Week 4/100

Part 1

I've been working towards a degree for 28 years. My first educational goal is to complete my BS degree in the timeline of this CSUMB program. I am still driving hard to complete an undergraduate degree so I have the option of pursuing further education. I'm interested in an MBA to refine my business leadership skills. My second educational goal is to be accepted to and start an MBA program in the year after completing my BS.

Part 2

I want to return to organizational leadership but with a new set of skills that I learn from reaching my educational goals. I want to build and maintain a level of credibility in leading larger organizations than I have in the past, to end my career on a high note. 

Part 3

I feel pretty good about the test. From going over the sample I have an idea of what my current gaps are. I think 18 months is plenty of time to close the gaps to get a good score. I think I will get at least 90%. I'm pretty confident in being able to prepare well, but acknowledge that I make test errors so it won't be perfect.

Part 4

I spent a lot of time researching for my ethics essay this month. I learned a lot more about how different ethical frameworks apply in my selected topic. It's a very contentious field with a lot of research that has discussed the exact topic that I selected. Learning about the ETS test and reviewing the content gave me good insights to what I have left to learn. SMART goals, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, is a useful skill beyond education. I learned some key career tips. The one that most people forget about in silicon valley is to allow for downtime. There is danger in the 9-9-6 work style. We have to work to live, not live to work. The other tip I really apprciate is tracking accomplishments. Humans naturally remember when things go wrong more than when they go right. Keeping a log of what you do and how it benefitted is helpful when it comes time for periodic performance reviews or asking for a raise.