Using a planner to improve your productivity and self awareness

 

For a long time, planners have taken our daily assignments, and kept track of when the next football game is, when homework is due for class, and when the next season of The Bachelor starts up. Rarely though, they are used to keep track of our habits or our progress towards our goals. Planners offer the perfect medium for us as a daily, weekly, or monthly check in to think back about what we did and to reflect on it.

Monthly:

Larger goals can be made into reality by taking note of them in the monthly page. This is a place to celebrate long term goals and compare where you were to where you are now.

Some examples of things to put down in the notes place of most planners are...

• Habits to adopt
• Skills to learn
• Things to avoid
• Places to go
• People to see

If you have any extra space, keep track of your wins and take note of how you’ll improve next month.

Weekly:

        Every Sunday or Saturday, depending on how your calendar ends your week, you should spend some time working on your weekly view. This is where you would put down the major events for the next week and if you know of any homework assignments.

Other examples...

• Doctors appointments
• Meetings
• Interviews
• Scheduled self-care

In addition, you may consider putting down a main goal for the week, a small list of priorities (max of 5), some notes for things to remember, a personal to-do list, a habit/skill tracker for referencing, and then, for the end of the week, a space dedicated to 3 wins from this week and how you can improve next week.  

Daily:
By checking into your planner every evening, you can record all events that occurred that you may or may not have planned to reflect on for later in the week, or taking any notes of habits you would like to get into such as drinking more water, studying for an upcoming exam, exercising, or perhaps not eating junk food or not going to Starbucks.

This is especially important for college students as most of us accomplish more in a day than we realize. 

For example, maybe on Thursday you planned to go to class and work and possibly do some homework, but in addition to that you also… Reviewed notes, watched an episode of your favorite tv show, took a shower, washed dishes, went on a walk, looked for a summer job, and read a news article about GameStop.

By taking a moment to write down what all you did in a day, you can begin to see that you accomplish a lot more than you thought. This is also really convenient for tracking your habits, progress on larger tasks, and reducing the amount of imposter syndrome experienced. 

The pages of your planner can also offer white space to doodle, write down quick ideas or details, and make your planner your own with some creative flow.

Yearly:  

    If you are feeling like you won’t be able to use the notes sections that most planners have, try using the pages to make a yearly check in. These are sections that you can check on whenever you need a little pick up or reminder of the goals you have set for yourself this year.

My gratitude and self-awareness:

• I am grateful for… 
• What am I passionate about? What brings me joy in life?

My Daily Rituals:

• Skills to learn
• Habits to adopt this year
• My affirmations

A Vision Board!

• Photos of a vacation you’re working towards
• Your dream job
• People you want to hang out with more
• Hobbies you want to get into/better at

My Goals:

• Each category should come with two or three goals;
• Health
• Business and Career
• Family and Friends
• Significant other and Romance
• Finance
• Personal Development
• Fun and Recreation
• Spiritual

My focus:

Should include 5 goals that might not have fit in the pre-wrapvious category or is something to pay special attention to for the year. 

New Year's Resolutions Never Work? Try Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals Instead

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We are a little over a month into the new year now, and I’m sure many of us were looking forward to new possibilities in 2021. One of the ways numerous people focus on hopes for the new year is by setting resolutions, but how often do we really hold ourselves accountable to them? According to Forbes, “Studies have shown that approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail.”

          

Why is this?

There could be a wide variety of reasons people struggle with following through on a resolution. Maybe they created a broad goal that is too overwhelming to tackle at the moment. Maybe stressors in their life prevented them from working toward their resolutions because life is completely unpredictable. The list could go on.

But how can you focus on setting more achievable goals for this semester?

Instead of stressing yourself out with an overwhelming resolution for the new year, try setting some S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself this semester. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym standing for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.  For an example, let’s say you want to do better in your classes this semester. We can work through making that a S.M.A.R.T goal. It’s not very specific, so let's start there.

How can we make that goal more specific? 

Think about the five popular “w” questions in relation to your goal. 

