Blazers Thriving from Anywhere by Carr, Lance M

SMART Goal for a First-Year Online College Student (Lance)

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Goal:
By the end of the upcoming semester, I will improve my time management by using a weekly digital planner to complete all assignments at least 24 hours before the due date in all of my classes.

Breakdown of the SMART Goal:

Component

Description

S – Specific

Improve time management by completing assignments early

M – Measurable

Finish assignments at least 24 hours before deadline

A – Achievable

Use weekly planner + scheduled study blocks

R – Relevant

Helps balance online classes, athletics/clubs, and campus life

T – Time-bound

Achieve by end of semester

Budgeting for the Online BlazerMonthly Budget for a First-Year Online Student Living On Campus : Monthly Budget Breakdown

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Category & Estimated Cost

Housing & Meal Plan: On-campus dorm + standard meal plan

$0 (paid via semester bill)

Textbooks & Materials: Save with rentals, eBooks, or library use

$60

Wi-Fi/Internet: Included with dorm living

Personal Essentials: Toiletries, Laundry

$30

Phone Plan: Parents pay for cellphone plan

Streaming Services: Hulu/Spotify student bundle or shared Netflix

$15

School Supplies: Binders, notebooks, pens

$15

Transportation: Occasional Uber, gas for trips home, or bus pass

$60

Entertainment/Fun: Events, games, or outings with friends

$50

Emergency Fund / Savings: Stash for unexpected needs

$60

Total Monthly Estimate

$290

Budgeting for the Online BlazerMonthly Budget for a First-Year Online Student Living On Campus : Cost Saving Tips

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Textbooks & Class Materials

Use your campus or digital library: ask your professors if the book is on reserve.
Buy used books, rent on Amazon or Chegg, or check for OpenStax free textbooks.

Meal & Food Savings

Max out meal plan; eat at dining halls instead of buying outside food.
Use BlazerBucks or campus currency wisely
Keep microwave snacks in the dorm to avoid costly UberEats orders.

Tech + Subscriptions

Sign up for Spotify Premium + Hulu Student Bundle
Utilize free tutoring, wellness apps, or gym access.

Time & Budget Management

Use free budgeting apps to track spending.
Use student ID for discounts at movie theaters, clothing stores, tech retailers, etc.

Budgeting for the Online BlazerMonthly Budget for a First-Year Online Student Living On Campus : First-Year Success Reminder

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Managing money as a freshman builds discipline early and helps avoid stress later. Even with housing and meals covered, small costs can add up so plan, track, and spend with intention.

Time Management BluePrint: Sample Calendar & Tools That Can Help To Organize

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Organization Tools

Google Calendar: Class/workout/meeting schedule, with reminders and color codes for each category (academics, clubs, wellness, etc.)
Microsoft One Note: Class notes, assignment tracker, goals, club meeting notes, meal prep ideas
MyStudyLife App: Tracks homework, exams, and class schedule offline
Be Focused: Task tracking, session stats, custom intervals
GroupMe / Slack: Club and class communication; fewer missed meetings or deadlines

Time Management BluePrint: Procrastination and How to Overcome it

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Reflections on Procrastination

Common Triggers:

"I’ll do it later" mindset due to newfound independence
Overbooking with clubs or social events
Distractions from roommates, phones, or loud dorm environments

Quick Solution (video):

In this video, a scientifically backed two-minute trick to help people stop procrastinating instantly and build momentum toward their goals.

1. Why do we procrastinate?

2. How does resistance stop us from taking action?

3. How can you rewire your brain to get things done effortlessly?

This simple technique will help you to Study more effectively, Build discipline for workouts and fitness goals, Stop overthinking and take action on important tasks.

Time Management BluePrint: Takeaways for Freshman

lmcarr — 2025-08-07 05:38:39 UTC

Structure your freedom or it will structure you.
It’s okay to say no to extra commitments if you're overwhelmed.
Balance = Boundaries: time blocks protect your study and social life.
Routine builds resilience: start small and stay consistent.

SMART Goal for a First-Year College Student-Athlete (Donovan)

delawren — 2025-08-08 16:51:11 UTC

Goal:
By the end of the Spring semester, I will maintain 3.0 for bot semesters by meeting wit academic support staff and taking advantage of campus resources

Breakdown of the SMART Goal:

Component

Description

S – Specific

I will get an 85% in all of my courses both semesters and meet regularly with my learning specialist and academic advisor

A – Achievable

I will submit my work on time and have a planner to organize my work

R – Relevant

As a first year student, it is important for me to start off on the right foot and will help keep me on track with my academic eligibility for football

T – Time-bound

I will accomplish this by May of 2026.

group Members Learning Styles

delawren — 2025-08-08 17:20:26 UTC

Amber:

Lance: Auditory

Donovan:

Learning Style 1: Visual

delawren — 2025-08-08 17:21:53 UTC

Strategy 1: creatin slideshows

Strategy 2: examples videos or visual demonstrations

How these strategies are adapted for online learning (ex: virtual study groups,
flashcard apps, YouTube resources)

