Student Goal Setting TipsHome » Study Skills » Student Goal Setting TipsBy Jonathan EqarTo spend time effectively, students must learn how to set effective and meaningful goals. With a good goal it can help a student focus on achieving great academic results and be successful in other areas of life. 1. Review the various types of student goals.This is important because there are many goals that can contribute to academic achievement.Areas and types of goals include social, community, emotional, academic, and even physical goals. An effective plan starts with clarification about the types of goals. 2. Students should brainstorm and think about which type of goal is a priority for that particular student.One student might have the personal goal of studying 15 minutes more per night in math while another student might decide to have a community goal of working on a school project to help feed homeless families.An effective plan is individualized and fits the specific students' needs 3. Once students understand the difference between various types of goals, focus on a very specific goal with easily measurable results.If a student wants to study more often, study time can be recorded in a notebook, along with the student's feedback.Confidence is boosted as small goals are met and this may give students the incentive to achieve more. 4. Help the students find clear ways of keeping track of goals.Worksheets could be very simple, with the goal noted at the top and then a daily list of steps taken to achieve that goal.Seeing results in writing can help students measure progress and results. If a student wants to eat more fruit, a picture of each type of fruit could be at the top of the sheet, with space to fill in each day's fruit consumption. If students want to read more, time spent reading could be noted. 5. Have a back-up plan for setbacks and bumps in the road.While reaching a goal is important, remind students that there may be more than one way to get there.If a student has decided to wake up early and exercise or study before school but can't get out of bed easily, the goal could be revised, perhaps by changing the time of day to work out or study. Remind students that setbacks are not failures. They are learning opportunities and a part of life. 6. Teach the student how to access school resources for setting goals.Tutors, student assistants, and learning centers in the school can all be part of a student goal setting plan.Staff in these areas can often help suggest alternate ways that students can achieve a specific goal or even have extra information to help students find research material or other information for school projects. Teachers and others can be vital parts of a successful student goal setting plan. 7. Make sure the students have a set time frame for achieving tasks.If a student wants to complete homework assignments every night but is only able to meet this goal three times a week, try to determine a measurable goal and time frame for improvement.At the end of that time period (a month, a few weeks, etc), the goal plan can be tweaked. 8. Help the student decide what meets the standards for meeting the goal.What is the ultimate finishing point - whether it is completing a book or simply reaching a certain percentage of completed tasks? Of course, reaching one goal could be reason enough to set another one but students feel good about improvement that is clearly noted.If rewards are to be a part of the system, be clear about that, too. « Return to Goal Setting Main Page from Student Goal Setting Tips Useful Student Goal Setting ResourceGoal Setting Worksheet for StudentsGoal setting templates to help students to set their goals
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