Work-School Balance activity
Top Three Priorities in Life
My three priorities in life are family, health, and progress. The family is the closest people throughout their lives, so I always try to devote as much time as possible. I have been interested in maintaining health since adolescence; therefore, I chose medicine as a profession. I thought it would give me additional information on attractive topics. Health is one of the critical aspects of every person’s life since, with problems in this area, a person cannot live a normal life. Progress for me is constant development and result orientation both in personal and professional activities. Currently, priorities do not interfere with each other, and I devote an equal amount of time to them. If an additional school workload is added, a daily schedule will need to be drawn up to maintain balance and adjusted as the circumstances arise.
The Biggest Impact on the Success in School
The most significant influence comes from a combination of factors. According to Suldo et al., engagement is the primary factor as it is a multidimensional construct (2018). It includes three types behavioral, affective, and cognitive (Suldo et al., 2018). Behavioral type is participation in classroom activities and extracurricular activities. The effective type works for the positive emotions received during the study and a sense of belonging to the school. The cognitive type handles goal setting and self-organization. Another critical factor in school success is preparation ahead of time. According to a new study, “those students who participated in early college credit programs did graduate more quickly than their peers who did not” (Burns et al., 2018, p. 46). The hardest part is setting priorities correctly for successful learning and maintaining life balance.
Tip for Achieving Balance
From the list provided, three points will help me the most. The first is scheduling because I prefer being organized. I think it helps people stick to a goal. Additionally, a to-do list will assist in not forgetting about important things and priorities, for which sometimes there is not enough time. The second point is to set aside time to take care of yourself. Many people underestimate the power of rest and try to work as hard as possible to be successful. However, this approach often leads to burnout and unwillingness to do anything. A brief rest, such as training, sleeping, and walking, boosts energy and new aspirations. The third point for me is the support of friends and family. Sometimes it is tough to work, study and maintain a balance of priority; at this time, the kind mother’s word helps morally and makes it possible to hold out until the next feasible vacation. The critical thing in trying to achieve stability is to analyze what is happening and adjust it depending on the facts.
Self-Directed Learning
Readiness for Self-Directed Learning
My self-study readiness is at an intermediate level and needs to be corrected for success. According to Tekkol and Demirel, “Students with higher academic success were found to have significantly higher self-directed learning skills” (2018, p. 10). Strong qualities are the habit of constantly learning, that is, the vital need to learn something new. Further, among my personal traits, there is self-organization, which means that if it is a severe need before the exam, I can force myself to learn. Poor quality is laziness and the desire to procrastinate; this happens when the balance of work and rest is imbalanced. It is impossible to force yourself to learn anything at such moments, regardless of the conditions. I can fix the problem with regular rest and further balance planning.
References
Burns, K., Ellegood, W. A., Bernard Bracy, J. M., Duncan, M., & Sweeney, D. C. (2018). Early college credit programs positively impact student success. Journal of Advanced Academics, 30(1), 27–49.
Suldo, S. M., Shaunessy-Dedrick, E., Ferron, J., & Dedrick, R. F. (2018). Predictors of success among high school students in advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs. Gifted Child Quarterly, 62(4), 350–373.
Tekkol, L. A., & Demirel, M. (2018). An investigation of Self-Directed learning skills of undergraduate students. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1–14.