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9 10 Academic Goals Examples to Supercharge Your Student Success

Becoming a successful student involves more than just going to classes and remembering facts for the test. It is about establishing a mentality of learning and evolving continuously, and distinct academic goals are a key aspect of that. These are the lights that lead the way and help you stay on track as you navigate through the trials and tribulations of your studies, whether it’s the demands of testing or the stuff that life throws at you. But, just as importantly, by clearly defining and outlining your academic objectives, you give your study a sense of intention and purpose. Whether it’s achieving a particular GPA, mastering a challenging topic, or participating in enriching extracurricular, strong academic Goals are the foundation of both short- and long-term academic success.  

Establishing concrete goals and the quest of excellence are frequently linked in the academic sphere. Before delving into these Academic Goals Examples, it is important to recognize services like Scholarly Help that provide workable ways to handle several Tasks. With options like pay someone to do my online class , Scholarly Help ensures you stay on track without compromising other responsibilities. This comprehensive guide explores ten powerful academic goals examples designed to elevate your student success to unprecedented heights. Whether your academic goals are designed to improve your critical thinking habits, advance your time management skills, or explore interdisciplinary thinking to further your academic career, they should provide students with a path toward overall intellectual and personal development. Rounding up different students through carefully structured college academic goals. All must necessarily form the basis of individual reality and opportunities.

Mastering Time Management

One of the building blocks for academic achievement is the effective management of time. The ability allows students to combine studies with other activities, namely work, daily life, or personal life. To manage time effectively, learners are recommended to:

• Plan a Weekly Schedule: set certain hours and days to work, study, and engage in other activities; 
• Set Priorities: determine poses that are urgent and important, then focus on a solution; 
• Do not Get Distracted: if some activities or processes are distracting, generate disadvantages.

Enhancing Study Skills

Improving study abilities might result in better comprehension and recall of course material. Students should focus on:

• Active Learning Techniques: Engage with the material such as holding discussions, teaching others, and transforming what one learned to real-life application. 
• Effective Note-Taking: Employ methods like Cornell Note-taking System to organize and refresh notes. 
• Regular Review Sessions: Set regular study dates to refresh one’s memory and prepare for exams.

Setting Specific Academic Targets

Setting clear, specific targets helps students stay motivated and measure progress. Examples of specific academic goals include:

• Achieve Specific GPA:   Aim to reach or maintain a specific grade point average each semester.
• Improving Grades in Challenging Subjects: Identify subjects where improvement is needed and set goals accordingly.
• Completing Assignments Ahead of Deadlines: Plan to finish assignments before the due date to allow time for revisions.

Expanding Knowledge beyond the Classroom

Gaining knowledge outside the classroom can enhance academic performance and provide a broader perspective. Students can achieve this by:

• Reading Extensively: Explore Books, Journals, and articles related to their field of Study.
• Attending Seminars and Workshops: Participate in events offering additional insights and networking opportunities.
• Engaging in Research Projects: Collaborate with professors or peers on research projects to deepen understanding of specific topics.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is vital for problem-solving and making informed decisions. Students can cultivate these skills by:

• Questioning Assumptions: Always ask why and consider alternative viewpoints.
• Analyzing Arguments: Evaluate the evidence and logic in different arguments.
• Reflecting on Learning: Regularly review what has been learned and how it applies to real-world situations.

Building Effective Communication Skills

Strong communication skills are essential for academic and professional success. Students can enhance these skills by:

• Participating in Class Discussions: Engage actively in discussions to practice articulating thoughts clearly.
• Writing Regularly: Practice writing essays, reports, and articles to improve writing abilities.
• Presenting Projects: Take opportunities to present work in front of an audience to build confidence and clarity.

Fostering Collaboration and Teamwork

Collaboration with peers can lead to better understanding and innovative solutions. Students should focus on:

• Joining Study Groups: Collaborate with classmates to discuss topics and solve problems together.
• Participating in Group Projects: Develop teamwork and leadership skills by working on group assignments.
• Engaging in Extracurricular Activities: Join clubs and organizations that encourage teamwork and collective problem-solving.

