no way means that I feel I don’t need or can’t use improvement. As implied in “The Indispensable Importance of Setting Goals in College” by Dennis Congos, it is of extreme importance to constantly identify our goals and then make a plan on how to reach them so that we can avoid the feeling of being lost or of doing meaningless things that aren’t getting us anywhere. I constantly set goals and look for ways to better myself such as attempting to get at least a 90 on all my exams and dedicating more of my time to studying. I hope that these smaller goals in return help me reach my larger goals such as making Dean’s list and getting into the Nursing program. I have established where I want to go now I just have to follow a plan and develop new strategies in hopes of one day getting there.