Week 4 Setting Goals

Add Structure to Achieve Goals    

 It is common for most people to wander the vast facets of life without direction, clarity, or awareness of their happiness. It has been discovered that a majority of students are likely to enter their educational journey with no goals or a plan to achieve them. Some students may have constructed a mental idea of where they wish to end up, but without any detailed structure guiding their path, they will still face some challenges or have the same outcome as those with no clear direction. Setting goals may seem straightforward, but it encompasses elements within its structure to maximize a successful outcome. If given the right tools to reap the benefits of a well-formed plan, students can improve their success rate, reduce or eliminate distractions, and maintain focus without the high probability of burnout associated with poorly set goals. To formulate a well-formed plan, it's advised to use the S.M.A.R.T. and PURE perspective to not only keep awareness of the main goal, but to trail a detailed path through a step-by-step process - or subgoals - that will support achieving that goal. While setting goals, it is important to consider the eight common mistakes often encountered, such as making unrealistic goals, neglecting hobbies, underestimating the time it takes to achieve said goals, unwillingness to accept failure, following the advice of others, reviewing progress, using negative vocabulary, and setting too many goals at once. Unrealistic goals require too much time or are impacted by a lack of knowledge or unacquired skills. Being specific about the goal while keeping aware of your current interests and abilities will help in setting attainable goals. Be sure to incorporate time for personal hobbies and passions to slay any hindrance of burnout and feelings of overwhelm. Enjoying life is as crucial a part of living as our educational and occupational endeavors. Being sure to supply enough time to complete each step, being okay with goals not being met, but instead, taking from it the opportunity to reflect and apply changes towards a new goal, also contributes to countering underestimated time-frames, or devastation that may result from failing in general. These are likely to be my challenges, and I will consider them when creating my educational and career plan. 

Educational Goals

Specific

What exactly do you want to achieve?

Getting my Computer Science Bachelor's Degree as a software engineer.

Where do you want to be at the end of your education?

A well-developed, professionally constructed, and efficient full-stack software developer with a focus on C++, Java, and JavaScript.

Where and with whom would you like to achieve this goal?

At Cal State Monterey Bay's Computer Science Online Program

Where and with whom do you not want to achieve this goal?

Any other online coding school, because some are not accredited by employers. 

Measurable

How will you know when you have achieved your goal?

When I receive my bachelor's Degree at the end of the program and am capable of constructing more complex programming. 

What evidence will you have that will measure your progress?

I will have a portfolio of all of my projects.

What will you see, hear, and feel when you achieve your outcome?

I will feel so much more confident to face the real world with a real shot at making a comfortable life. I'll hear my internal dialogue shift into something more encouraging and see that I'm more than my upbringing.

Attainable

Is your goal realistic with a chance that you will succeed?

My goal is already in progress, and I have great mentorship and plenty of avenues for support.

Do you have or can you access the resources you need to achieve your goal?

I have access to all the resources I need to continue my journey, plus knowledge of the fundamentals of programming and a passion for writing.

Relevant

Is your goal in line with your priorities, objectives, and values?

I value diversity and inclusivity with a desire to bring some good into people's lives, and believe that becoming a software engineer will equip me with strong abilities to create something that could contribute to the happiness or well-being of others.

Time-Bound

By when, precisely, do you want to have achieved your goal?

By the summer of 2027

Positive, Under your control, Right size, Ecological

I received my bachelor's degree today with the most important people here to celebrate with me! This goal had so much support both academically and in my personal life, with tips and resources that encouraged academic growth and equipped me with the abilities I needed to confidently apply myself..  With my gained expertise, I hope to find a position that will not only provide comfort and stability for me, but will also allow me to help those who encouraged me throughout my educational journey.

Career Goals

Specific

What exactly do you want to achieve?

To become a Full-Stack Software engineer with a focus on applications, interactions, and web development.

Where do you want to be at the end of your career?

A competent software developer with strengths in languages such as C++, Java, and JavaScript.

Where and with whom would you like to achieve this goal?

Working with companies like Discord, which has a morally sound, ethical, and inclusive culture. 

Where and with whom do you not want to achieve this goal?

Working for Meta such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, or any other organization with a heavy amount of ethical or moral concerns.

Measurable

How will you know when you have achieved your goal?

When I finally get my first job as a full-stack engineer!

What evidence will you have that will measure your progress?

The job itself and having spent at least three months, surpassing the trial period of employment.

What will you see, hear, and feel when you achieve your outcome?

I will feel empowered, enriched, and fulfilled with an untamable excitement. I'll hear my boss provide directions and the conversations of my coworkers discussing approaches, and I'll see my success every day I step around my new home.

Attainable

Is your goal realistic with a chance that you will succeed?

Achieving this goal as a software engineer is achievable through the support of my educational success and my personal and academic projects to showcase my abilities.

Do you have or can you access the resources you need to achieve your goal?

I have plenty of resources at my disposal, including Codecademy, ChatGPT, textbooks with practice exercises from previous courses, and YouTube.

Relevant

Is your goal in line with your priorities, objectives, and values?

I will continue to direct my applications and career pursuits on organizations whose culture align with my own and who contributes to the benefit of the community in some form.

Time-Bound

By when, precisely, do you want to have achieved your goal?

I want to be stationed in my position, past the trial period, by January 2028.

Positive, Under your control, Right size, Ecological

Today marks six months into my new position as a Full-Stack software engineer - UI & interactions working for Discord. The company is as I imagined; inclusive, supportive, with a great team that is readily available to offer support, management is responsive and receptive to our input and provides their own expertise to our current and upcoming projects, and I've finally settled into my two-bedroom home. Building up my portfolio and applying myself through networking made this goal the right size for me. I've gained security in all aspects of my life, having rooted out distractions, poor company, and internal roadblocks. 

ETS Score 

I can see areas that could use reviewing of the major topics throughout the course of the program. Some of the information I thought was lost to me ended up requiring just a moment longer to resurface some of my previous learnings. With this in mind and by making the decision to start immediately, I feel confident that I'll score high, targeting above 90%. though,  if I were to attempt the test today, I don't expect I'd pass above 70% as I need a little more time with Discrete structures and perhaps notations. The test oddly encouraged me to include some of these challenges as goals in my educational plan.