My Success Strategy Plan
Jennifer Hellams
Colorado Technical University Online
UNIV101
June 19, 2011

Success Strategy Plan Step 1: Student Success Strategies
For this step of your plan you will reflect on Student Success Strategies that you have learned in this course that will help you be a successful student. Please do this by answering the questions that follow. (You may want to review the answers that you submitted from the Phase 2 Discussion Board. You will want to also review your instructor’s feedback and integrate changes as necessary.)
1. What three success strategies (from the Student Success Strategies Guide) will you plan on using throughout your degree program to help you be a successful student? The 3 strategies that I have chosen to adopt are making a “to-do list”, breaking larger projects down into more manageable chunks and balancing work and school.
2. Why will these strategies be most beneficial to you?
MS can challenge your cognitive abilities and mess with your short-term memory. The longer I manger this disease the more I see this symptom. With that being said, making lists of what I need to get accomplish will be a great help. I see this as an on-going living list that will change often. I see this being an electronic list so priorities can be rearranged and updated easier.
Breaking tasks into more manageable chunks I think will be essential to my success. I sometimes get so wrapped up in the over size of a project and get overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. This will be helpful at work as well because I am the only
Project Administrator for five Project Managers. When you think of taking on tasks from the Project Managers along with the multiple projects they have, it can be daunting. I see myself getting the hard tasks done first as apposed to what I have been doing. I have been doing the easier tasks first and have noticed that the harder more time consuming task have been pushed back. This tends to put in a place where I am under a deadline to complete them.
The last strategy that I choose is balancing work and school. This is really more than just work and school for me because I am very involved with Boy Scouts. I hold multiple positions on the district level with scouts as well as on the unit level. I work in Greenville SC which is a forty minute commute each way. Also, multiple sclerosis causes chronic fatigue. I have to incorporate time to rest and regroup in order to get everything done in a day. My family and friends say that I should cut back on some of my activities because of my heath issues but I feel like I have to keep busy and challenge my mind in order to say ahead of the progression of this disease. That is one of the reasons that I have chosen to go back to school.
3. How have you changed your routine throughout this course to integrate these strategies into your day to day activity? The way that I have changed my daily routine to incorporate these strategies has not been that difficult. I have implemented a tasks list in my online calendar. I use Google mail so it keeps the task list in the lower corner of my inbox page. It also allows me to put notes in the tasks to track my level of completion and due dates. I also purchased a small journal to carry in my purse where I can list things that I need to keep up with along with the details required for the task. For breaking the tasks down it is more about doing the more difficult tasks first. At work I am responsible for multiple spreadsheets and reports associated with the various items that we manufacture for the railroad industry. These documents track the progress of the project and help the project managers know if there are problems coming up. I also am responsible for reports the director of my department uses in business meetings with upper management. These reports track sales and profit. It is imperative that these are ready in a timely manner. Now I have started updating the reports on a weekly basis so there is less data to sift through at one time. With school, it is a matter of knowing what the tasks are that need to be completed and making sure I understand what it will take to get that task done. First I make sure I have done the reading, attend or listen to the live chats and I usually download the task so it is available for me to work on when I am offline. Balancer life and school is not always as easy as it seems. As I said before, I am very involved with scouts, I work fulltime, attend these classes online and have two grown children, a four year old granddaughter and a husband at home that count on me. Along with the task list I talked about earlier, I have an online calendar that has everything that I am responsible for, from when bills need to be paid to scout and family events. On the dates where I have entries I make notes about what is required of me for those events. This has worked well for me so far.
4. What did you learn from your classmates’ discussion board responses that will help you become a more successful student? Summarizing the strategies of my fellow classmates was very enlightening. I learned that the guys seem to be more worried about have the right environment to study. The ladies are more about list making. The most important thing that I have learned is that all of us have challenges that we face on a daily basis; it is how we face those challenges is what will make us unbeaten. What works for me may not work for everyone else but there are enough different strategies out there that we can try and adapt to meet our individual needs. The only thing that holds us back is not being willing to try different things until we find what makes us successful.
Success Strategy Plan Step 2: Self-Assessment & Goal-Setting

