Self-Assessment Worksheet – Your Challenges and Strengths

This worksheet will be used as a discussion tool when meeting with your advisor and will be returned to you.
Please take some time to reflect on the questions below and bring the completed worksheet to your
appointment.

Name: ID:

Challenges – in your own words, please describe the factors that contributed to your academic difficulties:

Strengths – in spite of difficulties, I am proud of the following (include both academic successes and personal
successes over the past few months):

Resources – the following people or resources can provide support to me as I move forward:

Please check any additional items that were challenges for you this semester:

Study Skills Career/Major Issues

____Concentration easily broken ____Difficulty with courses in my major
____Difficult classes ____Uncertain of academic/career goals
____Difficulty managing time ____Unsure of interests, skills, & abilities
____Too heavy a course load ____Unsure of major
____Unable to understand course materials ____Other:________________________
____Unsure how to study
____Other:_________________________ Personal Issues
____Balancing school, work and/or family
Family/Social Adjustment ____Financial difficulties
____Adjustment to U of M and/or USA ____Illness, health problems
____Connections with other students ____Lack of motivation, burnout
____Home or family problems ____Pressure, stress, tension, anxiety
____Housing/roommate issues ____Social distractions
____Separation from friends, family, home ____Substance abuse
____Other: _________________________ ____Other:_______________________

Page | 1
 Honest Self-Assessment
However great our difficulties, there is always some degree of control that we have over the outcomes. This
worksheet is a place to sort out what was out of your control and what, in hindsight, you could have done
differently over the past semester.

Outside My Control Inside My Control

My ideas for next semester including changes I have already made:

Goals Setting and Action Plan

In the space below list three goals for next semester. You should also list specific actions needed to achieve
these goals. Reflecting on challenges and strengths, your goals can be related to academic success strategies,
career planning and exploration, and/or personal issues. To make the most of this process, draft goals that
follow the “SMART” goal setting guidelines.

SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely

1. Specific Goal:

Action Steps:

2. Specific Goal:

Action Steps:

3. Specific Goal:

Action Steps:

Page | 2