Goal

Instructions for Goal-Setting Short Essay Final Draft

Paragraph 1 Completion: October 15, 2020

Paragraph 2 Completion: October 16, 2020

Reread and Rewrite: October 18, 2020

Official Due Date: October 20, 2020 at 11:59 pm

Purpose: Making goals is an important life skill and will help you achieve a variety of milestones, from the classroom to a future career to buying a house. Without goals it is difficult to choose your own path in life; decisions get made for you rather than you taking control of your choices.

This assignment will get you thinking about your short-term and long-term goals. For example, a short- term goal could be “By December 1, 2020 I will attend three sessions on my own at the Student Services Center to get feedback on assignments or to prepare for an exam.” A long-term goal might be “I will graduate from Texas Wesleyan University on time in May 2024.”

Completing the assignment will also teach you how to break up the steps of an assignment into manageable chunks so that you can complete it well before the due date and time.

Knowledge: This assignment will also help you to become familiar with these important concepts:

• Decision-making • Brainstorming ideas about what you want to achieve and why

• Making choices about what is most important to you

• Setting short-term (during the next three to four months) goals

• Setting long-term goals

• Breaking an assignment into smaller, more manageable pieces

• Organizing your thoughts in written form

• Typing a first draft in Microsoft Word

• Following instructions for completing your work

• Submitting your work on time (or early!)

• Short essay writing

Skills for Setting Goals: You will practice these skills that are essential in school and beyond:

Skills for Managing Assignments: You will practice these essential skills for school and beyond:

Task: Completing these steps in order will guide you to successfully completing this final draft.

❑ By October 15th, reflect on what you want to accomplish in the next three to four months (short-term goal). This might be improving your GPA, turning in all your assignments on time, or improving your study skills. Take short notes for at least five minutes on anything that comes to mind. This could be with pen and paper or typed at the top of your Word document.

❑ From your brainstorming list, choose the two or three short-term goals that are most important to you. Write a paragraph about those goals and why they are important to you. If you handwrite this part, you’ll need to type it up in Word next.

❑ By October 2nd, reflect on what you want to accomplish long-term. This might be a goal of graduating on time, getting accepted to graduate school, or finding a job in the career you have chosen. Take short notes for at least five minutes on anything that comes to mind. This could be with pen and paper or typed at the top of your Word document.

❑ Meet with a tutor and reflect on the feedback/work done.

❑ Put the assignment aside for one day, then go back and read it out loud at least twice. This will help you catch and fix errors. Make any necessary changes or additions.

❑ Make sure your essay has a title, your name, and your class at the top. Delete your brainstorming ideas if they are still at the top of the document.

❑ Turn in your final draft in Step 1: Short Essay Final Draft by attaching your Word document and submitting it. Do this before 11:59 pm on October 20th.

❑ Make sure to use Times New Roman, 12-point font, with single-spaced lines.

Criteria for Success: Ask yourself these questions before submitting your final draft.

❑ Did I write about two or three short-term goals and why they’re important to me?

❑ Did I write about two or three long-term goals and why they’re important to me?

❑ Did I meet with a tutor to see it with fresh eyes, then make necessary changes?

❑ Is my final draft one half to one page in length?

❑ Did I use Times New Roman, 12-point font in a Word document?

❑ Did I single-space the lines?

❑ Did I turn my final draft in before October 20th at 11:59 pm?