Welcome back! It’s hard to believe we’re starting the spring semester already. It seems like just last week it was a hot August move-in day! I’m sure many students learned some things from the fall semester- and not in terms of academic topic knowledge! It seems everyone comes back at the beginning of a new semester ready to make themselves better. Which is great! But sometimes, that leads to high expectations, and in turn, feeling deflated when things don’t turn out as planned. It’s important to keep your definition of success in mind. What kind of success do you want? What can you do to help yourself reach your goals?
Joseph Anthony, a contributor for Business Insider, wrote a thought-provoking article called “7 Traits of Successful People That Require No Talent At All.” To help you determine what you can do to help yourself accomplish your goals for the semester (and beyond), here are some things you can do just by being you, instead of relying solely on practice or repetition!
- Give your best. Focus on giving 100% and resisting distractions.
- Choose to be positive. Accept that there will be challenges, and be ready to adapt.
- Be willing to learn. Ask for help or guidance! No one enjoys seeing another person struggle, and you can learn from anyone’s experience.
- Take action. Once you set your goal, follow through on your plan. Don’t let your passion- and aspirations- fade away!
These are only four of the seven great suggestions that Anthony points out. Read them all here, and see what else you can do to make this semester truly the best semester ever! What other tips can you offer to help others be successful?
Mid Year Review
Performace reviews stress people out. People waver between fear of getting ripped down and excitement of having new goals. For some people, it’s not easy to get face to face time with their supervisor, and this is their only chance for a long time. It’s much easier to sit down, think for a while, and give yourself your own evaluation. And now is the time to do it! Careerealism has a great article on questions to reflect on the past six months and to prepare for the next six. Be nice to yourself, but also be willing to learn from mistakes you may have made. What are some of your goals from now until the end of the year?
25 Things Every Young Professional Should Know by Age 25
Our friends at the Huffington Post recently posted an article with the 25 things everything young professional should know before they turn 25- around the age, if not later than, when they join the workforce. The list encourages involvement and etiquette personally and professionally. What do you think? Is there anything on the list we can help you with? What advice would you give?
Redefine Success
We believe that every person we work with can be successful. But it’s important to understand that every person has a unique idea about what success is. We love this article from the Savvy Intern at YouTern because it shows how there are many ideas of success, and you have to find the one that makes you happiest.
What do you feel will make you successful? What goals do you need to reach to be successful? How do others around you perceive success?
Many people start the new year or a new semester with goals. I want better grades, or get a leadership position, or get an internship. However, many times a goal is too large to manage, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Conversely, sometimes life takes over and we forget it was ever a goal to begin with.
To make a goal more memorable and less overwhelming, make sure you break it down into small, achieveable steps. Remember, the Great Pyramids didn’t just show up fully formed. They were put together brick by brick. Also, give yourself plenty of time. A goal doesn’t need to be accomplished. It may take you all year or all semester, and that’s ok. If you give yourself more time, then you won’t feel as flustered, pressured, or like you aren’t succeeding.
Say your goal for this semester is to get better grades. Over the next 14 weeks, you really want to do well in class so you feel more prepared for finals. Great, 14 weeks is plenty of time! What smaller steps can we take? Set up (and go to!) weekly tutoring appointments. Get your papers reviewed at the writing center. Use a planner to schedule your time and block off specific time each day to do your homework. Go to your professors office hours to ask questions. Doing one of these things alone won’t necessarily give your better grades. But put them all together and by the end of the semester, finals will be a breeze!
So, take some time to reflect. What are your goals? What is your timetable? Most importantly, what are the small steps you can take to get there?
ALBRIGHT ELCDC 