Ready to be successful?

Are you considering your first AU online university course? Perhaps you have not studied for several years, or maybe you have little experience with online learning. Do you have a plan for how you will reach your educational goal? Did you know that your self-talk can make a difference in how you take up this new challenge and possibly even contribute to your likelihood of success?

When you start something new, something that you have never done before, what is the most important thing you can say to yourself? Do you say to yourself, “I will,” or do you ask yourself, “Will I?” Inner dialogue is important for motivation and for identifying and shaping the behaviours that lead to success. Researchers have found that those who ask themselves whether they will perform a task generally do better than those who tell themselves that they will.

Visualizing your goals

When identifying a career goal, enrolling in a program of study or registering in a course, it is critical to establish a laser-sharp focus that aligns with your deepest motivation, often fueled by answering, “Why am I doing this?” Once you have identified your motivation, lock onto your goal and tell yourself, “I will.” The difference between success or failure in reaching your goal is determined by what you do next! Reaching your goal is made possible only by completing a series of tasks. The Chinese proverb reminds us, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Successful online learners have identified and mastered the habits that contribute to their success. They learned to ask themselves, “Will I?” By asking yourself, “Will I”, you begin to identify the tasks, steps and behaviours that will help you successfully achieve your goal.

When you ask yourself these questions, you begin to identify a plan for reaching your goal. Ask yourself:

• Will I have enough time to commit to my studies?
  • Calculate your available time
• Will I set aside at least 2 hours per day to study each course?
• Will I practice self-discipline and complete 2 hours of study every day even when I don’t feel like it or when life is hectic?
• Will I call my tutor or academic expert when I am struggling or when I have a question?
• Will I make use of available resources, such as:
  • Write Site: resources to help with writing skills
  • Math Site: resources to help with math skills
  • Counselling Services: support with study skills, time management, and exam anxiety.
• Will I create a study schedule?
• Will I identify when I need to complete my assignments in order to finish the course on time?
• Will I review the material I studied in the last week?
• Will I review the material I studied in the last month?
• Will I identify when I need to write my mid-term and final exam?
• Will I order my exam from Examination Services 10 days before I plan to write my exam?

The key to your success is how you answer these questions!