Dean Levett's Blog
Reflections on Education and Life in the 21st Century

New Semester – Good Habits- Good Results

 Gentle Reminders:

1. Be courteous to your peers, faculty, staff, and others in your environment.
2. Address all professionals by their title and surname.
3. Be punctual (including to class). Make it a habit to meet deadlines.
4. Be flexible. Practice working well with others.
5. Don’t waste your time and be aware of others who waste your time. Don’t waste the time of others, either.
6. Set aside time to study and work on assignments. Your studies are your work, so plan accordingly. Make use of calendars and other tools.
7. Finish assignments completely: revise what you write; review and complete all bibliographic references, etc.; proofread before submitting any work. All this usually means starting assignments with enough lead time to be able to finish them properly.
8. Behave ethically at all times.
9.  All written communication should be delivered using a professional format. (papers, email messages, etc.). Be sure to include your name, course number and section, instructor’s name, a greeting, your concern/request/question/need, and your contact information. Please use complete sentences.
10.   Seek help in a timely manner.  Expect to make sacrifices. Review your progress regularly with your professors and advisor.
11.   Leave your personal social media use/networking to your time (during breaks, home, etc.)
12. Take responsibility for your success and be accountable for your work.

The month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of gates and doorways. A picture of Janus is depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. So, January gives us an opportunity to look back and look forward. It is the door of the year.

Who doesn’t want to be happier, more productive, and generally a better person? The lure of making a “completely fresh start” is appealing and hard to resist for all of us aspiring to improve ourselves. January is the month we tell ourselves the truth – that if we do the same thing over and over again, we will get the same results. We must first admit we don’t like the results if we want to make changes. January gives us an excuse, or maybe a good reason, to start over.

If you want to make 2012 count and are not up to making any resolutions, please consider the following list of down- to- earth and evidence based options that might actually work for you. There is no demand to adopt any or all of them, as not every one of these options may apply to you. Look closely and you are sure to find at least one that may apply. Should you find one that you want to pursue, advise those who will and can play a significant role in helping you with it, and you’ll increase your likelihood of success.

•  Set goals. You cannot go too far without them.
• Create a plan. Thinking, wishing, and hoping without action steps and deadlines will not get you very far.
• Learn to forgive. It reduces stress.
•  Be positive. Life is what you make of lemons.
• Carpe Diem – seize the day. Every day offers promise.
• Hit the books and study every day. Learning is a process.
• Help others. Dedicate time to volunteer some place with someone who needs your help.
• Meet new people. They challenge your thinking and help you stretch.
• Enjoy life – have fun!
• Learn from Fall 2011. What worked well and what did not work so well?
• Meet deadlines on time. Being punctual is part of being successful.
• Listen more, talk less. You are likely to learn more, too.
• Do something new for yourself.
• Review and rethink your ultimate goals. Are you on the right path?
• Make this a healthy year physically, financially, and spiritually. This can be a “makeover” year.
• Tackle any monster that is threating your success. Evaluate the barriers to your success and work to eliminate them.
• Challenge yourself in some area of your life. Our brains are energized when we push ourselves beyond the usual limits.
• Reevaluate your relationships and habits. Who and what are really good for your soul?
• Ask for feedback more often and use it to improve yourself. This information, when used wisely, can move you forward.

 January allows us to look back and forward- learning from our past year and embracing the possibilities of the New Year. Plan now for a smart start to 2012.