Page 65 - Keys To Community College Success

Values, Goals, and Time

MANAGING YOURSELF

What Would You Risk? Sarah Martinez

THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION AS YOU READ, AND CONSIDER WHAT ACTION YOU WOULD TAKE.
THIS CHAPTER TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR PERSONAL VALUES, THE GOALS YOU SET REFLECTING
THOSE VALUES, AND HOW YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME TO ACHIEVE THOSE IMPORTANT GOALS.

When Sarah Martinez was five years old, she began com- In remission from the cancer,
plaining of frequent headaches. Her mother, a nurse, had Sarah moved back into a more habit-
been noticing how Sarah’s left eye looked strange and ual rhythm of life through the rest of
droopy. She took her daughter to a pediatrician, and after her childhood. As a high school stu-
several tests and CT scans the doctors found that Sarah dent she was involved in theater and
had a rare and malignant tumor called a rhabdomyosar- excelled in academics. Things changed,
coma behind her left eye. however, during her first year of college
This discovery immediately catapulted Sarah and her at Metro State University. After getting through the
family into the tumultuous world of cancer treatment. first semester she found that living on her own was
Sarah endured several surgeries, multiple rounds of chemo- lonely in a way that she had never experienced. She
therapy, and radiation to the left side of her head. During began to sense that the cancer had left her with more
the year over which treatment took place, Sarah spent over than just physical damage to contend with. Feeling
100 days in the hospital. It was a difficult time for Sarah depressed and burnt out, she stopped going to class
and her family. Luckily, the treatment did the job; Sarah was and lost focus on her studies. She knew something had
declared cancer-free. She did have to contend with side to change, but wasn’t sure what kind of risk would
effects, including hearing loss and stunted growth from help – or whether she could motivate herself to take
radiation damage. She needed growth hormone shots for a risk at all.
five years and now wears a hearing aid in her left ear. To be continued . . .

STAYING MOTIVATED
AND CONNECTED IS AN
ESSENTIAL GOAL FOR
EVERY STUDENT
TRANSITIONING TO
COLLEGE. YOU’LL LEARN
MORE ABOUT SARAH, Working through this chapter will help you to:
AND THE REWARD
RESULTING FROM HER • Explore values and personal mission P. 28
ACTIONS, WITHIN THE • Set SMART goals and work toward goal achievement P. 32
CHAPTER. • Understand who you are as a time manager P. 35
• Explore ways to build a schedule P. 36
• Establish priorities P. 37
• Link tasks to long-term goals P. 39
• Confront procrastination P. 42
• Manage time traps P. 42