Time to ReassessAs we start a new year and a new semester, for many it’s a good time to reassess. You might ask “Reassess what?” or “What makes you think I need to reassess anything?”. That depends on you and your life. But for this column, I’m talking about things like your choice of a college or major, how and how much you study, or extracurricular involvement and employment. I want you to think about whether or not there are things getting in the way of achieving your goals. If there are, then this is a perfect time to take action.
As we start a new year and a new semester, for many it’s a good time to reassess. You might ask “Reassess what?” or “What makes you think I need to reassess anything?”. That depends on you and your life. But for this column, I’m talking about things like your choice of a college or major, how and how much you study, or extracurricular involvement and employment. I want you to think about whether or not there are things getting in the way of achieving your goals. If there are, then this is a perfect time to take action.Don’t misunderstand… I’m not suggesting you reassess everything, or even that everyone needs to reassess. I’m talking about those of you who have areas of your college life where there is evidence to suggest what you are doing now is NOT working. Evidence like not being able to choose a college or major, doing poorly in school, having negative influences in your life, not enjoying any of your classes, or not having enough time to study. It’s probably worth considering whether or not you need to be in college right now if there is a great deal of evidence and in several areas of your life. If you’re not moving forward, you’re not working toward achieving your goals, and you may need to re-evaluate your goals, your decisions, or your actions. Ask yourself questions like “Am I doing poorly in school because I’m in the wrong major?”, “Is my work or leadership involvement (extracurricular activities) interfering with my ability to study?”, “Are my peers a positive or negative influence in my life?” and “Do I have the information I need to make a decision on a college?”. As an academic advisor, I’ve found that students are usually able to figure out the “why’s” of problems they are having if they are objective, honest with themselves, and actually take the time to think about it (parents, encourage your student to do this, but not with you). The task then is to commit to making the necessary changes. They may have difficulty putting together a plan of action or need encouragement to make the right choices, but figuring out that there is a problem or what the problem is usually comes relatively easily. Admitting it or talking about it openly may be another issue entirely, though… Luckily, high school counselors and college academic advisors are trained at helping students identify and solve problems, as well as set goals and work toward achieving them. It’s their job, so take advantage of their availability. Make an appointment and go see your high school counselor, your (college) academic advisor, or a career counselor if one is available to you. If they’re not able to help you with the specific issue you have, they are usually able to refer you to other campus resources very quickly. Back to Articles List |
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