Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success
HCS/504

Graduate Study Challenges and Strategies for Personal Success
To succeed is the ultimate goal in most people’s lives. However, succeeding takes determination and motivation. Also, individuals need perseverance and focus. To overcome the barriers and challenges of the Master’s of Health Administration graduate study, I will discuss my plan to succeed by describing goals, strategies, and ways to communicate effectively Personal success cannot be conquered without these tools.
Personal and Professional Goals Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stated “It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise” (Inspiration Daily, 2011, p. 1). Setting personal goals will help me take tiny steps reach my ultimate goals. One of my personal goals and the reason for pursuing graduate studies is to have a comfortable life for my family. I am sure I am not alone in not wanting to live paycheck to paycheck. I want a career that I enjoy and make a good living at it too. Goals are the key to success no matter if it is personal or professional. One of my personal goals is to complete this graduate program by December 2013. After completing, the graduate program, I want to find a rewarding job and to make life a little easier on the family financially. Ultimately, my personal goal is to succeed through all the program’s classes with a passing grade and with all of my wits intact.
I have developed several short-term and long-goals to facilitate development as a professional learner and nurse. The first goal is a short-term goal. I want to complete the Master’s of Health Administration graduate program through University of Phoenix and earn a master’s degree. I need to achieve and succeed in the program so that I can have more depth to my life as a nurse and mother. This goal should be accomplished within 14 months and be a major triumph in educational progress. A long-term goal would be to obtain a concentration in the health administration field, which will only increase my knowledge and skills. After completing the graduate program, I hope to obtain a job as a clinical instructor, consultant, or director of a hospital. Another long-term goal would be to continue to learn and grow in the chosen professional field.
Milestones
Milestones and goals supplement each other. Milestones are like ‘checks and balances’ in achieving a goal that was set. Milestones are points that people set so the goal is manageable. Milestone for the short-term goal would be to have a 3.5 grade point average by the end of the third class so that I will be able to start doubling my classes. A milestone for the long-term goal of obtaining a job as a clinical instructor, director, or consultant would be to start inquiring about the jobs and networking in the clinics and hospitals within the next six months. Challenges and Strategies
Goals give people something to aspire to, focus on, and add structure to lives and professional development. However, there can be challenges to reaching goals. One such challenge in my life is family and the need to be here for them no matter what assignments are due for school. Another challenge is work and school. At this time, I am a police officer. Sometimes I have plenty of free time to do my schoolwork on downtime and sometimes I do not get a break at work. Last challenge would be time management and staying focused on my studies. Sometimes work and family life trump school and educational development.
According to the Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne planning and goals can turn into good habits therefore making it easier to overcome barriers (Koestner, 2008). A strategy that has worked to overcome the family/husband challenge is to make sure that I schedule time for my family and husband allowing them my full attention. The next challenge is time-management. To