Seeking Feedback and Continuous Improvement

Constructive feedback helps identify areas for improvement and guide academic growth. Students should:

• Ask for Feedback: Request feedback from professors and peers on assignments and presentations.
• Reflect on Criticism: Use feedback to identify strengths and weaknesses, developing action plans for improvement.
• Commit to Lifelong Learning: Embrace continuous learning and improvement in all aspects of life.

Utilizing Academic Resources

Taking full advantage of available academic resources can enhance learning and performance. Students should:

• Visit the Library Regularly: Utilize resources for research and study.
• Use Online Databases: Access academic journals and articles online to support studies.
• Seek Academic Support Services: Utilize tutoring, writing centers, and academic advising offered by the institution.

Preparing for Future Careers with Academic Goals

Setting academic goals with future careers in mind provides direction and motivation. Students should:

• Identify Career Goals: Determine career aspirations and align academic goals accordingly.
• Gain Relevant Experience: Pursue internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer opportunities related to the field of study.
• Develop Professional Skills: Focus on skills like resume writing, interviewing, and networking to prepare for the job market.

Setting and meeting academic goals necessitates dedication, strategic planning, and consistent effort. By focusing on these ten academic goal examples, students can improve their learning experience, and performance, and set themselves up for future success. Remember that the key to academic success is to set specific, attainable goals and work hard to meet them.

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9 Best Educational Goal Examples for Students & Teachers

Why do educational goals matter, 5 educational goal examples for students, 4 educational goal examples for teachers , just set goals.

Goals are essential to achieving excellence in your life. In the academic framework, goals are crucial for both teachers and students. 

Students need to set educational goals to ensure that they can achieve specific skills, attributes, and knowledge after a significant time. Similarly, teachers need to set educational goals to raise learning standards in their classrooms and boost their careers.

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Without proper goals, teachers and students cannot achieve the desired academic skills. This guide will share excellent educational goal examples to enrich the academic experience. 

Educational goals define your aspirations and desires to achieve certain skills after completing a course. For educators and students, goals are important tools to measure their performance and efforts. When you have a clear goal in your mind, you can take adequate steps to achieve it.

Besides this, having educational goals can help to:

1. Explore New Options

When you have well-defined goals, you can find new options to achieve them. Suppose your goal is to learn advanced math by the end of the academic year. In that case, you can try different math activities to improve your problem-solving and logical skills like games, visual lessons, etc. 

2. More Focused Approach 

With well-structured goals, you get more focused on achieving them. You can understand your weaknesses and strengths better. This way, you can find dedication and passion for achieving your most challenging goals.

3. Zeal to Move Forward

When students have reasonable goals, they will feel energetic and motivated to achieve them. They don’t just attend classes because they have to. They go to their class with the motivation to learn something new, which will help them to achieve their academic goals. 

4. Progress Meters 

Goals are progress meters. With preset goals, teachers and students measure their performance and ensure they are on the right track to achieve their goals. However, if results are unexpected, students/teachers can alter strategies to accomplish them. 

Students should set educational goals to expand their knowledge base and excel academically. With goals, students get motivation and drive to attain challenging academic goals. Here are some educational goal examples for students:

1. Stay Positive

A positive mindset is vital for students to obtain their goals. With a calm and relaxed mind, you can set realistic educational goals for yourself. For example, if you want to improve your reading skills, you should approach reading with a positive attitude. This way, you can explore new options to develop your reading skills.

2. Be Resilient 

It is not easy to achieve your goals. You will receive many challenges and disheartening comments from your peers, teachers, and family while chasing your goals. But, it would help if you did not let all these hardships impact your objectives. You should be resilient in your approach and move forward with full zeal to obtain your educational goals.

3. Set Realistic Goals

It is good to set challenging goals. But don’t set too high or unrealistic goals that are beyond your limits. For example, if you set a target to obtain 90% marks in your exams and you have only one month to prepare, it is an unrealistic goal, especially when you have nothing prepared yet. 

