--Original published at Emily Garvin's Psych Blog

Motivation is not a stable force, but often waxes and wanes. Throughout your time at Elizabethtown College, your motivation for school will undoubtedly be higher at some times and lower at others. I want you to discuss why you chose to come to Elizabethtown College originally and what you do to motivate yourself to do well in your classes currently. I also want you to plan an intervention for yourself for how you can maintain motivation to succeed until graduation…..

When I originally thought about potential colleges, Elizabethtown college was not on my radar. I started thinking about my future plans sophomore year of high school because I decided that I wanted to play lacrosse in college. I knew that I wanted to study the field of medicine, but I wasn’t quite sure what profession I wanted to explore. After I got offers from division 1 schools to play lacrosse, I compared the science departments at each school and decided The University of Massachusetts Lowell was the best fit for me and verbally committed there spring of my junior year. There I could play lacrosse, get a degree in exercise science, and a potential minor in biomedical engineering. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I realized that I wanted to become an occupational therapist. After talking to people in this profession I discovered that it is very hard to get in to a graduate OT school by just simply applying. I started researching schools with 5-year OT programs, where I stumbled upon Etown. I applied to the program on the last day they were taking applications and miraculously got in! I was then faced with a difficult decision, should go to UMass or come to Etown. After weeks of deliberation I decided that Etown’s benefits were overwhelming. Not only did I get a lot of scholarship money I had a guaranteed spot on the lacrosse team here and also had the opportunity to play field hockey.

My motivation throughout school has always been to attain honor roll and get good grades. While this is still my goal today, I also have a new motivation. Now I am motivated to pass all of my classes so that I can become a practicing occupational therapist. I am very excited for what the future holds for me in this profession. There will be classes that I am required to take where I may become unmotivated, but as long as I tackle the class with a positive mindset and remember why I am here in the first place I know I will be able to get through it. To make classes more interesting I could try approaching the material from a different point of view. For instance, since I am a visual learner I could look at pictures or make concept maps to help retain the information better. Implementing these strategies ensure that I will make a lasting impact on people’s lives as an occupational therapist in no time!

--Original published at KatiesPerspectives

Coming from a tiny high school of the boarder of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, I really expecting to attend a big school to break out of the “small town” feel that was brought on by my high school. I’ve always dreamed of being in a big city and being amongst the hustle and bustle of an ever-moving life. All off that stopped when I first visited Elizabethtown College. When I came to campus for the first time, everyone was so nice. There were people playing frisbee on the Dell, people conversing with their friends while walking to class, and people laughing and smiling at me (being a complete stranger to them.) Elizabethtown College is also one of the top schools in the country for music therapy and I found that the music department here was unlike any other. It’s rare that you find a music school that isn’t competitive in every sense of the word, but Elizabethtown didn’t seem to be the competitive sort at all. I also know that this school (more specifically) ha incredible classical piano professors and I was recommended to them by my piano teacher in high school. When I cam to the audition, the piano staff recognized her name and through my nervous composure, we had a whole conversation about how small the world was. Now that I’m a student in the music department, I know that my judgement was correct.

Naturally, I feel like thinking about my future helps to keep me motivated and keep my head clear and positive thinking. Knowing that staying focused and working hard now will al pay off in the future when I apply for jobs and start working is one of the main ways that I keep myself motivated. Having a great group of friends who are all going through the same/similar academic struggles as I am is also really motivating. Having a good support system is always something that I strive for as I am at a very transitional point in my life and have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I think these are all great ways to keep myself motivated and pushing on until graduation.

Something we discussed in class while talking about personality theory, was Eysenck’s Superfactors and how these make each person different in how they react to external stimuli and other things that are out of their control. These have a lot to do with how we make decisions and how we interact with others and are very much the essential building blocks of our personality. I think having a low level of neuroticism is important when considering keeping a positive mindset about college and work. Having a high level of extraversion might be helpful as well as is could help me to make more friends and be more open to experiences and opportunities that might be offered in college. These are the two levels that I think are really important and the most impactful part of having a successful start and end to my college career.

Overall, I think everything I’m doing to get where I want to be in the future is paying off and I am on the right track to a successful college career.

--Original published at The Core Techs

If you have read the My Career: OT page, you know that I am currently enrolled at Elizabethtown College! My motivations throughout my college search and time spent here as a student have and will continue to fluctuate. So why did I originally choose Etown? A lot of reasons actually… I thought it was the perfect college.

