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All of our students at Columbia College-Jefferson City work hard to attain a degree, and very few of these journeys are easy. We have students juggling two jobs and school, single parents struggling to find daycare services, retired military surviving on a fixed income and relying on tuition assistance. And they succeed at reaching their goals.

So what can you do to help yourself be successful?

  • Be specific: Visualize your goal as if it is a reality. See yourself walking across the stage at commencement receiving your diploma with your family standing and cheering.
  • Determine what is at stake: Why do you want to accomplish this goal? What is at risk if you don’t? Who will benefit if you are successful?
  • Set a time limit: Determine when and how you plan to realize your goal. When do you want to finish your degree?

Kim Bonine, Jefferson City
Kim Bonine, director, Columbia College-Jefferson City

  • Look ahead: Identify those obstacles that could trip you up and make plans for how to overcome them. When you are prepared for an obstacle, you can overcome it more easily.
  • Focus on the positives: Remove the doubt, worry and uncertainty of being successful. Focus on the excellent test grade or the fact you made it to class in spite of a daycare snafu.
  • Establish a support group: Surround yourself with individuals who support your efforts, celebrate your achievements with you and pick you up when you struggle. The camaraderie and accountability will help you more than you imagine.
  • Review and adjust: Sometimes life gets in the way of your goals and slows your progress. It happens to all of us. Review your goal and make adjustments if necessary.
  • Celebrate: We need more celebrations in our lives. With each small achievement along the way, celebrate! And remember, the staff at the Jefferson City are here to support you too, so stop in or give us a call when you need help planning your goals.