Therefore, you should consider your academic level and other circumstances while setting your goals. When you fail to achieve your goals, it will only depress you in the end.

4. Be Patient 

Learning is not easy. You will often feel like giving up and forgetting all about your academic goals. You might not understand a concept that your teacher has taught in the class. You might feel pressure when your friends answer the question on the first attempt.

But it would help if you did not lose your patience. If you don’t understand a lesson, you should ask your teacher to repeat it. You can also get help from outside your school, like parents, educational apps, etc. 

5. Don’t Overwork

All work, no play can make you a dull person. Therefore, you should not spend your entire day focusing on your goals. Instead, take some time to do something else, like going out with friends or participating in art activities. Taking a few minutes breaks will not impact your goals. In fact, it will relax your mind, and you can accomplish your goals with a fresh perspective.

Like students, teachers should also set goals for themselves and their students. For example, teachers should set goals for better performance, excellence, and improvement in their teaching skills. Here are some excellent educational goal examples for teachers:

1. Strength Teaching Skills

No teacher is perfect. There is always room for improvement. Thus, teachers should make it their goal to expand their knowledge and improve their teaching skills. They should stay updated with the latest technologies and adopt new teaching methods to help their students. 

2. Classroom Goals

Teachers can also set classroom management goals for themselves. For example, they can set a goal to improve the overall grade level in their class. For this, they must improve their communication skills to understand each student’s zone of proximal development . This, in turn, will help teachers to set curricula for individual students and achieve their goals.

3. Professional Goals

Setting professional goals is essential for teachers to stand higher in a pedagogy. They must brush up on their teaching skills, experiment with new teaching theories, and learn from other teachers. If you want to go ahead in your teaching career, you need to have some professional goals in your life.

4. Understand Your Weaknesses 

Every teacher has some weaknesses. Even a highly experienced and qualified teacher has weak points. Thus, it would help if you made it your mission to understand your weaknesses and improve them. 

For example, if you find it hard to deal with young children, you should often engage with preschoolers and try innovative methods to interact with them. It might take some time to overcome your weaknesses, but nothing is unachievable in this world if you use patience and resilience.

It doesn’t matter whether you set short-term or long-term goals, just setting goals is important. Educational goals will drive you to learn and improve your career. 

Therefore, for teachers and students, it is vital to set educational goals for themselves. We have shared some fantastic educational goal examples for both teachers and students. I hope you can take inspiration from them to jot down your own goals.

What benefits can a student gain by setting goals?

By setting goals, students can get a clear vision to improve their academic performance. They get confidence, motivation, and dedication to achieve their goals despite hardships. Students gain the energy to learn new things and explore new methods to obtain their educational goals.

What benefits can a teacher gain by setting goals?

Setting goals will help teachers provide better training to their students and grow their careers. In addition, teachers can improve their teaching skills and enhance their knowledge with the educational goals by learning new technologies and teaching methods.

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How student-driven goals make learning more meaningful

Chase Nordengren

January 12, 2022.

The increase in conversations about how to serve the overall needs of students, including their social and emotional needs, is one of the silver linings of education during the pandemic.

While the energy around what’s often called “social-emotional learning” has been growing in education circles for some time, the pandemic has required us to think more deeply and more comprehensively about how the outside world can impact all students’ ability to learn.

With this added focus, however, comes a different danger: the danger of painting all students with a broad brush, assuming one single curriculum or set of supports can meet a variety of different learning needs.

Educators will need to bring a whole toolbox to bear to support students who come out of this pandemic with a variety of hardships, needs and abilities.

One tool in that toolbox is student goal setting.

In goal setting, students and teachers work together to set meaningful short-term targets for learning, monitor students’ progress toward those targets, and adjust students’ learning strategies to better meet those goals. While goals can provide many well-documented academic benefits, they can also serve a critical role in student well-being: providing the sense of meaning and belonging students need to fully engage.

Finding the energy and focus necessary to learn can be hard during any period, but it is harder now for many students who are experiencing irregular school schedules, struggling with economic problems at home or worrying about their own health or the health of their families.