When I had first heard of Etown, I remember thinking, It’s perfect! This has got to be where I belong. I played field hockey all throughout high school, and it has also been a passion that lies deep in my heart. I also knew that I wanted to become an occupational therapist. An art minor would suit that major appropriately as well. Art, like field hockey, has been something I have been involved in since I was a little girl. In high school, I took things to the next level and passed two AP courses with a portfolio score of 5 both times. Besides all this, I grew up in a small town with a small school in small town country PA. Etown could not be more perfect for me; it had exactly what I needed and wanted. Etown has one of the finest 5-year OT programs in the country. It also has a fantastic art program, and the school itself is a part of “small town country PA.” It is also very close to my home. The school only has about a thousand students total, making it the perfect little community for me. Because it was such a small school, it had field hockey, but the sports were listed as Division III. This title could not be a greater fit for me. I knew I wanted to focus more on my education rather than sports and DIII schools really promote this. So, seeing that the school was small, in a rural area, close to home, had a great OT and art program, and had DIII field hockey, what more could I possibly want? I took my first visit, and as soon as I stepped on campus, I was head over heels for the place. I did not even want to apply anywhere else. I continued my visits by going to field hockey games, going on overnight stays, and being there for other future student events. It was hard to keep me away. I looked at other schools like Misericordia and Shenandoah, but they just weren’t Etown. They were good schools, both similar to Etown, but nothing had that fit for my wings like the BlueJay nest.

Now I’m here, an Etown BlueJay, and I think I regret a lot of the lack of motivation to look at other schools I had. Now that I’m here, I do wish I would have chosen a bigger school. Here, things are too similar to home. I thirst for more. I thirst for a new, thrilling, and bigger environment. Everyone here knows each other. There is not much to do on the weekends unless you leave. If there is something to do, it is not something you have not done before. Although I say these things, it does not make me love Etown any less. I love that I am a BlueJay. I love the programs and the people here. Sometimes, as much as I say I want to leave, I know I never could. But take it from me when I say this, do not jump to conclusions. Take your time, do your research, and be absolutely sure you are making the right decision.

Besides finding the motivation to choose a college, I must have motivation as a full-time working college student. When doing my homework or trying to focus on something for class, I really need to find the motivation to keep myself going rather than watching tv or surfing the web – kinda similar to what I’m doing right now. I could very well be out shopping with friends to buy my long-wanted African Dwarf Frogs to accompany my betta fish (which is very real – perhaps I shall do that this Friday), but instead, I sit here and do my assignments. My motivation for school has a lot to do with my future. Most of the time I work as soon as possible because I know the sooner I get my work done, the more time I will have for the weekend. Test-wise, I know that the more I prepare, the better grade I will get. As for long-term, I want to get good grades and have an even better GPA so I get hired after I graduate. I really want to find a good place to work while doing what I enjoy. I want to make good money and be happy so that I can have a nice place to live and a great foundation for adventuring with the man I love. Then, I want to have the wedding of my dreams. Eventually, I also want to provide enough for a family with him as well. I want to have kids for mine and my parents sake. If I work hard in life, I know I can shoot for bigger things when I’m younger, and I won’t have to be disappointed by saying that my goals were out of reach. If I make big goals, I push myself harder. My motivation has to do with how badly I want something. I come up with a plan, and I push myself so that I can do it. I can do anything if I set my mind to it.

What motivates you, Core Techs?

-B

Photo courtesy of Hailey Hoke – Hanover Photographer

–> aka Personal High School Survival Partner… CHECK HER OUT!!! www.haileyhokephoto.com

--Original published at marybraun99

During my senior year of high school, I was faced with what most people were going through – where will I choose to go to college?

Like most teenagers I was in the phase where I really didn’t want to go to college, and didn’t care enough about where I went. I had a few places in mind – big places, with over 15,000 students attending the college, ultimately I grew up in a small town, and I wanted to get out of the small college feel. I wanted someone where I didn’t know anybody, and there was tons of people to meet.

Filling out my common app, my mom saw that Elizabethtown had social work, the major  I am currently in college for. I told her it was stupid, and I wasn’t going to go to college there, because it was small. She pushed me and made me go to the accepted students day, and I immediately fell in love with the college. I thought it was a place I would be able to do well in, and focus well there.

During the summer I struggled with a lot of issues, and was a witness for a crime, and had to go to court over the summer, which got continued on through this year. I was stressed out thinking about having to talk in court, or be involved with people I was no longer friends with, so for a while during the fall of 2017 semester I lost motivation in my classes, but after a few weeks I knew I had to pick up the pace, and be able to pass my classes with high grades.

It was a struggle for me to stay motivated, and not eat all the time, and lay in bed. I got a lot of help from my (now) roommate, who saw my struggles, and helped, as well as my other best friends. I also set aside time every week to figure out all that I need to do, and when I need to do it to be sure that I get everything accomplished in a good timely manner, and with good grades.

It’s always hard to stay on track with learning, and studying, but I think one thing I need to work on is not watching to much TV when I get stressed out, and it makes me even more unmotivated, and then all I want to do is watch TV and not get any work done, which I know is super unhealthy. There is a lot I can work on, and I try new ways each day, but it isn’t always easy, especially when you are overwhelmed with work.

