For this year’s and last year’s graduating senior classes, a new graduation requirement has been added among the class and credit prerequisites: the culminating project. In this assignment, senior students are supposed to spend at least 20 hours in creating this project as well as writing a proposal letter and researched paper on the topic they chose. The project is very open to whatever students may choose to present on, but the main goal of the task is to make students experience “a learning stretch,”  which essentially means that they should be able to take away something from the work.

As a senior in the graduating class of 2009, I, myself, had to undertake the culminating project. In all honesty, it was burdensome and added already to the large amount of work I already had. For my project I had created a music video to a song my friend, Casey Ager, had written himself. The song he wrote happened to be his finalized culminating project. Here is the finished product.

But what I am really trying to get at is this: how do you feel about the requirement of the culminating project? Is it a good thing for students or another pointless graduation assignment? If you did a culminating project, what did you do it on? (Just out of curiousity)

Dreamers all over the globe have awaken to the New Year and several New Year’s resolutions.  Who will succeed?

I’ve compiled a list of tips, ideas, and quotes for goal-setting success.  Good luck at tackling you latest resolutions!

• Goals should be SMART:

          S = specific

          M = measurable

          A = assignable (who does what)

          R = realistic

          T = time-related

• “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” -George Washington Carver  Make a plan and stick with it!  Include others in your resolutions.  You’ll be less likely to quit your goals if it means you’ll be letting others down, too.
• Don’t confuse routine with commitment.  Your goals have to a top priority if they are going to get accomplished.  Write down your goals, your plan, and your motivations down on a piece of paper or on your phone, and keep these notes with you at all times!  By keeping your goals with you, you’ll be constantly reminded of your commitment to yourself.
• “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” -Anonymous  This idea is pretty self-explanatory, but it is key to remember that dreams will not come true if you keep taking “shortcuts”.  To prevent yourself from “cheating” on your goals, include weekly rewards that are worthwhile.  If your goal is strictly long-term, you may lose interest, regardless of how much your goal means to you.  Be sure to make yourself earn these goals to ensure progress as opposed to setbacks.
• “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” -Jack Kinder  Keep yourself on track while having fun!
• “It’s not where your dreams take you.  It’s where you take your dreams.” This is one of my faves!
• “Organize your life around your dreams - and watch them come true.” I’ll leave you with this parting thought!