You are here: Intellectual Cornerstones Paper
LETU-1101-04
Dr. Brent Ellis
Planning for the future by setting goals is an essential step in accomplishing all that I was created to do. Five years from now, I hope to have graduated from LeTourneau University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering. I also hope to have a job where I can use my computer engineering skills to the best of my ability. I don't have any specific company in mind that I want to work for at this point, but when I think about companies likely to have computer engineering jobs, names like IBM and Intel come to mind. Regardless of where I end up working, I want to glorify God by doing my job with diligence, discipline, and honesty.
My longterm goal of graduating from LeTourneau University with a degree in Computer Engineering can be divided into many smaller, short term goals. I set goals on a daily basis in the form of a to do list that I keep on my PocketPC. Each day I prioritize the things that I want to get done. When I complete a task, I find satisfaction in checking it off. Having a systematic plan for getting things done each day has been a great aid in helping me stay focused and actually accomplish the things that are most important each day.
In addition to daily goals, I have short term goals such as preparing adequately for my upcoming Bible exam. I have found that dividing goals into smaller chunks, makes them easier to accomplish and less formidable. Instead of just setting one big goal of studying for my Bible test, I broke it down into smaller, easier to manage steps.
For example, my first step in studying for my Bible test was to create flash cards by writing down the things I need to know on index cards. My next step will be to type everything from those cards into a test review program that I created so that I can easily practice writing out the answers from memory. Completing one step at a time gives me a feeling of accomplishment and keeps me from feeling overwhelmed when confronted with large projects.
My long term goal of college graduation comes already divided into smaller components called semesters. My goal this semester is to work hard so that I can finish well in each of my classes and to be able to move on to my next set of classes. By focusing on just the next step in the process, even a task that takes years to accomplish becomes manageable.
In a way, my college graduation itself, is just a step in my overall life-long goal of glorifying God. Although I divide each goal into many steps, I need to make sure that I never get lost in the details and lose sight of the most important goal in my life.
Giving glory to God is the purpose for which I was created. That is the most important goal in my life. I can glorify God by responding to His call on my life and obeying His commands. As I understand it, God has called me to attend LeTourneau University and major in Computer Engineering. Both during and after college, I can glorify God by striving to complete every task set before me with excellence. Working hard is simple obedience to the command of Colossians 3:23-24 which says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” I believe that by working hard, setting goals, and diligently studying computer engineering, I am glorifying God and following His call on my life.
If I ever find that my academic goals are no longer consistent with what God is calling, I pray that I will have the strength and wisdom to listen to God's direction and refocus my goals to be in line with what God is calling me to do. Just having goals is not enough, they must line up with what God commands and calls me to do.
God has blessed me with many strengths that will be invaluable in my quest to pursue an education that will deepen my knowledge in the field of computers. Being deliberative is very helpful as I carefully weigh the many options that I have for how to spend my time and set goals accordingly. Being disciplined helps me to work hard to complete both my short term and long term goals. Completing assignments takes both responsibility and intellection. I need to take the responsibility to actually start working on an assignment. But starting is not enough, I also need the patience and ability to think through and understand any concepts that are hard to grasp.
Learning requires interaction with people. The best learning occurs when there is harmony, because discord will only distract and take energy from the learning process. I get along well both my fellow students and my professors which enables me to focus on learning. I'm am thankful for each one of my strengths and the benefit they have been as I focus on academics during this stage of my life.
Simply going it alone with my strengths would not be enough to excel in academics. LeTourneau University has such a wealth of academic resources that I have not even begun to take advantage of them all. One resource that I have found very useful are the Tutorial Instruction (TI) sessions that are offered for difficult classes. I have been attending the Calculus I TI meeting on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Being able to discuss and to ask questions in a slower paced environment than a normal class has been invaluable as I seek to understand the new concepts that I am being exposed to on a weekly basis.
My life became a lot busier when I came to LeTourneau. In order to maintain balance, I have to be intentional about each aspect of my life. Living a balanced life requires that I take into consideration more than just my academic goals as I plan out my week.
