Self Assessment Paper

I am a life-long visual learner innately curious about seeking a deeper understanding of human nature and the why of our behavior. Learning is the key component in developing my ability to cope with adapting, adjusting and finding new ways, approaches and techniques to improve my life. My best learning is by seeing what is being taught. I prefer visual representations such as textbooks, flash cards, charts, workbooks, lecture notes and even computer games. Additionally, whenever I approach anything, it is with a beginner's mindset. If I approach it any other way, I run the risk of learning absolutely nothing.

I chose to pursue my degree in psychology at Grand Canyon University, to enhance my skills as an educator, develop my skills as a researcher and provide an avenue to counsel people. Learning is part of my life; it's who I am as an individual. It provides me opportunities to mix professional practice with teaching and research.

I anticipate that this will be a challenging journey, but my perseverance, determination and self-motivation will serve me well along the way. As will my ability to communicate with others, apply the knowledge I will gain, and learn from those around me. I will be challenged to improve my writing skills, but rather than seeing this as a weakness, I see it as a challenge.

As a doctoral student, the key ingredients to success in the program will be to effectively manage time and maintaining a highly motivated disposition. I anticipate that the doctoral program will be rigorous; however, perseverance, self-motivation and time management will be required for successful completion of the program. I have researched the topic of successful completion of a doctoral program and found the following article on Successfully Navigating the Stages of Doctoral Program (2007), it states that proactive students take the time to build an evolving reference set, do not avoid challenging courses, read copiously, expose their work in conferences, and seek opportunities to work with colleagues and faculty members. Yes, doing these things requires motivation and competence, but it also accelerates the students' maturation process as researchers. Additionally, it further asserts that motivation provides the drive to traverse obstacles in the path of knowledge generation and our knowledge institutions. But, managing doctoral education allows students to navigate and keep control over an unstructured process. Management of the program is the most under-emphasized predictor of success in doctoral study; however, together the three form a winning combination. (2007)

As a self-directed learner, I am fully responsible for independently analyzing, planning, executing and evaluating my own learning activities. Therefore, picking a dissertation topic is important but also a very difficult process. As I continue to become acclimated into the program, I will strive to push myself to think beyond the norm.