If you read my last article, An Evaluation of Last Fall Semester, then you are familiar with my habit of forming goals for myself at the beginning of the semester. If not, well, I create goals that are meant to be achieved by the end of the semester to better myself.
Here are some of the goals I have set forth for myself this semester:
Ask Questions in Class
I am challenging myself to ask at least 10 questions in class throughout the entirety of the semester. While this might not sound that grand of a number, it’s a lot for me. I can’t even remember the last time I asked a question in class (probably high school). So this semester, if there is anything I am confused upon or need further clarification on, I will ask.
Go to Office Hours
Another big resource I have yet to take advantage of is office hours. The only times I have gone to a professor’s office hours is to pick up exams or drop off extra credit (and I only really did this for my Organic Chemistry I class because I liked the professor and will never turn down extra credit).
This semester I am determined to get closer to some of my professors — I am in my junior year and will potentially need recommendations from professors for grad school. So talking more one-on-one at office hours will definitely be beneficial.
Consume Less Coffee
This one is a bit more difficult than my other goals. I will admit it, I have a caffeine addiction. And it’s become more and more noticeable. To combat this, I am determined to stop having a latte a day. Instead I am looking to lower my coffee consumption to four times a week. Wish me luck!
Practice Spanish in a Conversation Setting
My Spanish skills can always use some work. And a friend challenged me to improve upon it by talking in more conversational settings. So instead of speaking English with some of my bilingual friends, I’ll be speaking Spanish. I’m hoping to have at least one ten minute Spanish conversation per week — and no cheating with Spanglish.
Run Four Times a Week
This one is a bit trickier. Last semester I got into running, and could afford to with my 11am classes. But now my classes either start at 8 or 9 every day. So finding a new time to run is difficult. I loved running in the morning but I can’t drag myself out of bed at 6am — trust me, I tried.
The first part of this challenge is finding a time that works for me. And then I’ve got to stick to it, of course.
Play Violin
During finals week of last semester I took my violin out instead of studying for finals. And I fell in love with music again. So to keep up with my new desire to play again, I have set forth the goal of playing once a week for an hour. This isn’t too much of a time commitment; instead it’s a manageable task for me.
Go to One Career Fair this Semester
I have yet to go to a career fair, and the clock is ticking. I don’t want the first career fair I go to one where I have to secure an internship. So I will be going to one this semester just to feel out the scene. Hopefully this will make the next career fair easier and less stressful.
Talk to an Advisor about Grad School
The closer I come to graduation, the more clear my future becomes. During the summer, I realized what career path I wanted to take. Now I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to go to grad school for a master’s in English. But I’m also aware that if I don’t go to grad school right out of college, I won’t go at all. So now it’s time to figure out what schools I should be looking at and how best to strengthen my application. So to get on top of that, I need to talk to an advisor, asap.