• Who: Contemplate who should be involved to help you achieve the goal. Maybe you could attend your professor’s office hours which could play a part in doing better in your classes.
• What: Consider exactly what you want to achieve; think about what “better” means to you.
• When: This will be considered more during the “time-bound” section, but start thinking of things you could do each day or each week to help you do better rather than a semester long, general goal.
• Where: This may not always apply to your goals, but with this example, consider places you could study that achieves a good atmosphere for you.
• Why: What’s the reason you want to achieve your goal. Finding personal, internal motivation can help you stay focused.

How can we make the goal measurable?

You want to consider how you will measure your progress.  For this example, maybe you could take it week by week. Ask yourself, did I turn in all my assignments this week? Focusing on smaller milestones you set for yourself that help you work towards your larger goal can be a big help. 

How can we ensure the goal is achievable?

This is where you can consider how you will go about realizing your goal, and contemplate whether your goal is truly attainable in the time period you set for yourself.  For this example, doing better in your classes is definitely achievable, but you may need to develop new study habits, improve time management skills, or reach out for academic support when needed.

Is this goal realistic?

A S.M.A.R.T goal should be realistic in the sense that it can be achieved given the time and resources available to you. Ask yourself: do I have the resources I need to achieve my goal? Do I need more help? For this example, consider filling out the Request for Academic Support (RAS) form found in the student tab of my.coe.edu if you feel the need for more academic support and resources. At this point, you could also reflect on whether your goal is practical and relevant to you.

How do we make the goal time-bound?

Setting goals without any time limit involved may lead to falling off track. Ask yourself: what can I do today or this week to help me achieve my goal? Maybe you can set aside a specific time in your schedule each day to study, or you can set some deadlines for yourself outlining when you want assignments done each week. Overall, breaking down a broad goal into smaller, achievable parts can help you work towards that larger goal. Check out the S.M.A.R.T goals worksheet below and consider using it the next time you create a goal for yourself whether it’s something small for the week or something for the whole semester.

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Want some more tips on keeping up with your goals or resolutions? Check out these websites:

“10 Secrets of People Who Keep Their New Year’s Resolutions.”

https://www.uabmedicine.org/-/10-secrets-of-people-who-keep-their-new-year-s-resolutions#:~:text=Less%20than%208%25%20of%20people,about%20sticking%20to%20your%20goals

“7 Tips on How to Stay Focused on Your Academic Goals.”

https://www.honorsociety.org/articles/7-tips-how-stay-focused-your-academic-goals

“10 Great Tips for Keeping Your Resolutions This year.”

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-2795719

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2019/12/21/the-top-3-reasons-new-years-resolutions-fail-and-how-yours-can-succeed/?sh=4fab5bd96992

https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/essential-guide-writing-smart-goals

Making Self-Care a Priority

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Can you believe that we only started classes last Monday? It feels like it’s only been a week, while also a month at the same time. I spent the first week of classes trying to balance the pressures to get myself adjusted to the term with the physical and mental strains of leaving my old job for a new one. My commute for the past year has been rather short, but this new job has me walking over sheets of ice and gray slush sometimes four times a day for about 20 minutes at a time. I didn’t realize just how stress-inducing this semester was until my body made me notice, as it reached complete exhaustion.

On Sunday, my mother made me promise to practice self-care starting tomorrow (Saturday), however, my body pushed those plans up as all the work I’ve put in since the pandemic hit finally hit me. I have a problem, and it’s called being a hustler. I struggle to shake the feeling that I never do enough or that I always need to push myself beyond my limits in everything I do. This habit of mine has helped me so much my entire life, however it’s simply not sustainable, and I have no choice but to accept this truth. 

At this moment, I’m listening to “epiphany” from folklore (Taylor Swift), glancing out the window at the bright mounds of snow piled along the sides of one of Coe’s parking lots. I haven’t felt this motivated in quite some time. This is the feeling of true inspiration, the feeling of accepting my feelings as they are now and taking action accordingly, instead of forcing myself to pretend that I am okay when I am not. 