Learning Style 2:

delawren — 2025-08-08 17:23:02 UTC

Strategy 1:

Strategy 2:

How these strategies are adapted for online learning (ex: virtual study groups,
flashcard apps, YouTube resources)

Learning Style 3:

delawren — 2025-08-08 17:23:41 UTC

Strategy 1:

Strategy 2:

How these strategies are adapted for online learning (ex: virtual study groups,
flashcard apps, YouTube resources)

The UAB Writing Center

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:29:49 UTC

It's very important to get eyes on your work, if you don't you lock yourself in something of an echo chamber. But, if you're doing online schooling, how can you interface with others if you're not face-to-face with them at all? This issue can be solved through UAB's on campus writing center.

Has online faculties, allowing you to meet with tutors as you would face-to-face through online sites such as Zoom.
Has easy selection process so you can tailor the tutor you're paired with to your specific needs.
Some teachers will actually offer extra credit if you use this service.
Ensures you get someone to work with of competent skill.

ENGAGE

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:36:01 UTC

When doing schooling online it's important to remain connected, and engaged with your campus and school as a whole. UAB has a service precisely for this purpose, called ENGAGE.

Allows you or other students to arrange events, be they in person or online.
Conversely, allows other students to find published events that would otherwise be difficult to find online.
Events can be conducted through online services like Zoom.
Pages for events will contain all information needed to attend the event in question.

The UAB Recreation Center

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:44:05 UTC

Physical fitness can be difficult to maintain if you're not getting daily exercise, so this can be rectified through UAB's Recreation Center (Usually shortened to The Rec).

Dedicated to encouraging the improvement of student health.
Has online faculties that allow you to perform group exercise through things like Zoom.
Has personal training.
Conducts competitive sports.

Critical Thinking and Decisionmaking

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:45:26 UTC

During the semester, I had to deal with a difficult decision when it came to my first essay I had to write for English 101. I found myself unable to write on the topic I had selected so I had to break it down and think critically.

Health as it Pertains to Online Schooling

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:48:33 UTC

During your online schooling journey, if you're fully online it can be very very difficult to stay on top of your health, especially when you're no longer conducting basic exercise like cardio just by walking from class to class everyday. The following slides will be tips to stay healthy.

Physical Fitness and Exercise

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:51:57 UTC

The best way to go about getting exercise, as mentioned earlier, would be to participate in the UAB Rec's coordinated exercises through its online services.

Mental Health

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 19:57:00 UTC

Mental health is just as if not more important that maintaining physical fitness. It is especially of utmost importance to maintain a healthy mind in an academic setting so you can function and perform to your fullest. Luckily, UAB campus provides mental health services through its student counseling services, which can also be accessed online.

Diet

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 20:03:23 UTC

Your physical fitness is tantamount or can even rely upon your diet. Of course, if you're not on campus your selection of foods can range in limitedness and healthiness. But, even if you're not on campus, UAB's campus dining section of its website actually offers guidance on healthy eating.

Sleep

awilliams41006 — 2025-08-09 20:07:41 UTC

It's important to maintain good sleep hygiene, but if you're having issues with maintaining healthy sleep UAB has an on campus sleep clinic which you can schedule an online appointment through as well as seek in person care.

Key Takeaways Recap

lmcarr — 2025-08-10 04:29:31 UTC

Stay Connected – Use ENGAGE, virtual tutoring, and Rec Center online programs.
Stay Organized – Apply time management tools and follow your personalized learning strategies.
Be Intentional – Set SMART goals and track progress.
Protect Your Well-being – Maintain physical health, mental wellness, balanced nutrition, and quality sleep.
Manage Your Money – Follow your budget, use student discounts, and save where you can.

Develop an Action Plan

lmcarr — 2025-08-10 04:32:06 UTC

List three actions you’ll start this week to apply what you learned.
Choose one campus resource you haven’t used yet and schedule a time to try it.
Identify one habit you want to build for better balance.

SMART Goal for a First-Year Online College Student (Amber)

awilli49_1 — 2025-08-10 04:33:05 UTC

Goal:

By the end of this Summer semester, I will have passing grades in both of my online classes so that I can bring my GPA back up.

Breakdown of the SMART Goal:

S - Specific

A passing grade is denoted as a C mark or above in any given class.

M - Measurable

Maintain a C or above in EH-101 and UASC-101, accomplished by having an A in both.

A - Achievable

No class is impossible to pass, even if some are quite difficult to maintain a good grade in.

R - Relevant

If I achieve this SMART Goal I will be able to continue my college career despite a significant hiccup during my first semester.

T - Timebound

Accomplished by the end of this semester.

lmcarr — 2025-08-10 04:36:17 UTC

No matter where we are - the gym, the football field the dorm, or on Zoom ... we are Blazers. We show up, we put in the work, and we make it happen. Stay locked in, stay moving, stay connected and keep chasing those goals. Because at UAB, we don’t just go to class, we thrive from anywhere!