Gaining Direction at School

Post secondary education is tough to get through. The courses are difficult, stress levels are high, and workloads are tremendous. This blog is about surviving post secondary education while finding success and meaning. It will be a 4 part series covering:

• Gaining Direction - understanding why I'm at school
  
• Effective Studying - tips & tricks for studying
• Preserving My Sanity - controlling the stress
  
• Paying for School - maintaining good financial status

Gaining direction for your post secondary education makes sense because it gives clarity as to why you're in school. To do this effectively, an objective-setting framework can be useful.

Start off with prayer. Tap into your spiritual side to seek direction from the divine.

Then, familiarize yourself with all the programs available and the graduation requirements by reading the Academic Calendar/Almanac. Know your academic options and understand the rules for your school. You need all this background information to make an informed decision.

Next, set your objectives. This often starts as a debate between your vision and those of your parents. It takes some negotiation. Figure out which of the following objectives are most important to you: Employment Potential vs Academic Interest vs Personal Strenghts. Once you know your objectives, you can make a proper academic selection to match.

At the end of each academic year, it's good to look back and do a pulse check to see if you're still on track with your academic program. Also check if your academic program still fulfills your objectives.