Academic resilience — our ability to see ourselves as capable of learning after hardships like these — is not a fixed quality. Instead, it depends on what we’re being asked to learn and the attitudes we’re being encouraged to have about that learning. Goal setting gives teachers a framework that lets them communicate what students are focused on, how they’ll achieve that objective and why that objective should matter.

Students are most motivated by goals that are both attainable and relevant to them.

Attainability is crucial to resilience: No one should be repeatedly asked to achieve something they’re unlikely to achieve because they will get discouraged when they don’t see success. Equally important, however, is finding learning that is relevant to students’ interests: the subjects they care about, the kinds of work they like to do or the types of people they want to become. In fact, attainability and relevance go hand in hand: Students are capable of achieving more when content is tailored specifically to them .

One of the easiest ways to make goals relevant for students is to provide them ample opportunities for choice.

Too often, a student’s goals are driven exclusively by algorithms, focused just on long-term improvement on test scores for themselves or a full class.

There’s nothing wrong with these goals in and of themselves. However, to motivate students to achieve those goals, they also need short-term goals that describe the day-to-day work they’ll do to build toward academic proficiency. These choices shouldn’t just be about the group a student is in: They should be authentic opportunities to pick what they will focus on  within the broader area of work being done by the whole class.

Goal setting doesn’t look the same from teacher to teacher or even student to student. There are a variety of approaches educators can take to setting goals, many of which have tremendous merit. One thing these effective strategies share in common is that they provide teachers the time to understand a student’s unique needs. Frequent interaction with students around their goals allows teachers to serve as mentors, working directly with each student on a set of goals that are attainable, related to their interests and provide meaning.

Another critical element to effective goals is building student autonomy. The most important part of students’ well-being in school is their sense of well-being as learners — whether they feel they have a role to play in a community of learning.

School has historically not been a place where students feel in control. During the pandemic, students have lost control of the rest of their lives: who they spend time with, what activities they get to engage in, where they can go and what they can do there.

Involving students in goal setting and tailoring their goals to their interests and individual needs can help students feel more connected to meaningful learning. This student-driven approach provides an opportunity to bring choices back to learning in ways that help empower students to feel they belong with each other and are capable, creative scholars.

Chase Nordengren, Ph.D. , is a senior research scientist at NWEA, a not-for-profit organization that creates assessments for school districts and author of Step Into Student Goal Setting: A Path to Growth, Motivation, and Agency .

The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our  guidelines  and  contact us .

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The Many Purposes of Education

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Each individual teacher has an opinion about what the core purpose of education should be, not only in their own classroom but also in school in general. Many issues occur when differing opinions about the purpose of education collide. It is important to recognize that other people, including many of your coworkers, administrators, and your students' parents might have a different point of view concerning what education should be all about.

Knowledge to Get By

Imbuing students with the knowledge to get by is an old-school belief. It's the idea that schools need to provide students with the knowledge they need to be functional adults in their day-to-day lives. They need to know how to read, write , and do arithmetic. These are the  core topics that form the foundation of a student's education.

Knowledge of Subject Matter Being Taught

The purpose of education to some teachers is to impart knowledge about the subject matter they are teaching without much thought to other classes. While it's important for students to have a firm grasp of each subject, this can sometimes be problematic. When taken to the extreme, these teachers focus on their own subject matter as being more important than what students are learning in other classes. For example, teachers who are unwilling to compromise their own subject matter for the good of the students can cause problems for the school by not being open to cross-curricular activities.

Creating Thoughtful Citizens

The desire to create thoughtful adults might be considered another old-school belief. However, this is held by many individuals, especially within the larger community. Students will someday be a part of a community and need the skills to exist within that society as thoughtful citizens. For example, they will need to be able to vote in presidential elections .

Self Esteem and Confidence

While the self-esteem movement often gets ridiculed, we do want our students to feel confident about their learning abilities. This way, they not only have a firm grasp on each subject but also the confidence to apply that knowledge in everyday life. It's important to nurture a strong balance between encouraging good self-esteem and assuaging unrealistic goals. 

