Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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EXAMPLES OF SELF-MANAGEMENT STUDIES 303

Day Task

Thursday I want to gather all the information I need for my paper

from the library and Internet.

Friday I want to write five pages.

Saturday I want to write five pages.

Sunday I want to write the last two pages.

I want to complete the bibliography section.

I want to revise my paper.

Monday I want to read my paper and make final revisions. I want

to print out my paper.

My Strategic Plan to Reach My Goal

Strategies When Method of Recording

Break the paper down into Complete the Develop a 5-day plan and

manageable parts. paper over a check off the activities that I

5-day period

rather than the

successfully complete each

day.

night before it is

due.

Work on my paper in the Each day if I I will monitor these

library so that I won’t be accomplish my strategies by including a

distracted. goal in the journal entry that will

library I will record what I think I’ve

Use television shows and reward myself. done well or what I need to

playing basketball as work on. In essence, this

self-rewards. journal will monitor the

progress I hope to make.

Use positive self-talk. Whenever I get

down on myself.

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

Along the way, I noticed that as the days drew closer to the end, I

began to procrastinate on my daily assignments (see Attachment 2).

What I realized on Sunday was that I wasn’t specific enough with my

goal. I needed to schedule a specific time to complete my paper each

day. In addition, I noticed that I needed to find ways to manage dis-

tractions that contributed to my procrastinating, such as being tired,

taking long study breaks (e.g., Saturday), and working on assignments

from other courses.