Setting SMART Goals

Finals season is quickly approaching, and this is the perfect time to set yourself up for success.
Setting SMART goals now will be extremely beneficial overall, and especially with passing your
final exams. SMART goals can orient you in the right direction to be prepared, productive and
successful as a student. When setting up goals, determine what kind of goal you will best suit
your needs, whether it be a long-term goal or a short term one. This can demonstrate to you the
amount of time and effort you need to dedicate to the goal in order to reach it. SMART goals are
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and also Time-Bound. When creating a goal based
on this criterion, make sure it is specific, and lays out exactly what the goal is and what you wish
to achieve. For example, a goal like “I will achieve a 4.0 GPA this semester” is specific and lays
out exactly what the goal is. The goals must also be measurable, in this case the goal will be
broken down into measurable parts that can be attained, for example “I will study 3 hours a
week for each of my classes to get A’s on all my tests.” This shows the measurability of the goal
because the study times can be measured and helps to achieve your overall goal. The goals
you set must also be attainable, in the sense that it is not too grand and impossible, but it is
challenging yet attainable. You must know yourself and your abilities when creating these goals,
as to not create goals that are much too challenging and will end in failure, but goals that will
allow you to challenge yourself and achieve something worthwhile. Additionally, the goal you set
must be relevant to you. You must ask yourself why you are striving to achieve this goal and
why it is important to you. What will happen when you achieve this goal? Lastly your goal must
have a time-bound aspect to it. Setting a specific time to achieve this goal can give you a sense
of accountability to work hard towards your goal. Having this specific aspect will also help keep
you on track. You must make sure to perfectly outline the start time to end time of this goal, to
show you the full timeline of what you need to accomplish.