Shad-pectations
As part of this welcome package to you, we have provided an overview of the program and the expectations we have for the program and of you. Now we want to hear from you – what are your expectations of the program? What are your goals in coming to Shad Valley? We’d like you to write us a letter discussing a few things, and included in your letter we’d like you to set some goals.
Goal setting is incredibly powerful – we’ve all heard the anecdote about the 3% of Yale graduates who set clear, written goals for themselves and ended up earning more than the rest of their graduating class! We’d like to hear about your goals as part of your letter. A method that we find particularly effective is to begin with the end in mind. At the end of your time at Shad Valley, what would you like to have achieved? Ideally, what will you have gotten out of the program, and what will you have contributed? For each of these three areas, we’d like you to tell us about what your goal is, and set actions for getting to your goal.
No idea how to start? Let’s look at an example. If your goal is, "I will make at least 51 new amazing lifelong friends at Shad Valley", some actions you could include are:
- I know every Shad and staff’s name by July 12th, 2015
- I will sit beside a new person at every meal.
Or let’s say your goal is "I will learn as much as I can from the lecturers, workshops and seminars offered at Shad Valley", some actions you could set are:
- I will write down two interesting thoughts from each lecture or workshop by July 23, 2015
- I will ask one question in every second lecture by July 23, 2015
These are just examples, so be mindful and think about your own personal goal. Any goal is great, as long as it’s what YOU honestly want to get out of the program. The important thing is to set specific goals that are personal, present and time-bound. Setting personal goals, using "I" instead of "we" or "us" helps you take responsibility for their completion, and setting them in the present tense sends a signal to your brain that they’ve already happened, making them that much more achievable! Keep the actions quantifiable. The goal of getting the most out of a lecture is hard to assess but it is easy to see if you have asked a question or not! Last but not least, you want to make sure your actions have a by-when date attached to them, because it helps you hold yourself accountable.
So think about 1) what you want to get out of the program, 2) what you are going to give to the program, 3) what you will achieve during the program, and 4) how you’re going to get there. Then write it all down and send it to us by mail (the old-fashioned snail-mail kind—yes there is a reason for this!). If you absolutely cannot mail the letter you may email it to us at . Feel free to include any additional information or thoughts in your letter. We can’t wait to hear from you! Please address your letter to:
Carleton University Shad Program
c/oCheryl Schramm and Dr. Kate Oakley
3010 Minto Centre
Office of the Dean
Faculty of Engineering and Design, Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa ONK1S 5B6