1. Planning Your Future Section 1.2: The Path to Your Future Taking Charge: Chapter 1 © 2010 TSTC Publishing

2. Charting © 2010 TSTC Publishing Clearly articulate your reasons for choosing your path Set specific goals Write a statement of purpose

3. Three P’s © 2010 TSTC Publishing Plan Prioritize Persevere

4. Plan The college process takes a few years Look at the entire picture Plan course work for the whole program, not just by semester Consider outside personal obligations © 2010 TSTC Publishing

5. Prioritize Many distractions will arise Find a balance between study time and social life There will be temptation to have fun instead of studying © 2010 TSTC Publishing

6. Prioritize (cont.) Find a way to balance classes, study time, work and family Remember your goals—educational, personal and professional © 2010 TSTC Publishing

7. Persevere Commit to your mission in the strongest way possible Decide which parts of your future are most important to you © 2010 TSTC Publishing

8. Persevere (cont.) Dropout rates are over 50% and rising Complete your studies no matter the odds Your mindset must be established “Winning is 90 percent mental.” © 2010 TSTC Publishing

9. Further Reflection How can you make your educational plan more detailed? Which areas of your life do you need to prioritize? © 2010 TSTC Publishing

10. Additional Resources University Placement Program http://www.uppcolleges.com http://www.uppcolleges.com Mind Tools http://www.mindtools.com Effects of Career Goals on Students http://aplawrence.com/Misc/cgcareergoals.html http://aplawrence.com/Misc/cgcareergoals.html © 2010 TSTC Publishing