This post is the last in a series examining several facets of college readiness. According to Landmark College (www.landmark.edu), important readiness factors include: academic skills, self-understanding, self-advocacy, executive function skills, including time management and organization, and motivation and confidence. This post is looking at the subject of motivation and confidence.
Getting through two or four years of college takes some hard work and perseverance. What will help you make it through? In addition to academic and executive functioning skills, you’ll need:
– motivation to succeed, as well as determination to back that up
– confidence in your ability to meet challenges successfully
Motivation
What are your reasons for considering college? Getting away from home or having a great social life might be on your list, but those won’t carry you through! Pleasing your parents isn’t a bad idea, but if you don’t have a personal investment as well, the going might get tough.
Try looking at the bigger picture of your life to see what purpose(s) might motivate you to stick it out when you head into the inevitable challenges all college students face:
What do you really want to get out of college?
What academic subject or subjects interest you?
What might you want to do once you have your degree? (Have you done any career assessments?)
How do you see your life in five years without college? How do you see your life then with college?
Confidence
Visualize yourself in classes, in the library, in the dorms: How does it feel to you when you picture yourself in college?
What is your energy like for academic pursuits after four years of high school?
What are you excellent at, and how will you pursue that during your college years?
Make a list of 10-20 successes you’ve had during high school (small or large). Good for you!! How easily can you see adding to this list during college?
What do you bring to the college experience?
Honest answers to these questions about motivation and confidence might help guide you as you consider college. Perhaps the answers will aid your search for the right college to match your interests. Perhaps the answers will suggest to you that you would prefer one or two years of technical training of some sort and earlier employment. Perhaps you will discover that a gap year experience might give you the break you need to be ready for college. Whatever you and your family decides is best, you are entering an exciting time of life!
If you are interested in working with a coach on motivation and confidence, or other aspects of college readiness or AD/HD management, I’d be happy to talk to you! Please check my website at www.lizahmann.com or contact me at lizahmann@gmail.com
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