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Lou Tice of
the Pacific Institute describes humans as teleological beings; that
is, beings who “think in terms of purpose” and who must
have goals in order to thrive and survive. Survival in the academic
world certainly requires purposeful goal setting, but many students
need assistance in the process of setting goals and achieving them.
Here are some tips to help students set and achieve their academic goals:
- The student should set goals based upon his own dreams
and desires. Each goal should be ambitious, specific,
reasonable, attainable, and detailed. The goal and the plan for attaining
that goal must be written down, with a timeline for
attaining the goal. A sample goal might be “I will graduate
from XYZ College with a 3.0 average in May, 2009.”
- Referring to the written list of dreams/goals that the
student has provided, have the student identify possible barriers
to achieving those goals, based on where he is now. Have
the student ask himself, ”What keeps me (or might keep me) from
achieving my goal? “ The student might consider the feedback
he has already received from others (teachers, parents, friends) in
answering this question. Perhaps the student has a tendency to procrastinate,
or he has a 2.2 GPA at the end of his freshman year because he nearly
failed his required math course and wishes to graduate with a 3.0.
Students with known barriers must take extra steps to ensure that
they meet their goals. The procrastinator may need to plan multiple
opportunities for extra help from a learning assistance professional
in organizing himself or in adjusting his attitude toward academic
work. The student who struggled to pass his freshman math course and
who now aspires to graduate with a 3.0 he might add a sub-goal of
“find a math tutor” or “take a remedial math course”
as a sub-goal, before he attempts any further math courses.
- Each main goal will incorporate a number of sub-goals.
A goal of graduation will contain sub-goals naming specific courses
to be completed, for example. Like the main goals, the sub-goals should
be WRITTEN DOWN as well, with a timeline for completion. Outline form
is ideal for doing this:
Example: Steve’s goal: To graduate from XYZ University with a
3.0 GPA in spring 2010
Possible barriers to that goal: Steve is finishing his freshman year
with a 2.2 GPA, he struggles in math, he has to work 20 hours per week,
etc.
Example Outline:
I. Goal: to graduate from XYZ University with a 3.0 GPA in spring,
2010
Example sub-goals:
A. Meet with an academic counselor to figure out which courses he must
take in each subsequent semester so he can graduate on time, figure
out what grades he must earn in each course in order to make up the
current GPA deficit by graduation, etc
Steps to take to meet the sub-goal
1. With his schedule/calendar in hand, student should make the appointment,
write it in the appropriate time block in the planner (calendar, PDA,
Outlook, etc.) and plan to keep it
2. Take appropriate paperwork to the meeting with the counselor, including
any questions the student might have, written down in a list
so he doesn’t forget to ask!
3. Make a follow-up appointment with the academic counselor and/or a
learning assistance professional, as necessary
- Note that to achieve each sub-goal, the student must
complete a certain number of tasks, or steps. For example,
if the sub-goal is to pass Math 201 with a 3.0 (B) grade, the steps
to achieve that sub-goal might be (a) earn at least a 3.0 (B) on each
quiz, (b) earn at least a 3.0 on each test, (c)) attend class every
day, and (d) complete all homework assignments. [Adjustments can be
made if necessary. If the student earns a 2.0 (C) on a quiz, he knows
he must earn a 4.0 (A) on the next quiz to ensure a 3.0 by the end
of the course.] The steps should also be WRITTEN DOWN. It’s
good to tell the student that writing down goals is his commitment,
or contract, to himself to meet those goals. Written goals, kept close
at hand, also provide a reference for the student, who can look at
his goals when he feels distracted from them to help himself get back
on track.
- Now comes the hard part: the part where the student
has to DO something every day to achieve those sub-goals. To
complete all homework assignments, the student must commit a certain
block of time for doing it, every day. To earn a 3.0 on a test, the
student must commit a certain number of hours to studying, for example,
or he might plan visits to the learning center for assistance. All
of these tasks should be written in a student’s planner as commitments.
Then the student has to follow through on his commitment. The learning
assistance professional can help the student remain accountable by
checking up on him frequently.
- To help the student keep his goals in the forefront
of his mind, have him post his goal plan near his desk, and stick
post-its all over his room, or anyplace else where he can see them
often, with the desired test scores, graduation date, etc., written
on them. This is a technique used by the Olympic runner
Kevin Young. Young wrote his desired 400-meter race performance time,
46:87, all over his house and in the locker room so that he would
remain focused on his goal. He actually surpassed his personal goal
time and set a new world record of 46:78 in the 1992 Olympics, and
when interviewed on television afterward, Young described how writing
down his goal helped him to achieve it—and more.
- A goals plan can and should be modified and periodically
updated. In addition, the student should share his plan with others
who can help him stay on track and help him to achieve his dream.
Reference
Nadeau-Schaff, Michelle (2005). RS101 Student Success Course Guide.
West Point,
New York: United States Military Academy.
Tice, Lou (November 16, 2006). The Winner’s Circle: The Importance
of Goals,”
Accessible at http://mailman.wolfe.net/pipermail/wcn/2006-November/000891.html
Questions or comments? Contact the author at edpelkey@juno.com.
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