Late last year, for the first time, I truly realized the value of an education. Not just for the additional knowledge, but for the additional doors it provides access to. On a trip to California, I checked out the local job market believing that at some point I would like to move back to be closer to my family. There were many jobs I was qualified for and with 20 years experience, none paid as well as those with a degree. It was then that I realized that experience does not substitute for education. I knew that if I was going to try and find a better job I was going to have to go back to school. When I registered at the University of Phoenix I had only one goal in mind and that was to graduate and find a better job. But after speaking with my counselor, it was obvious that to be successful at this overall goal I would need many smaller yet significant goals. Working in a team environment, communication skills, verbal or written, multitasking and prioritizing are some of the areas that I need to develop further if I am going to achieve my overall goal.
My first goal is to just get through the first five weeks and learn as much as I can and get used to the pace of the courses. Writing will be the most difficult subject for me because I never learned proper writing techniques so I hope to improve my writing skills to a level to where I can feel comfortable writing an essay or a business letter. Improving my oral skills will be essential, I am not afraid to get up in front of a group and talk but I would like to improve my style. Procrastinating is probably my biggest fault so I set a goal of starting my homework early and getting my reading done quickly so I am not rushing the day before class to get it all done. I will have to manage my time better because I have found that if I give myself plenty of time to do the work I can retain more of it.
We have a program at work called Six Sigma and Six Sigma is designed to eliminate waste on the factory floor whether it is wasted space or wasted time.