Growing spiritually takes a concerted effort on my part as well. Although I sometimes feel like I am too busy, I continue to take time each day to read the Bible and pray. I want my life to be directed by God as it says in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” I can't grow spiritually all by myself, I have to make the effort to meet and share with others. I can no longer simply rely on my parents in regards to attending church. I have to have the discipline to get up each Sunday morning, regardless of whether I feel like it or not, in order to meet the bus that goes to Hope Fellowship.
Challenged to go beyond simply attending church and chapel, I have become involved in a Journey Group which meets on Wednesday nights. Being a part of a small group forces me to be an active participant and prepare beforehand. I hope that I will grow deeper in my faith as I meet with other believers.
In addition to my spiritual life, I need to make sure that I don't neglect physical exercise. I often feel that I am too busy with homework and don't have time for physical exercise. Although exercise takes time, I think that I will be better off in the long run if I set goals to exercise at least twice a week. My father has testified to the positive difference exercise can make. In an email he told me about when he had first started working in Alabama, “I didn't exercise for several weeks and really started to feel sluggish. I started to exercise and my ability to think clearly and my energy level really improved.” Based on his testimony, I think that setting a goal for personal exercise each week is something that I should work towards in the second half of this semester.
Another area that I need to work on is the area of ministry goals. I volunteered to help out with the Hope Fellowship website, but later backed out because I felt that I was too busy with my school work. Instead of just saying I'm too busy, I should probably take the advice I was given by both my sister-in-law and my brother-in-law. They suggested that I budget some of my time to help my church. When I backed out of my commitment to help, I hadn't thought of just spending a certain amount of time each week. Now that it looks like I will be having a lighter load during the next half of this semester, I should set a goal to spend time each week using the gifts that I have been given to serve others.
There are obstacles that I will have to overcome as I work towards each of my goals. One thing that I have a problem with is spending too much time trying to fix small computer problems that I and others experience. I need to learn to just let some things go and not waste time on things at the expense of other more important things.
Another problem everyone faces is choosing what to become involved in from the many opportunities that are available at LeTourneau University. I am thankful that I have a loving and supportive family that cares about me and gives me good advice when I request guidance about which activities I should spend my time doing. Procrastination was a real problem for me in high school. Thankfully, during the time I have been at LeTourneau, I have found myself highly motivated by the academic atmosphere and procrastination is no longer a major problem for me.
Despite areas of difficulty, there are many areas in which I have been greatly blessed. My father has been blessed with a good job and which relieves me from any financial pressure or being forced to work while I am taking classes. My family has been very supportive while I have been away at college. My sister and father made the hard ten hour drive to visit me just a month after I started college. My mother sent me a cake on my birthday and my sister continues to send me encouraging letters. Friends and many members of my family post encouraging comments on my blog. Each of these things has been an encouragement to me as I have been away at college for the first time.
Even before college, my parents were helping me be prepared for college by training me to make good use of my time. Both my father and mother worked hard to keep me from wasting my time playing electronic games. My siblings and I were limited to playing computers games for a maximum of 30 minutes a day. This kept me from getting “hooked” on computer games since I couldn't play them long enough to get deeply involved. I am very grateful that our family never owned a video game console. Having an Xbox or PlayStation would have only been a waste of time. If allowed to spend more time playing games, I might never learned how to create websites. God has indeed shown me great mercy and love by giving me wise and caring parents who encouraged me not to waste my time.
In order to maximize the time that I spend at LeTourneau, I need to learn to balance each area of my life. Despite my tendency to only focus on academics, I need to make time for both service and fun in the midst of working hard on homework. As the popular saying goes: “All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.” I am starting to try to start saying yes to some opportunities for fun. Just yesterday, I accepted an invitation to go play Risk at Stephen Camp's house on Friday night. In addition to saying yes to fun, I need start being a regular participant in serving others. I am thankful for the good advice that I have received from my extended family in regards to budgeting my time for service. By carefully budgeting my time in each area of life, I can fulfill educational requirements while still taking time off for fun and service.
Having a goal in mind will give me motivation to work through the hard things. More importantly, I believe that God will give me the strength and motivation I need to be faithful in living a balanced, productive life. I am thankful for how God has blessed me and continues to bless me in each area of my life. As I strive to maintain balance in my life, I believe that God will honor that and will help me to thrive as I continue this journey through the college years.