December Academic Goals

Welcome or welcome back! It has been a long time since I last published an academic goals post. With second year ending abruptly, and final year being non-stop work, I decided to focus on achieving the goals and wait to share them when things settled down. Luckily, I have one week left of term 1, so I actually had some time to share my goals for the month. I will try to share my goals for the second term, as I know these type of posts do really well, so you guys must enjoy them. Bare with me though, as navigating my final year during a pandemic has not been an easy adjustment. 

Anyway, enough of the waffle - here are my goals!

(Disclaimer: Some of these goals will have been completed by the time this is live)

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

My dissertation proposal is due December 9th, which is very exciting but also daunting. I am really hoping that it gets accepted first time, as I have done so much research and I am genuinely looking forward to writing it. Once I know it has been given the thumbs up, I will definitely share the process with you and share what my dissertation will be focused on. 

The research portion of this dissertation has already been a lengthy process and I can imagine that it will be the hardest of all the stages. I may end up with multiple drafts before the final product, but the research plays such a vital part in making sure this study is good. If it isn't well researched, no matter how good the writing and structure is, it is pretty much a pointless piece of work. I have really tried my best to find the right data to analyse and studies to read. Looking at the work of scholars and academics who have already done some research within the field and topic I have chosen, also plays a vital part in my study. Hopefully the long hours spent reading and highlighting will be worth it. 

ASSIGNMENT PROPOSALS 

Proposals, proposals and more proposals. This has definitely been the most I've written during my whole time at university. I have three more proposals alongside my dissertation that need to be done. My deadline for the last one is December 18th, and I feel like I've organised my time well enough to submit it early. One of them just needs a few tweaks, whilst the others have barely been started but I have enough notes and ideas, that I know I will be fine. I have enjoyed the modules I have taken this term, so surprisingly I look forward to writing the assignments. 

GRAD SCHEME INTERVIEW

I applied for a 2-year grad scheme programme called Teach First. They are a charity that work alongside schools in low income areas and train people to become great teachers and leaders. They work with early years, primary and secondary education, giving you both quality experience in the classroom and a PGDE by the end of it. I am SO keen to be a part of the programme and I was so excited when I got the email that my written application was successful. I have my interview and selection day this month and if I am being honest, the more I prepare for it, the more I want the offer. The programme and the work they do really is inspiring and I want to be a part of it. They have done so much to close the gap in education, campaigning for greater inclusivity and giving students the opportunity to achieve their qualifications, despite setbacks. Let's hope and pray that my selection day goes well! It's a super competitive programme and in the Top 10 Grad Schemes in the country. To be accepted would be my biggest accomplishment to date. 

START ASSIGNMENTS 

My final goal for this month is to start my assignments. I have two due on January 11th and one due January 15th. I obviously want to have a well deserved break over Christmas, and I will ensure that is the case, but I also don't want to leave my assignments until the new year. I plan on getting them all started this month and working on them in sections. That is how I tend to work best. Once the proposals are done and approved, I will know exactly what I am doing and things are a lot easier from there. I will make sure to share what each assignment is on, in my January goals post.

What are some of your goals this month? Let me know in the comments. 

Thank you for reading,

Have a great day x