Developing a Plan for Success

Developing a Plan For Success

In this University Orientation Seminar, you have reflected on the demands of a doctoral program, practiced using academic skills that you will continue to refine as a doctoral learner, and identified resources and strategies that will help you reach your goals.

For this final assignment, you will create a personal Plan for Success. The purpose of this plan is to provide you with an opportunity to incorporate what you’ve learned in Orientation and prepare for your doctoral journey.

Remember that this plan is for you . Responding to the questions below in detail will help you:

· Outline the steps you will take to achieve your goal of earning your doctorate degree.

· Begin your journey by giving yourself direction, focus and motivation.

· Prepare for your first phone meeting with Academic Advising.

Creating Your Plan

For each of the categories below, reflect on the topic and consider what you have learned throughout the University Orientation Seminar. Using the questions as a guide, write a one to two paragraph summary of your plan for each category.

Area 1: Goals and Motivations What are your personal and professional goals related to pursuing your doctoral degree? What do you want to be different in your career as a result of completing your doctoral degree, and what are the steps (in addition to your degree) that might help you achieve that?

My plan for achieving my goals and staying motivated:

Area 2: Resources In this Orientation you began identifying resources and strategies to help you successfully complete your program. Building upon the reflections you shared in your discussions, which resources will you utilize to support your academic growth? NOTE: You can use or expand on your Unit 1 Discussion post here.

My plan for utilizing the resources available to me:

Area 3: Support Most learners have a variety of roles and responsibilities—and as you transition to life as a doctoral learner, it’s absolutely normal to reach out to others for support. Who can you enlist to help support your efforts? In what ways do you think they will be helpful? How will you ask them to assist you? How will reaching out to your support network help you manage your time and priorities? NOTE: You can use or expand on your Unit 2 Discussion post here.

My plan for building and utilizing my support network:

Area 4: Financial Planning How are you financing your education? Have you calculated your estimated program costs? If you are using employer assistance or scholarships, have you completed the necessary paperwork to have your funds routed to your account? If you are using federal financial aid, have you completed your FAFSA and Financial Aid Agreement documents? Have you completed your Master Promissory Note? Do you know how much financial aid you have left against your Lifetime Limit? NOTE : If you need assistance with your Financial Plan contact a Doctoral Financial Aid Counselor. You can reach them via phone at 1-866-933-5988, via email at DoctoralFinancialCounselors@Capella.edu , or by submitting an appointment request here .

My plan for financing my education:

Area 5: Program Requirements All doctoral programs include academic coursework, and then, depending on your program you will have different program requirements. For example, some require residencies, some require a dissertation, and others require a capstone project. You can find information about your program requirements in the University Catalog . List your specific program requirements below.

My program requirements include:

Using Your Plan

Your Plan for Success is a great way to give yourself direction, focus and motivation as you complete your doctoral journey.

The time you’ve spent developing your plan will be helpful to you beyond this Orientation seminar. In addition to creating your Plan for Success for this assignment, we also recommend that you share it with your Academic Advisor.

After Orientation, you will receive an email from your Enrollment Counselor introducing you to your Academic Advisor. Your Advisor will want to connect with you, via a phone appointment, during your First Course. He/she will check in to hear how things are going as you’re getting started in your doctoral program, review and set-up your Academic Plan with you, and establish how he/she can best support you as you begin your journey. You will receive directions for how to schedule your first phone appointment with your Academic Advisor in the email you will receive.

Before you meet with your Advisor, consider emailing him/her this Plan for Success in advance—it will be a helpful guide for your first phone call.

Additional Items for Discussion with Academic Advising

In addition to the Plan for Success you’ve created, please take a few minutes to review the following statements. Highlight any that are not true for you. Highlighted items are excellent topics to bring up to, and discuss with, your Academic Advisor.

· I understand my degree requirements, including any residency requirements.

· I understand the number of transfer credits that apply to my program (if my program requirements allow for transfer credits).

· I know how many courses I will take each quarter.

· I know approximately how long it will take me to complete my doctoral program.

· I know how I will finance my education, and am reasonably certain that I will be able to meet my financial needs.

· I know what will be expected of me as a doctoral student.

· I have a good idea of how much time I will need to devote to my doctoral work on a weekly basis.

· I am confident that I have the research and writing skills necessary to succeed with doctoral work.

· I am confident that I have the quantitative and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed with doctoral work.

· I understand that I should be thinking about my research topic early in my program in order to maximize my opportunities at Residency.

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