--Original published at Emily's Blog

For this first impression post I have chosen the second option. Motivation is a tricky concept. Some people seem to be born with the drive to do anything. Others lack to the point they cannot even get out of bed in the morning. I see myself as a motivated person. Growing up, I put so much pressure on myself to do well in school, no one had to help me to be motivated.

College was a different story. I was scared to go to college originally and my parents had to push me to finish up my applications for it. I chose to go to Elizabethtown College because of the occupational therapy program and how I felt at home there. I have known I wanted to be an occupational therapist since tenth grade and looked at schools which were best suited to help me get my master’s degree. I applied to about ten different schools because I was unsure of what type of school I wanted to go to. I applied to large schools, small schools, schools with a five-year program, and schools without one. I toured many of the colleges and I felt most at home at Elizabethtown. I have gone to small schools my entire life and realized they are the best fit for me.

Since coming to Elizabethtown, I have not been as motivated as I was at the end of high school. First semester was a very challenging transition for me and I am just now starting to enjoy myself at college. This is very similar to my freshman year of high school which was also rough for me. I have hope I will love it at Elizabethtown because over the course of high school I learned to love where I was and what I was doing.

In my classes now, I struggle to motivate myself because of fear. I am afraid of failure. This does not push me to do better but instead makes me feel unintelligent. I try to encourage myself and surround myself with loving people to push me in the right direction.

Going forward, I plan to motivate myself by drinking tons of coffee, reminding myself why I want to be an occupational therapist, being grateful for where I am, and listening to inspiring music. I also plan to wake up only ten minutes earlier than I normally do and spend some time planning out my day while reminding myself I am able to do my best.

--Original published at Madison's Blog

I originally chose to attend Elizabethtown College because of the small town feel and great academic standards. I felt it was the best fit for me, since I like small town feels and the class sizes were only 13-14. Being a science major, I knew I would need one-on-one time with professors. The college campus had great dorm rooms, which many others I toured did not. The rooms were decently sized and they were close to the academic buildings, which meant I didn’t need to walk far to class. I liked how the students on campus were so friendly and weren’t just sitting around. They were out walking and playing on the Dell when I toured. I just knew it would be a good place for me to be.

I motivate myself to do well in my classes because I know I need a good overall GPA to get accepted into Dental school later on. The acceptance rates at schools are very competitive, so I motivate myself by thinking about my future plans and goals. I also motivate myself because I enjoy my classes and the material I learn. That fact of me wanting to go to class helps me retain the material without having to cram in study time for exams.

An intervention for myself to succeed until graduation would be that I need to keep my head up and stay focused. I always think of my future, and how it won’t be an easy ride to get into Dental school. My GPA and study habits are my main focus during my time at Etown. I need to keep my eye on the prize in order to stay motivated to do the hard work. Studying for long time periods, doing homework, watching videos about the topics, and more all make me feel like I’m doing my best for my classes. For now, I think I have motivation for my goals, but if I can remind myself every once and a while that I am putting in such hard work for a reason, I can stay motivated.

--Original published at CurtisCollegeBlog

To start off this post, I would like to say making the choice to come to Etown was fairly simple. When looking at colleges, I was interested in so many, but I never applied to any unless they fit athletically and academically. So, I looked at many schools that I liked and if they didn’t offer engineering, basketball, and track I generally put them to the wayside. For instance, I thought Wilkes was the school I wanted to go to, but they didn’t offer track so I didn’t want to go. Then, I also looked at schools that offered me free applications rather than ones that charged you to apply, and only applied to schools I didn’t have to pay for. Ideally, I ended up finding Elizabethtown College, over Moravian, Lebanon Valley, and Widener. Since this school was the most expensive, I kind of regret the decision, but I know it will pay off later. Good grades drive me to do well by themselves, because I love to know I’m doing well, but making my family proud is an added bonus. Plus, doing good now will help employers see that I am hard-working and they will want to take the chance on me as a future employee. So, I am motivated to do well now so that I can do big things in the future. This way I can do whatever it takes to provide for myself and all my family. As I say when I eat, we all eat big dog style.

--Original published at MaddiesCollegeBlog

For this weeks first impression post, I decided to discuss why I decided to choose Etown College & what motivates me to do well in my classes.

I chose to attend Elizabethtown college for a number of reasons. What I liked most about etown is the how small the college was, coming from a big high school, I really hated how big it was and I hated having almost 40 kids in one class. So, when I was looking at etown and the average size class was 13-14, I was thrilled. Another reason I chose Etown was because of how close it was to my hometown. Being an only child, I have always been extremely close with my parents and knew that I couldn’t go more than 2 hours away, so conveniently etown is only about an hour from me. A final reason I chose Etown was because I was able to play sports here, and it not consume my entire life, like at a Division 1 school.

