A Message From Monique
Hi Everyone,
I know from talking with many of you that you have many roles to juggle! So completing your college degree can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Earlier this week I shared some of the tools I have used to keep me on track with a CUNY EDGE student. I find them useful especially when I have a million demands on my time and attention. I am a daughter, sister, cousin, wife, mother aunt, nana, friend, and in another sense, a poet, writer, singer, manager, counselor, organizer, community activist. Stephen Covey’s circle of influence, circle of concern (pdf) from the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It is the first tool.
The Four Quadrants time management tool
There are many things both on a personal level and in general that I am concerned about, but there are also a few that I have the capacity to do something about. I try, though I don't always succeed, to make a note of the things that I care about but have no control over and then to let them go. Then I focus in on the things I can do something about and prioritize using the Four Quadrants (pdf).
Using these tools among others, I try to keep a focus on the big picture as well as the details of the important things for me. The hardest things to do consistently are those that are important but not urgent, or quadrant 2. This is, of course, only one set of ideas on how to focus and manage your time, and we will have workshops on time management that explore a range of different tools.
My hope is that you can see ways to apply these tools to your own life and remember that we—Roberte, Nathaniel, Dawne, our team of student workers, and I—are here to support you, to advocate for you, and to assist as best we can with helping you to reach your goals. We are also here to help you develop your own advocacy and support skills so that you can succeed on an academic and personal level.
We hope to meet with each of you in person at least once if not more this semester. Please submit your FIA form if you haven't already done so. Sign up for the workshops and become actively engaged with the program.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Best,
Monique Ngozi Nri
Director, CUNY EDGE