For this step of your plan you will review what you learned by doing a self-assessment. You will also discuss the long and short-term goals you have set for yourself. You can do this by utilizing the information you presented in your Phase 3 Individual Project. (You will want to review your instructor’s feedback and integrate changes as necessary.) 1. Discuss your strengths. I have always loved school and willing to learn new things. I feel that there is something that we can learn everyday if we keep an open mind. I challenge the scouts and leaders to everything they can. Knowledge is power. I want to prove to myself that I can do this. When I was unable to resume going to school when we came back from overseas, I was sure that I probably never would go back. Well here I am. I want to prove this to myself as well as those around me that it is never too late to follow your dreams. There are things that many times try to stand in our way but, in my opinion we are our own worst enemy. We invent reasons to set aside our dreams. This is my chance to fulfill one of my dreams. Now as far as technical skill, I have a great ability to multi-task. Every job that I have had since I started working has required this and I feel it is one of my greatest strengths. I also enjoy using the computer and learning new software. This ability has served me well since I have worked in both the healthcare industry and manufacturing. These are like two different worlds. Lastly, I am very flexible in my working and school work. With the changes in the economy, the every changing technology, and manufacturing requirements we have to be willing to change with the times. My experience with my husband in the military I never really had to opportunity to have a career. Every time we moved I had to start over; find a new job, a new house, a new friend. We have to take things as they come and make the vest of every situation we are faced with.
2. Discuss your weaknesses. As far as school goes, I would have to say that math has been my biggest weakness. I had to take Algebra twice in order to get a grade that I can live with. Of course, having a twenty-five year gap since taking it didn’t help. My family will tell you I lack focus. I like to do crafts but I can’t seem to find one craft alone that keeps my attention. Therefore, my mother’s house has turned into a craft house since she died. I really have no business stepping foot in another craft store as long as I live. One of the problems of being a multi-tasker is that I start a lot of thing that all have to be finished so I sometimes struggle with prioritizing what needs to be done first. I also tend to put things off until I know they have to be done. This assignment for instance, should have been started much sooner than it was. And lastly, I sometimes find it very difficult to give feedback to my fellow classmates. When our correspondence is primarily through the written word, it is very important to write in such a way that unintended meanings are not reflected in the response.
3. Discuss opportunities you have to improve as a student and a professional. Obtaining a degree will enable me to not only get a better job but, hopefully one that enjoy doing. I would like to become a Human Resource Generalist. I feel that in this job I can help people with things like employment benefits and training. In school we have so making resources to us that are there to help us succeed. These resources give us the opportunity to do our best. Another opportunity that I see is that by my finishing my degree, I can show others that nothing is impossible if you apply yourself.
4. Discuss obstacles, barriers, and threats that could prevent you from being a successful student. One of the things that could keep me from being a successful student is my health. Unfortunately MS is a very unpredictable disease. I could wake up tomorrow and not be able to see. Family support is a must for me to be successful. Doing my school work takes time away from family task and events where I would normally have the lead. If my family does not step up to the challenges then I will have to set something aside. Hopefully school will not be one of those things. Financial Aid is another barrier that could stand in the way of my degree. School is very expensive and fund problems will halt progress quickly.
Discuss the following questions based on what you presented in the Phase 3 Power Point Presentation:

1. What areas have you begun working on improving that will lead to becoming a successful student? I have started using the strategies that we have learned to improve as a student. I make “to-do list”. I use self talk to convince myself that I can do this. Self talk is where you tell yourself every day that you can succeed and eventually your sub-conscience is convinced and you will succeed.
2. What support will you need to be a successful student? I will need my family to understand that I need time to complete my assignments. I need them to tell me that I can do this. I need them to understand that this is important to me and that with their help I will get this degree and ultimately get a job that I will love.
3. How will you go about getting that support? Before I started taking classes, we sat down and had a family discussion. I told them how important this was to me and how much being able to do this will improve my self-esteem. My husband joined the Air Force so we could get married. He understands that I am doing this because it is my turn to have a career that I enjoy.
4. List the short-term goals you have, along with deadlines. My short-term goals are pretty simple. I want to finish this class which will end in two weeks with a grade that will make me happy. Another short-term goal that I have is to get better at managing my work flow at work. I have set a goal to improve my report completion time by at least 25% by the end of June.
5. List the long-term goals you have, along with deadlines. My long-term goals are to get my associates degree and to find a job in the Human Resources field. I would like to finish my degree by the end of 2012. I want to have at least an entry level job in HR by mid 2013.
6. What did you learn about yourself when you completed the self-assessment? By doing this self assessment, I have had to face some of my faults with a more open mind and understand that in order for me to succeed as a student; I need to improve those faults. I need to keep my eye on the prize at the end of this journey. I also realize that it is up to me to make this happen.
7. Discuss what you will need to do in order to successfully meet the goals you have set for yourself. In order to reach my short-term goals, I need to take on each assignment one at a time and follow it through to the end. Use the resources available to me to make those assignments the best they can be. For my long term goals, I need to stay focused and remind myself of how I will feel when I achieve my degree. I am the only one of my friends that does not have a college degree. That is part of my motivation to get this done.
Step 3: Career Planning & Management
Read and reflect on the following career-related questions and provide brief and concise responses:

