What Are Your Personal Goals for This Assignment?
Are you a college student, or are you treating your college courses as the 13th grade? The purpose of a college education is to hone the skills you need to become a valuable employee and to learn to become an unbiased critical thinker. If you think the goal is to learn about the subject you've chosen to research, you'll be wasting your time. All of your assignments are part of your personal education for which only you can take responsibility.
Children blame others for what's wrong with their lives.
Adults take responsibility, evaluate options, and take action.
Think about what you want to accomplish. If your goal is to hand something in for the sake of completing the assignment, you'll be wasting your time. Technology is advancing so quickly, what you learn in this course will probably be obsolete by the time you graduate. Learning about a particular subject isn't a major part of this course. If you don't use every assignment as an opportunity to improve your skills, you'll be wasting your time. You might make it to graduation, but you won't have learned much.
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Employers are looking for these skills:
- An ability to work well as part of a diverse group.
- An ability to communicate effectively in speech and writing.
- Proof that you can learn.
- Evidence that you have some level of numerical skills.
- An ability to think critically and independently about any problem you encounter.
- An ability to follow directions
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So, this is the time to evaluate your abilities critically.
| Be a Leader |
Can you work well in a group and make a valuable contribution that is appreciated by the other members of the group? Can you demonstrate leadership as a participant in a group? If not, this is your opportunity! |
| Be a Communicator |
Is you writing ability better than average? You'll be competing with others who may have better skills. Do you carefully proofread what you write? Do you make use of the Writing Center? Do you feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete an assignment? Are you proud of your completed assignments? If not, this is your opportunity! |
| Be Heard |
Can you speak in front of a group? This is hard for everyone, but it's a skill that's developed by forcing yourself to do it. Do you force yourself to at least occasionally ask questions in class? Do you at least occasionally make comments in class discussions that are relevant to what you've learned or discovered? if not, this is your opportunity! |
| Be Smart |
Do you take your grades seriously and realize these are your future employers' evidence that you are a good learner. If not, this is your opportunity! |
| Be a Thinker |
Does your work show that you've given thought to the assignment and have been able to synthesize information from various sources to make a final product you'd be proud to publish with you name attached? If not, this is your opportunity! |
| Pay Attention to Numbers |
Do you make an effort to realize an understand the importance of statistical information you discover in your research? if not, this is your opportunity! |
| Take Advantage of Available Help |
Do you think you know everything you need to know? Do you think information is knowledge? Do you think knowledge is wisdom? Do you think you know all of the sources of information the world makes available to you? Do you think you know when someone is lying to you? Are you willing to get useful tips or direction from your professors, librarians, or other professionals? This is you opportunity!
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