Introduction
"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
You've set an ambitious goal: to become "well-read." Luckily, you are on the campus of a world-class university, with access to a renowned library. Fired up with excitement, you walk in on the first day, elated by the floor-to-ceiling treasure trove – history, philosophy, fiction from every corner of the globe. Eager to devour it all, you grab books at random, from biographies to travelogues. Back at your table, you go from book to book, captivated by interesting snippets. At the end of a 5-hour marathon "reading session," you are exhausted. You've exerted a lot of effort, but remember very little. As you walk by to your residence hall, you are tired and frustrated. Your mind starts to doubt the entire effort: who cares about being well-read anyway? Aren't there more important goals -- like being able to build things or having close connections? How would you even decide which books are good or bad to read. Abeg, let's rest and watch a bit of Tik Tok.
You can probably identify the flaws in the above approach. Who walks into a library without a plan? Who reads for 5 hours straight without pausing to reflect and take notes, etc.
Still, many of us approach our learning and career in a similar, haphazard manner. In short, we lack self-management.
Self-management is the ability to control your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to achieve your goals.
📺 Watch this video to learn for an overview of self management (1:32)
Learning Outcomes
This module will equip you with self-management skills and practical tools to navigate academic and professional challenges. After completing the module, you will:
- Understand why self management matters for academic and professional success
- Understand three key components of self-management: self-awareness, time management, and goal setting
- Understand the basics of project management
- Demonstrate the ability to break down large projects into smaller, manageable tasks