Posted: February 23rd, 2016

What are the three most important areas you need to strengthen as a graduate student? Discuss the evidence that you have to indicate that you need to strengthen these three areas.

Assess your understanding of course concepts. Focus on the following areas:

o Your vision and professional aspirations

o The effectiveness of your personal time management plan

o Your level of information literacy/research skills

o Your ability to make logical, persuasive arguments about course and discipline concepts and ideas. In other words, your ability to apply critical thinking skills

o Your consistency in applying proper APA formatting

o Your ability to use effective communications

o The level and consistency of your professionalism

o What are three of your most valuable strengths as a graduate student that will help you to succeed in your program? Discuss the evidence that you have to indicate that you possess these strengths.

o What are the three most important areas you need to strengthen as a graduate student? Discuss the evidence that you have to indicate that you need to strengthen these three areas.

o What are some goals that you can set to strengthen these areas? Develop one long-range goal, one intermediate goal, and one immediate goal for each area you need to strengthen for a total of nine goals. Use the goal writing formula you learned while completing the goal writing workbook, and to insure that each goal includes a what, measure, and when component.

o What challenges will you face strengthening these areas and reaching your goals? Consider your personal setting and circumstances and how you think they will evolve over the next 2 years.

o What strategies can you use to overcome these challenges? You may want to consider forming a support group, adjusting your circumstances as much as you are able, developing a schedule and so on. Reviewing each activity will help you to identify the strategies that will be the most valuable to you.

o Conclude your reflection paper with a motivation touchstone such as a poem, picture, saying or quote that you can refer to whenever you need a reminder about why you embarked on this journey. Your choice should be both meaningful and compelling.