Continuing Academic Success Essay

It is a big step for someone who has been out of school for so long, to have the courage to begin the journey of higher education. Personally, it took me several years of contemplating if going back to school was the right move for me. I postponed it until I realized this was the only way I could provide my family with the life I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve came to realize that even though this will be a very challenging 4 years of my life, I will persevere as long as I keep my eyes on the price and stay motivated. There are many components to ensure success in my educational and career endeavors; such as, personal responsibility, use of the resources provided by the University, and have self-awareness. I’m sure to succeed as long as I apply myself and take advantage of the resources that are designed to assist in my academic life, subsequently into my professional life. It takes personal responsibility to succeed in any aspect of your life but it’s especia lly so in your educational path. It is up to you, to abide by the school rules and to complete the course work with integrity. You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions and thrive to be a better person. This is especially true in the online school environment as there’s no set time for class, it is up to the student to make time for class work as well as setting up study time. Time-management is an essential tool which will help make a student’s school experience a productive one because you will have time to digest the information being provided to you instead of rushing to get the work done just for the sake of getting it done. Making a schedule and abiding to it is your personal choice and if you want to succeed, you will have to master the skill of time-management and ask for your support systems help when needed. To succeed in school you need to have academic integrity. Academic integrity has a big influence in your academic success  as plagiarism has drastic consequences and can result in expulsion. Academic integrity shows your knowledge of the topic at hand, which is the goal in higher education. To understand some complex topics you might need more time and you need to schedule study time accordingly. Having strong personal responsibility is part of your everyday life as a student and it’s vital to academic success. Setting goals is a good way to stay motivated and work for a specific result within a certain amount of time. Having goals will help you map out the path you will be taking and the steps on how to get there. For effective goal setting, think of the things and/or experiences you want to have by a specific year or age. â€Å"Goal setting requires assessment and problem-solving skills as well as application and organization.† (Rader, 2005). As stated by Rader, goal-setting requires a lot of different skills and it is important to master them to achieve success in life. What has held me from returning was the college-level writing and the huge amount of research I will have to do. By the time I earn my Bachelor’s Degree, I want to be comfortable with the writing process and have confidence in my researching skills. This is one of the reasons I went bac k to school, for ones and for all get rid of the anxiety and fear of writing college-level papers. Setting goals in all aspects of your life will assist in keeping you accountable of your own actions. For example, once I’ve earned my degree I want to work for a hotel, in a large hotel chain, where I could be a part of the management team, preferably in the customer relations, customer service, or event planning departments. Another key tool for academic success is self-awareness. Periodically is it beneficial to do some self-exploration and get in touch with your basic ethical values. In essence every decision we make is made from a set of ethics we follow. A set of strong ethics is valuable in both your personal and professional life. I live by a set codes that keep me honest, fair and accountable of my own actions. Having a strong set of ethics prepares you with the tools you need to be a critical thinker and make proper decisions. Being aware of how you learn best is important as you want to use your time effectively and use platforms in which you know you will retain the information better. It is important to be able to reflect on our life and find ways of fixing what i s not working effective. Learning is not just academic but also personal. Critical thinking is one of the main objectives in higher education. A critical thinker analyzes all  options and makes an argument based on facts. To be a critical thinker you have to be able to look at different points of view openly and explore them as possibilities. You also have to able to think logically and analyze the information and find evidence to back it up. When all information is collected and analyzed, a critical thinker could create an argument with confidence. To become a better critical thinker I will work on mastering Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of learning which states that for maximize learning we need to master this 6 levels of thinking: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. When I’m studying and going through course work I will keep this 3 levels in mind and will practice each level. The goal is to think all the way to level 6 which is creating an idea from the information learned. Mastering critical thinking will make the writing process easier and less chaotic. â€Å"The writing process is how you show your understanding of the course information and form your own opinion and are able to find supporting research for your ideas†(Kellogg, 2007). Personally the writing process is very intimidating and has stopped me for reaching my full potentials. Doing research here will give me a piece of mind that the information found here is factual and correct. Research papers will be a bit easier. Writing is the preferred communication by educational institution and the professional world. It is important when writing to be aware of grammar mistakes and also plagiarism. Being able to write a cohesive paper or extended text will take you further and is necessary for your academic success. University of Phoenix wants their students to success and has made available amazing resources to ensure that students are well equipped with the tools that will help them move forward towards their goals. The University Library will be the most useful tool for when doing research. Doing research here will give me a piece of mind that the information found is factual and correct. Research papers will be a bit easier to write. The Center of Writing Exc ellence has everything you need to be able to perfect your writing skills which will make the writing process simpler. The Life Resource Center is helpful when you have personal issues you need to work on from time-management to career and life coaching.When I need to focus on my future after school I could rely on the Phoenix Career Service where I could research job markets and also set up a career plan. Taking advantage of these all the resources the University has  to offer will ensure I don’t feel alone in this journey. It takes your full commitment to achieve continuing academic success. It’s a challenging adventure but a well worth one. The benefits of being able to become a life learner will open up your mind and it will provide a sense of drive. We are in charge of our own future and it important to try to achieve excellence. No one is responsible for my well-being but I, and I will do everything possible to succeed. References Lasley, T. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. In T. Hunt, J. Carper, T. Lasley, & C. Raisch (Eds.), Encyclopedia of educational reform and dissent. (pp. 107-110). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.4135/9781412957403.n5 Rader, L. A. (2005). Goal Setting for Students and Teachers: Six steps to success. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196863407?accuntid=458 References Kellogg, R. T., & Raulerson, Bascom A., I.,II. (2007). Improving the writing skills of college students. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review (Pre-2011), 14(2), 237-42. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204931203?accountid=458 Lasley, T. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. In T. Hunt, J. Carper, T. Lasley, & C. Raisch (Eds.), Encyclopedia of educational reform and dissent. (pp. 107-110). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.4135/9781412957403.n5 Rader, L. A. (2005). Goal Setting for Students and Teachers: Six steps to success. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196863407?accuntid=458