No longer will I neglect my need for essential oils; my diffuser has created an atmosphere of lemongrass and tea tree which has greatly helped my breathing. I picked up my new yellow Switch Lite (the color of happiness, sunflowers, and pichus) and placed it in between my puppy-eyed German Shepherd phone holder and white kitty sticky-notes holder. I have a tall cup of ice water that hydrates me and my cardigan warms me in these below freezing temperatures. 

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I’m sure that so many of us Kohawks are in the struggle - trying to stay focused during Zoom classes, keeping up with work when we’re ill, or even dealing with an annoying ex. Whatever you’re going through, your health should be one of your priorities. Trust me. You do not want to end up 22 years old, struggling to sit and rise up because your thighs are dying; unless you’re into that (I’m talking about you, “Leg Day” people). 

My posts for this final semester of mine will be devoted to spreading the news of self-care and self-love, and trying to give what advice I can give before I graduate. 

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If you’d like some background, make sure to check out these self-love posts, and other posts on our blog about self-care. 

https://coecollegelearningcommons.blogspot.com/2020/03/what-not-to-do-and-what-to-do-when.html

https://coecollegelearningcommons.blogspot.com/2020/02/intro-to-self-love-glossary-of-posts.html

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Life After College: The Career Horizon (Part 2)

Let’s get straight to the point: being a college student is hard. We have to balance both our academic responsibilities with our personal lives, often juggling our own well-being and the well-being of those around us. As seniors (or future graduates) we have to think about our futures, while juggling our far too many present activities. Career preparation takes work because it is work, but I want to show that all our hard work will be worth it in the end. The previous post focused on graduate outcomes. This post will focus on the many pros of an undergraduate degree. You will find C3 information as well as link to helpful sources at the end. 

During the Pandemic

According to “a national report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (sheeo.org), high school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. Bachelor's graduates earn an average of just over $50,000 a year.”¹ 

This is a 20K difference in average salaries, with just four years of further education! However, we all know this already, I mean this difference is why many - if not all - of us attend college in the first place. Did you know that even in these trying times, college graduates are not suffering as hard from the economic fallout as those who have a high school diploma, or lower?

According to Pew Research:  

“Adults without a bachelor’s degree are more likely than those with at least a bachelor’s degree to say they have experienced problems with paying their bills, affording medical expenses for themselves or their families, or making rent or mortgage payments. About a third of adults with a high school diploma or less education (34%) and 27% of those with some college experience say they have struggled with paying bills, compared with 12% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more education. About one-in-five adults with some college or high school or less education say they have had problems paying their rent or mortgage (18% and 23%) since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Those with a high school diploma or less education are twice as likely as those with a bachelor’s degree or more education to have lost their health insurance in the same time period (6% vs. 3%)”² (By. KIM PARKER, RACHEL MINKIN AND JESSE BENNETT). 

In translation, those with bachelor’s degrees show lower rates of losing their health insurance, struggle less with paying their bills (12% compared to the 34% of high school graduates), and, overall, fare better than other demographics. This study also found that people with at least a bachelor’s degree are able to save more during this pandemic than those with a high school diploma or less. 

Job Opportunities (in General)

It’s not an understatement to say most of us came to Coe to have more job opportunities than if we tried looking for work right after high school. Fortunately, research supports our goal. According to Northeastern University of Boston, Massachusetts, college graduates see 57 percent more job opportunities than non-graduates, and it is estimated that, by 2020, two-thirds of all jobs will require postsecondary education.³ This means that college graduates have over two times the number of job opportunities, and that a majority of jobs require an undergraduate as a basic requirement. 

A degree is even more of a requirement when looking for jobs that require a graduate program education and certification. 

Happiness After Graduation

Ever heard that having a college degree leads to happiness later in life? Cory Steig from CNBC wrote an entire article on the relationship between an undergraduate degree and happiness to answer this question. The first finding, from the U.S. General Social Surveys showed that over 90% of college graduates are happy with their lives. The reasons may include the fact that a college degree brings increased job opportunities and financial stability, but other factors play a role. Being able to pay your bills is always a plus, but for many people a college degree is seen as a ticket out of poverty. Alex Bernadotte, CEO and founder of Beyond 12, is even quoted describing a degree as “currency”.⁴

Another important factor when it comes to the happiness gained with the opportunities and privileges form having a college degree is the concept of purpose. Think about it: we have a higher chance of working in professions that mean something to us, or allow us to feel like we’re contributing something to the good of the world, if we have a bachelor’s degree.

