Motivation and Goals, Part 1

College 1Pasadena City College

Fall 2012

What determines how motivated you are in school?

What can you do to keep yourself consistent motivated this semester…and beyond?

FOCUS QUESTION #1

An Equation for Motivation

V x E = M

• Value – benefits you think you’ll gain through a particular educational experience

• Expectation-how likely you think it is that you can reach your educational goal with a reasonable effort – weigh abilities, previous education vs. difficulty of reaching

goal, willingness to sacrifice

• Motivation

• Low value placed on goal or low expectation lower motivation

Value of Outcomes

1) Make a list of outcomes you desire for this semester– GPA– Learning goal for each class you are registered in

(not just grades!)– Learn 500 new vocabulary words– Other (E.g., make two new friends)

2) Next for each desired outcome, list the value or the reason why each outcome is import to you.

Value of Outcomes

Desired Outcomes Value

Earn a GPA of 3.8 or better and make the dean’s list this semester

A high GPA will look great on my transcript when I apply to transfer and/or apply for a job. Also, it will give me a boost of self-confidence

In my English class, write at least one essay that contains no more than 10 grammar errors.

I want to be able to write anything without worrying that someone who reads it is going to think I’m stupid or illiterate in English

In College 1, learn at least three strategies for managing my time more effectively.

I feel stressed with all I need to do, and learning to manage my time will lower my stress level.

Get an A in Econ 1A I want a career in Finance or Accounting and this course is a first step toward my career goal.

Make three or more new friends from different backgrounds.

I want to have friends that I can speak English with, hang out and have fun on weekends, and learn about their cultures.

Value of Experiences

• People manage emotions by maximizing positive experiences and minimizing negative ones

• Question: If someday you were to tell someone that college was one of the best experiences you had ever had, what specifically would you have experienced?

• Mohandas Gandhi: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Value of Experiences

Desired Experiences

Value

Fun Living in a new culture is stressful. I know I have to work hard in college, but I want to have fun, too. I think if I’m enjoying myself, that’ll make all the assignments and my living situation more bearable.

Academic confidence

I’ve never done very well in school, although my teachers said I could be a good student if I applied myself more. I want to feel just as smart as any other student in my clsases.

Excitement about learning

I didn’t really like my classes in high school. I want to get excited about learning in at least one class, so I look forward to the homework and sometimes the class goes so fast I can’t believe when it’s over.

Personal confidence I have always been a shy person, and I want to be more outgoing so I can do well on future job interviews and be more assertive in my career so I get the promotions I deserve.

If your life were as good as it could possibly be, what would it look like? What would you have, do, and be?

FOCUS QUESTION #2

Developing Personally Meaningful Goals

• Role = an activity we regularly devote large amounts of time to– Involves particular kinds of relationships to other

people– E.g., college student, friend, employee/employer,

athlete, brother/sister, son/daughter, roommate, husband/wife, partner, church member, tutor, musician, neighbor, volunteer, other…

– Most people can identify 4-7 major life roles. (If you have more than 7, you may be spreading yourself too thin!)

• Think about a long-term goal for each role. What do you hope to accomplish in each role in the text 2-5, or even 10, years?– E.g., Get an AA degree? A 4-year BA degree? An MA

degree? A PhD?

How to set a goal: DAPPS

• The process of adjusting to a new culture begins from the time we decide to go abroad

• Stage 1: excitement, curiosity, stimulation• Stage 2: Culture shock: feeling of confusion &

disorientation– Smells, flavors, feeling of the air, language, behavior…– Everyone experiences it– Passes with time

• Stage 3: Negative feelings: disappointment, frustration, depression, anger, hostility

• Stage 4: Learning & understanding more competent and comfort

Goal Examples

• Weaker Goal: I will improve my vocabulary this semester.

• Stronger Goal: By December 15th, I learn 400 new academic vocabulary words well enough to use them correctly in my writing at least 75% of the time

Resource (on Canvas)

• Downing, Skip. On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and Life. Boston: Wadsworth.