Page 69 - Keys to College Success

To support your goal of regularly meeting with your study partners, you might set
the following short-term goals:
■ By the end of today. Text or email my study partners to ask them when they can meet.
■ One week from now. Schedule each of our weekly meetings for this month.
■ Two weeks from now. Hold our first meeting.
■ Three weeks from now. Type and distribute notes; have second meeting.
These short-term goals might not seem risky to you. However, any action that
requires energy and subjects your work to scrutiny is a risk. You can break down goals
into parts of any size that work for you. The smallest ways in which you “put yourself
out there” can lead, step by step, to the greatest rewards.

The SMART Goal-Achievement System

Use the SMART system to make rewarding long-term goals concrete and increase your
chances of achieving them. SMART is an acronym for a five-part system that makes sure
your goals are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and attached to a Time frame.
■ Specific. Make your goal concrete by using as many details as possible. Focus on
behaviors and events that are under your control and map out specific steps that
will get you there.
■ Measurable. Define your goal in measurable way, and set up a progress evalua-
tion system such as keeping a journal, setting an alarm on your phone or com-
puter, or reporting to a friend.
■ Achievable. Determine whether the goal aligns with your interests and values.
MAJOR or CONCENTRATION Then, reflect on whether you have the skills or resources needed. If you’re missing
something, plan out how to get it.
An academic subject
area chosen as a field of ■ Realistic. Make sure your risks are reasonable and calculated. Create deadlines
specialization, requiring a
that will help you stay on track without making you feel rushed. Avoid the strug-
specific course of study.
gle of a timeline that is too short.
■ Time frame linked. All goals need a time frame so you have something to work
toward. If a goal is “a dream with a deadline,” then without the deadline, your
goal is only a dream (and may have only a dream’s chance of
coming to fruition).

Key 2.2 illustrates how to apply SMART goal setting to an
important goal that nearly every college student needs to achieve:
declaring a major or concentration (for the sake of simplicity, the
term “major” will appear in this text).
Anyone can set a goal, of course. The real risk is in working
toward it, and the real reward is in accomplishing it. Follow these
steps, noting where your SMART system actions fit in.
■ Step 1: Define an achievable, realistic goal. What do you want?
Write out a clear description.
■ Step 2: Define an action plan. How will you get there? Brainstorm
different paths. Choose one; then map out its steps. Break a long-
term goal into short-term subgoals.
■ Step 3: Link your goal to a time frame. When do you want to
accomplish your goal? Define a realistic time frame. Create specific
deadlines for each step on the path.
■ Step 4: Identify resources and support. What and who will keep
you on track? Use helpful websites or apps. Find people who will
push you in a supportive way.
■ Step 5: Be accountable. How will you assess your progress? Cre-
ate a system to measure how you move toward your goal, keeping
your time frame in mind.
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