School can be overwhelming. You've got class after class, assignment after assignment, and it all just keeps piling up! What's worse is that you have to get through years of this...
How do you manage it all?
Sometimes just setting manageable academic goals can make a huge difference.
Telling Short Term from Long Term
First, think about what counts as short-term and what counts as long-term.
Short-term goals include:
Study this weekend
Finish my essay
Ace this test
Long-term goals include:
Get an A average this semester
Graduate with honours
Use my degree to get a job
If it takes more than a couple of weeks to complete, it's probably long-term.
Whether setting short-term or long-term academic goals, follow the SMART pattern to make them manageable.
S: Specific
S means the goal should be specific. A specific goal should be like hitting a bullseye.
Specific academic goals are things like:
Finish my essay by Friday morning
Complete 5 courses by the end of this semester
Complete 2 practice tests tonight
Goals that are NOT specific are things like:
Finish my essay
Graduate on time
Get ready for the test
Quiz
What's a good example of a specific goal?
M: Measurable
M means you can measure the goal. There's some concrete result that you will have when you're done.
A goal that's not measurable would be a goal like:
Finish my essay by Friday morning
That is specific but not measurable. You want a goal that's both.
Measurable academic goals are things like:
Write 200 words of my essay each day until Friday
Take a page of notes on Chapter 3 after I've read it tonight
Maintain an A- average
Quiz
What is an example of a measurable goal?
A & R: Achievable and Realistic
The A and the R stand for achievable and realistic, meaning a goal that you can actually do! This will be different for everyone. You know your strengths and weaknesses best, but don't bite off more than you can chew!
The goals listed above under "Measurable" are all achievable for most people. Here are some academic goals that might NOT be achievable or realistic:
Get an A+ on each assignment
Take extra courses and finish my degree in 3 years
Study for 10 hours a day
This will depend on your personal situation, so do some self-reflection!
T: Timely
T stands for timely. A goal is timely if it has a time limit. It's not very useful to set great goals for finishing your lab report if you submit it late!
Keep in mind the other parts of SMART when determining a time frame. Don't be unrealistic or too broad.
Timely academic goals are things like:
Finish my essay by Sunday
Study for 2 hours tonight
Spend a half hour on this lab report each day this week
Quiz
Can you spot the goal from the examples above that is NOT timely?
Take Action
I hope you're feeling SMARTer!
To set the right academic goals for you:
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