Whenever you undertake a course of study there are obviously some things that you want to achieve: these are often called goals. Goals can be divided into
ultimate, long-term and short-term:
- Your ultimate goal represents the end point of the course of study i.e. “I want to obtain a Bachelor of Arts.”
- Your long-term goals represent the significant milestones on the way to the ultimate goal i.e. “I need to pass English 101, 201 and 301.”
- Your short-terms goals represent clearly definable things that you need to do to achieve your milestones i.e. “I need to complete my paper on Shakespeare’s use of analogy.”
There is an old saying that states that: “
Those who aim at nothing hit it every time!” It is therefore very important that you clearly define your goals. In addition to this you should also attach a clear time frame to their accomplishment. You can do this by applying the two W’s of goal setting, they are:
- What I will do (Finish a paper, prepare for a class)
- When I will do it (15 September)
You can further clarify your goals by keeping the following in mind:
- Your goals should be realistic. You should always set goals in line with the available time and with your skills and abilities. “Learn 50 new French words by Friday” is a realistic goal for most people; “Be fluent in French by next Friday” is not!
- Your goals should be flexible. Change is one of the few constants in life. You should therefore define your goals in such a way that it can easily be changed if necessary.
- Your goals should be measurable. Make sure that you define your goals in such a way that you can measure your progress and recognise their accomplishment.
- The accomplishment of your goals should, as far as possible, be under your own control. It may sometimes be the case that you are working as part of a group. In a case like this you should stick to only setting individual goals for your part of the project. The overall project goals will have to be decided in consultation with the rest of the group.
The skill of effective goal setting (and accomplishing those goals!) is one of the most important study skills that you can ever acquire. Make sure that you work at developing it at every opportunity!