What motivates me to do well in my classes is mainly because it is going to benefit myself and my family in the future. I want to become successful and have a stable job so that I can provide for myself and my future family. Also, My parents both work extremely hard to be able to fund my college and without them it would not be possible for me to attend college, so I really owe it to them to work hard in school so it proves to them that their hard work and money is going to something worth while.

I plan to continue my motivation till graduation for the sole purpose in life, which is being successful so that I can one day give back to my parents for making it all possible. I feel as if I didn’t stay motivated to do well that I would be disappointing & failing them. I feel that knowing that will always be my motivation to do well. but, if somehow that were to fail, I would look at it from my perspective that not only would I be letting them down, but also my future self and family, and I need to remember why I worked so hard up until this point and so on. that there will always be a reason to continue to do well while making the best of my college experience.

--Original published at Miguel's College Blog

For this first impression post, I went with option 2: Why I chose to come to Elizabethtown College, what I do to motivate myself to do well in classes, and plan an intervention to keep myself motivated until graduation.

Originally, Elizabethtown College was not even on my radar when I was looking for schools to go to. From my senior year of high school and my first year of community college, I applied to all of military academies twice and was rejected twice. At the same time, I was also applying to numerous other colleges and was getting grim results as well. As a high achieving student all throughout K-12, it would not be wrong to assume that my motivation was hit pretty hard after two years of rejection from schools. It was also pretty harsh because I did not really get any information back as to why I was not accepted. I had the high GPA, I was top of my class, I had the extra curricular, and my resume was packed. Still, nothing. So after the first year of community college, and my second rejection,  I decided to give up applying to the academies because there had to be another way to get where I wanted to go in life. I started applying to some other colleges that summer and Elizabethtown College gave me the best scholarship and had a program I wanted to pursue so I took it and ran. It took me some time to adjust and get my motivation where I wanted to be because this was not where I thought I would be two years prior, but I really like it here and I am making the best of it.

To motivate myself to do well in classes, I like giving myself self-talks, telling myself things that I can do, and all the things I can achieve. I also like seeking out social support in others and talking to others because that can not only get my mind off negative things, but motivate me to keep going. I also try to keep in mind a quote I heard somewhere and that was, “Failure is an event, not a destination.” That definitely keeps me going because everything happens to make you a stronger individual on the road of life.

An intervention to keep myself motivated is to find ways to keep learning new things on times school is off so I can keep my mental capacity elevated. Another thing is to keep bringing myself to optional lectures throughout the year to learn about things not just tailored to my major but to be more well rounded.

--Original published at Manda's College Blog

I chose to write about my motivation for school and why I chose Elizabethtown College. I was never in my life motivated to go to school or even care to perform well in school. I was very set in joining the Military and staying in for the rest of my life. Well, things like real life tend to happen, and I’m no longer in the military. Thinking back, a had so many peers urge me that I should go to college especially because being a member of the military, they help pay for your tuition. At that time I had zero patience and motivation to seek out going back to school after never really trying in high school. It took me several years later and I honestly didn’t really “plan” on going to college, just one day I called a old military friend and asked her how do I apply. I didn’t think of a major or anything, I just knew if I delayed it any longer I’d lose motivation. It’s just the type of person I am, impatient.

I actually have friends who are social workers, and they’ve always discussed to me what they do and the pros and cons about it followed by the need for my social workers. I’ve always wanted to help female veterans especially, because the social workers in my time have failed me. It just so happened that Elizabethtown College offers a social work major and that it’s not at all far near my home. I believe the closeness of the college besides having the major I wanted gives me more motivation every day to go to class, because it’s right there. I don’t have to worry about traffic, worry about how late I would get home, chores, cooking, and other things an engaged 28 year old home owner needs to do. So I guess to sum it all up my motivation definitely comes through convenience.

I have a lot of days, especially this week for some reason to even go to class and engage in the lecture. Sometimes my motivation goes down because I sometimes get beyond overwhelmed with all the assignments that I need to get done. That and lack of sleep just makes the situation worse for myself. The best advice I received from a teacher was to just keep showing up to class, no matter what. So no matter how I feel that day, formed this habit to not question if I should or shouldn’t go. I just go. It makes it worth it in the end because I don’t feel like I’m missing anything in the lecture.

To maintain motivation until graduation, again the closeness of the school helps. I email updates at least every two weeks to someone in the school that checks on my accountability and if I have any concerns or questions. I am very honest with her and she helps me a lot to maintain my consistency. My family member also goes over my goals and keeps me accountable and gives me reasons why graduating from college would be a great thing for me, which usually is realistic and exciting.