Goal Setting

Students who set specific goals are more likely to succeed than those who don’t. It is important to have a destination in mind, build some sort of road, and start walking! 

 
The below works for small goals and big ones too! A big goal would be “Completing my degree.” A small goal would be “Read Chapter 1 for psychology.” I did not intend for that rhyme.

 
The point of working SMART is to break everything down into short-range, mid-range, and long-range steps.
 
Specific – What exactly do you hope to achieve? 
Meaningful – This achievement has meaning to you
Actionable – The steps you will take to reach this achievement are clear and specific
Realistic – With time and effort, you stand a good chance of succeeding
Time – This achievement has a deadline, and the steps are planned with good time management  skills

 
For example:

Specific – My goal is to achieve an A in all my history classes by spending 25 hours/week on my  schoolwork outside of class
  
Meaningful – Getting an A in all my history classes will allow me to qualify for the AWESOME  STUDENT AWARD. My mother will be proud

Actionable – I will achieve these A’s by attending all my classes, taking good notes, doing the  assigned readings, and studying in advance of tests and exams. Employing all these  wonderful skills I learned from my learning strategist!

Realistic – Achieving A’s in my history classes is possible because I don’t have a part time job, and  my other classes are manageable. I will also utilize the writing and learning resources STU  has to offer

Time – I will make a study schedule and identify all the tasks I need to do weekly, and when I need  to have them completed
 
When you fulfill your goals, you will feel accomplished and satisfied. When you feel accomplished and satisfied, you will want to set more goals and meet them as well. Win, win, win.

Use the SMART Handout to plan your goals now!