8.0 Reassessment

You have spent the last few weeks assessing your strengths and weaknesses, learning about strategies to improve academically, and practicing new attitudes and behaviors. It is time to reassess how you are doing. Now you will retake the assessments you completed in Chapter 1.

Activity 8.1: Assessment of Core Attitudes

For each statement, mark on a scale of 1 – 10 to what level you agree or disagree.

Activity 8.2: Behavior Assessment

For each of the categories below, check those behaviors that are true for you. Motivation

___ I don’t really want to be in college.

___ I am not clear about how college will help me in the long run.

___ I have a hard time getting myself to class and arriving on time.

___ I find excuses to not get my course work completed.

___ I have not set any goals for myself.

Time and effort

___ I do not spend an adequate amount of time on my class work to truly learn the material.

___ I expect to get good grades without putting in much effort.

___ I procrastinate and turn in work that is not my best.

___ I do not seek help when I need it.

Purpose and direction

___ I have not decided on a major.

___ I am not clear on what career I would like to pursue.

___ I am not following a degree or transfer plan.

___ I have not met with an advisor.

___ I do not believe that college courses will lead to the career I want.

Life challenges

___ Demands of my job make it difficult to focus on college.

___ Family commitments frequently take precedence over course work.

___ Others in my life are not supportive of my educational goals.

___ My own or a family member’s health has made it difficult to focus on college.

___ I do not manage my time well.

Economic pressures

___ In order to pay the bills, I sometimes have to skip class to work.

___ Unreliable transportation makes it hard to get to class.

___ Sometimes inadequate food or shelter has made it hard to stay focused on college.

___ I have a hard time finding the money to pay for my tuition.

College success skills

___ I do not read all of the assigned reading from the textbooks.

___ I do not have good note-taking skills.

___ Rather than studying over several weeks, I cram for tests at the last minute.

___ I feel that I do not have good writing skills.

___ I allow myself to be continuously distracted while trying to study.

___ I have poor test-taking strategies.

Lifestyle challenges

___ I do not eat a balanced diet.

___ I do not get regular exercise.

___ I do not get enough sleep to feel rested and energized.

___ I have difficulty dealing with the stresses in my life.

___ Problems in relationships have distracted me from college.

___ Emotional issues have made it difficult for me to be successful.

___ Substance use has had a negative impact on my academic success.

Activity 8.3: Then and Now

Compare the results from these assessments to the ones you completed in Chapter 1 during Week One.

Write a reflection essay (300 word minimum) that addresses the following topics:

1. What areas you have seen the most improvement and the reasons for the improvement.
2. What areas still need your attention and how you are going to address these areas.
3. Discuss how confident you currently are that you will reach your academic goals.