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To summarize, there are a variety of benefits to a college education, even right now in the middle of this pandemic. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide how you will proceed with your future. We all have a lot on our plates and have to respond accordingly. As a senior, I can only hope that I make the best decisions for my own future. 

Helpful Sources

CNBC’s Does Getting a College Degree Make You Happier

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/17/does-getting-a-college-degree-make-you-happier.html

Please Stop Asking Whether College Is Worth It

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2018/12/16/please-stop-asking-whether-college-is-worth-it/?sh=19e219e630d2

Pros and Cons of a College Education

https://college-education.procon.org/

10 Benefits of Having a College Degree

https://www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/is-a-bachelors-degree-worth-it/#:~:text=College%20graduates%20see%2057%20percent,where%20you%20choose%20to%20work

Benefits of a College Degree

https://www.educationcorner.com/benefit-of-earning-a-college-degree.html

Economic Fallout from Covid-19

https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/09/24/economic-fallout-from-covid-19-continues-to-hit-lower-income-americans-the-hardest/

Metacognition for the average College student

What even is Metacognition? If I have made it this far into college without knowing what it is, why should I learn about it?

Well, my friends, that right there is an example of metacognition. Metacognition refers to awareness of one’s own knowledge—what one does and doesn’t know—and one’s ability to understand, control, and manipulate one’s cognitive processes (Meichenbaum, 1985).

Some more examples of metacognitive tasks include…

• Identifying one’s own learning style and needs

• Planning for a task

• Gathering and organizing materials

• Arranging a study space and schedule

• Monitoring mistakes

• Evaluating task success

• Evaluating the success of any learning strategy and adjusting.

The point of metacognitive practices is to help students understand their strengths and weaknesses as learners, writers, readers, test-takers, group members, and leaders. There are different ways of thinking. It is what makes a Physics major different from a Biology major, or an English major. We train ourselves to think and apply knowledge in different ways.

Understanding your learning style

Visual Learner:

Write down lists and facts

Visualize new words

Use diagrams or charts

Read regularly

Auditory Learner:

Tape or record notes

Subvocalize when studying

Participate in discussions

Say new words out loud

Sing/talk to self when studying

Kinesthetic Learner:

Make models

Do lab work

Take frequent breaks

Jog or walk when memorizing

Stand up when reading

While it is important to know your main style of studying, research has shown that it is beneficial

to develop a toolbox of skills and techniques that can help you learn better. So combine walking and reading aloud to yourself, get a study group together to discuss if you’re used to working alone, or search YouTube for songs about the subject you’re struggling in.

    If you take notes in class, you can improve your metacognition in class by using the Cornell style. This style of notes encourages you to think about how to separate information and find key details to tie ideas together.     

The left side of the page is used for casual thoughts, ideas, ‘aha’ moments, and questions. This helps you understand your level of thinking about the topic without interrupting the notes. Some of the questions should be like “How does this tie into yesterday’s lesson?”, “Is this new information or repeated from last class?”, “Is this similar to anything I knew before?”.     

The right side is all about information given to be studied later. Then at the bottom of the page, some space is left over at the end of the lecture for you to summarize and write down what you have learned. This is a key strategy for moving knowledge into the long-term memory part of your brain. 

Another method of building metacognitive practice is to ask yourself questions before, during, and after the lesson, driving curiosity and finding what you do and do not understand of the material.

For some extra boost for helping understand the best study practices for your major, check these links below!

Learning like a biology student: Promoting Student Metacognition | CBE—Life Sciences Education

Learning like a computer science student: Metacognition and Computer Science

Learning like a foreign language student: 12 metacognition-modelling strategies for the foreign language classroom

Learning like a physics student: Students' Metacognitive Awareness and Physics Learning Efficiency and Correlation between them

Learning like a writing student: Teaching Metacognition to Improve Writing By Sara Islas My study to improve my students' writing through met