College Reflection

Autumn Trower

Mrs. Thompson

Education 102

19 September 2016

College Reflection

This week marks the third week of my first semester of college. So far, school is going well for all intensive purposes. Yet, there are a few barriers that I foresee challenging my academic success. Challenges, such as not remaining motivated and focused could prevent me from excelling, if I do not utilize all of the tools that I have been given from various resources. Not being motivated is a hindrance, because it can affect everything from completing assignments, going to class, and the amount of effort put into  a task. Similarly, focus is an important skill to posses in order to fully complete all assignments and responsibilities. Usually students struggle with things like time management and comprehension. The barriers I face come naturally to most, making it harder to seek aid. During these first few weeks I have struggled with motivation and focus, but with the help of my resources I will persevere.

In order to best minimize the amount of academic barriers faced, I will follow a few simple strategies that will guide me through both the current semester and future years to come. Like most students, I sometimes struggle with time management when there are distractions around me or more “interesting” activities occurring. To eliminate this barrier, I plan to put myself in the space most oriented with the work I need to complete. For example, the best environment to be in if I needed to complete a paper for Education would be either Combs (location of class) or a known study area like the HCC. Another helpful strategy is to create an interactive and effective schedule. The best way to know if a schedule is effective is to change small parts of the design, until there is no longer a need for change, because the model works best. Schedules allow me to maximize my day’s time and keep from getting thrown off track by “time bandits”.  The strategy that I am most excited to try out is to “be intentional”. Setting, prioritizing, and following set goals are all methods of being intentional and will relieve some of my stress when questioning what should be important. The next two strategies go hand in hand, developing a routine and discovering my learner type. Similar to developing a schedule, developing a routine and figuring out my learner type take time. Different methods must be tried until I narrow down what works well. The reward of practicing good study and organization methods is great. When one is organized more effective studying occurs, more things get done, and a sense of accomplishment at the end of each finished task and met goal is felt.