The major struggle for new and continuing students working their way back into the mode of being a student after a complete summer, is reestablishing a work ethic. Whether it’s the constant struggle to avoid procrastination in doing work in a timely manner, or a lack of effort in completing the work, developing a strong work ethic is something that many people, not just students, are changed with. While the concept of what good work ethic consists of may be a stretch for some to comprehend, the even deeper issue of how to habituate a strong work ethic should be the goal for anyone attempting to maximize their potential.
Work ethic consists of two basic elements: hard work and diligence. Hard work is focusing on doing what’s assigned, regardless of personal feelings towards the topic or subject matter; it means exerting maximum effort. Diligence requires steady expenditure of psychic energy on a single task until it is completed. The more intense attention is paid to a task, the easier the process becomes.
Everything required of you will be something you choose to do; some college courses are a prime example. Some of UDC professors may assign work that often leaves their classes wondering, “What purpose will this ever serve?” The point of the matter is you have to go through the prescription of that professor to get to the goal of graduation. The first step in creating a strong work ethic is completing required tasks to reach the long-term goal. It’s the same thing parents tell their growing child that goes in one ear and out the other. But the lesson is relevant in surviving each semester of college, as well as the uncertainties of life. Treating a boring assignment with the same enthusiasm as an assignment that evokes passion about takes hard work. But then, hard work is what builds up a strong work ethic. An effective way to build work ethic from the ground up is to write down plans and goals. Adhering to the plans and goals written helps individuals stay on course.
Working hard and getting burned out is a reality for everyone. While it is never recommended to burn to the point of no return, being consistent is an integral part of building a work ethic. Consistency implies keeping a schedule of all assignments, giving yourself time to work on each, constantly tracking due dates, and consistently turning in assignments when they are due. The element of consistency builds rapport with your teachers and/ or bosses and helps establish a work ethic that will become integrated into your everyday schedule.
A strong work ethic can easily be offset when a task if thought to be too easy, or enjoyable. Procrastination, possibly the biggest hindrance to a strong work ethic, can come from overconfidence; paradoxically, procrastination can come across as laziness. Its often a mind trick where the “self” says, “This should be easy, no need to rush in getting it done, I can finish all of it the night before it’s due.” Murphy’s Law or “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” tends to appear on nights before an assignment is due; whether it be a broken printer, crashed computer, family emergency, etc. Consistent hard work on an assignment not only spreads the load of the work evenly, but creates more time to do the desirable things. Procrastinating also diminishes the quality of work that can be done, because almost by definition, the assignment is rushed. Consequently the full effort that could have gone towards completing the assignment was not given. Instead of waiting until the last minute to just turn in anything and receive a poor grade, why not properly work on a paper to obtain the optimal grade? Of course, sometimes these works out, but if eleventh hour occurrences become too common, expect the label of procrastination to rise proportionally. Eliminating the possibilities of creating a bad habit or procrastinating is essential in creating any work ethic, particularly a strong one.
There is very little ease about establishing a strong work ethic. Developing one will properly take concentration and a strong-willed effort, but the benefits will vastly outweigh the work that goes into creating a work ethic or even the strengthening of a previously established. Work ethic will be a necessary companion to the academic survival for students at UDC, as well as a must-have in the real world outside of the safety of UDC’s campus.