1. Based on what you learned in your instructor’s Live Chat and what you know about yourself, would you consider yourself a career changer or someone who is working to advance in their field? Why? I see myself as a career changer. As an HR Generalist I will have the ability to be part of the decision making processes surrounding employee relations, benefits and work place environment.
2. How would you describe the positive and negative aspects of your current career or situation? My current role as a Project Administrator does not allow me any opportunity to participate in business decisions, policies or procedures. I see how some things at work can be done easier but I do not have the power to make changes to the system.
3. What are your immediate and post-graduation career goals? After I receive my degree, I want to get an entry-level position with a company in their HR department.
4. How does your choice of degree program at Colorado Technical University relate to these career goals? I am starting with an Associate’s degree in general studies as a starting point to ultimately getting a Bachelor’s degree in HR Management.
5. What are the challenges and obstacles you expect to face as you strive to meet your career goals? By the time I reach my degree, I have no idea how far my MS will have progressed. I also will be over 50 years old and I know it will be difficult to find a job. I will have to prove my abilities to get past my age.
6. Specifically, how do you plan to overcome these challenges and obstacles? I need to make myself stand out among the competition. I need to show prospective employers that I can be an asset to their company by being the best possible HR professional I can be. I need to know the laws, benefits management and employee relations.
7. Please list 5-7 career options you feel are both desirable and likely upon graduation. Some of the opportunities available after graduation are: HR Assistant, Benefits Advisor, Employee Relations Advisor, Compensation Specialist, Recruiter, and a new role, Employee Advocate.
8. What help do you feel you will need from the university or others in your life to reach your career goals? The university can help me develop the best possible resume that will target the job I am looking for. I can help me improve my interviewing skills and tools to help me stay organized in my search for jobs.
Success Strategy Plan Step 4: Technology Skills

For this step you will take some time to reflect on what you have learned regarding technology in this course. Make a list of new items that you have learned and explain how you will utilize these skills not only as a student, but also as a professional. Be specific when you list the new skills you have acquired and be sure to include how they will help you succeed. When it comes to new technology that I have learned in this class, in all honesty I have been using both Word and Power Point extensively for several years now. I really can’t tell you that I learn any new technology for these programs. I do think that it is important offer this type of instruction in this class as it is usually one of the first classes that is taken when starting online college program. Not everyone works these programs on a daily basis so it is important to expose them to these programs to enable them to master them as they progress through school. Where I did learn a lot is how to navigate in the virtual campus and all of the resources available there. When I first looked at the campus, it was a little confusing how to submit assignments. By attending the live chat and the tutorials, I now am able to submit assignments with ease. I also know that if I forget what to do, I know that I can go to the virtual campus and watch the tutorials again.

Success Strategy Plan Step 5: Looking to the Future

Now that you have completed steps 1-4 you will need to write a summary that concludes your Success Strategy Plan. In this summary you want to discuss how this plan will help you in the future and ways that you will use it to succeed. Discuss your plan for how you will personally take charge of your education and stay focused to achieve your goals.

A Success Strategy Plan: what is this and why is it important. When I first heard the title of this class I was perplexed as to why this class is mandatory. Now I can say that I understand that it is important. This class has taught me to understand exactly what we are getting into. I looked at myself and what changes may have to be made in my way of thinking to achieve my goals. I learned how to make short and long-term goals. I also learn different techniques to develop and implement my goals. My plan is to use the strategies learn in this class to continue to develop goals for my success not only in school but in life. I know that if I look at one class at a time, then one assignment at a time I will keep myself from being overwhelmed by the overall process of achieving a degree. At the same time it is important to have your eye on that long-term goal. Having something to look forward too is going to keep us motivated to reaching the finish line. Looking at the specifics of what I plan to use to guide me through is the use of a “to-do” list so I don’t lose track of what needs to be done. I will do the tasks that will take longer to complete first and break them down into manageable pieces so they are not forced aside by the little things. I will work very hard to balance work, school, and everything else so hopefully I can maintain all of these at an acceptable level. I will keep a copy of the other strategy techniques we have learned in this class accessible so that if I get to a point where my current way of doing things doesn’t work, I have other choices that I can try. I will continue to set goals because without goals we become sedentary. When I complete my degree, I will be able to get a better paying job that I want rather than what I have to settle for. I was forced to look at some of my weaknesses that could stand in the way of me reaching my goals. Looking at my weaknesses forces me to look at ways to improve them and turn them into strengths. At the same time I looked at my strengths and discovered how I can use those strengths to my advantage. I also have identified the how important to have the support of my family and friends as I work my way through school. I know that is also important not to let my fears and doubts get in my way as well. There are many resources available to me from the school such as tutoring, live chats and instructor office hours that help answer any questions or concerns that may arise. Advisors are quick to respond to questions and concerns as well. In conclusion, this class has opened my mind to what is in front of me. I now know that it is important to look at my goals often and change them when necessary. I now have real tools to help me navigate the path, overcome the obstacles, plan goals, and ways to make those goals a reality. It is up to me how I use these tools and how far I can go. I just need to stay motivated and focused on the prizes available and the end of the journey continually reviewing and revising my goals.