Learn How to Learn

Learning how to learn is one of the key elements of education. Schools need to teach students how to find the information they will need once they leave school. Therefore it is important for future success that the students understand how to find answers to any questions and problems that might arise.

Lifelong Habits for Work

Many of the lessons that schools teach are necessary for success in their students' future lives. As adults, they will need to be able to get to work on time, dress and behave appropriately, and get their work done in a timely manner. These lessons are reinforced on a daily basis in schools around the nation.

Teach Students How to Live

Finally, some individuals look at school in a more holistic manner. Not only do students learn information from their individual subjects, but they also learn life lessons in and out of class. Proper work etiquette should be reinforced in the classroom, students need to learn how to deal with others in a cooperative manner, and they must learn how to acquire the information they might need in the future.

One of the things that many business leaders cite as being necessary for future workers is the ability to work as part of a team and problem solve.

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17 Educational Goals Examples & Ideas for Students in 2024

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As a student, the best way to ensure a successful 2024 is to define and set your educational goals … but knowing how to set goals is just a part of it.  First, it’s crucial to understand why goal setting is essential.

Next, you’ll need to decide the types of goals you should establish to realize success. Once you set your goals, you’ve taken the first step to achieve them.

In this article, you’ll find just what you need to make 2023 your year for setting your goals and working towards them. Ultimately, you’ll be setting yourself up for your best life.

Table of Contents

What are Educational Goals?

When you think of educational goals, as a student, you probably think of what you’d like to accomplish as it relates to where you are in your educational journey.  

If you’re early into college, you may or may not have finalized your career goals. Maybe you’re still seeking what career path you’ll choose.

On the other hand, if you’re in your senior year, chances are your goals are more apparent. After all, you’re nearing the end of your journey, about to get your degree in your chosen field. At this point, your educational goals may include a choice between gaining experience in your field and furthering your education via a Master's Degree or Doctorate.

Either way, these educational goals are declarations that refer to the abilities, skills, and qualities you intend to acquire once your academic journey or a part of your journey is complete.

Why Setting Educational Goals is Important

What makes setting educational goals important is where those goals can take you . Think of your future. If you don’t set a goal (or several) driving you to where you want to go, you may fall short or even stray onto another path.

Think about your normal daily activities. Are they bringing you closer or farther away from your goals? If you need a change in your life to reach your educational goals, learning how to set them is the key to your success.

Life isn’t easy. As you travel your educational journey, you’ll find obstacles in your path. And those obstacles may cause you to lose your way without clearly defined goals .

Focusing on a defined target will help you continue your commitment to progressing towards, and ultimately achieving your goals, even if someone tries to talk you out of them.

Goals not only motivate you, but may also ensure you stay the course when the going gets tough . Think of your goals as your map on the road to success .  Or, think of a bull-s eye on a target as being your most important goal. If your aim is sure, you make it. If not, you still come close.

How to Set Educational Goals

You may have heard of SMART goals. They work! When setting educational goals for yourself, remember to be SMART . SMART is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Specific goals are clear, defined, and easy to understand without ambiguity. Measurable means your goals are set so that you can track your progress toward them. Achievable goals are those that, while they may stretch you they are not unreachable. Relevant goals are realistic regarding your purpose, in this case, as they relate to your education. Time-bound means when you set the goal, it is not open-ended and ongoing; you need to have both a start and projected end date.

A well-written educational goal will give you a specific starting point and a defined destination. When you set your educational goals using the SMART method, you’ll set yourself up to find greater success.

Ways to find this success can include:

• Drafting a mission statement – this is a summary of what you plan to accomplish.
• Journaling – can be done with a daily planner to keep you on task with your goals.  Plus, writing down your goals and the steps to get there solidifies them, so they stay top of mind.
• Creating vision boards – also called a dream board, this represents your goals in a visual way, bringing clarity and focus in working towards your educational goals.   

17 Educational Goal Examples

The following is a list of popular and useful educational goal examples. Not all of them will appeal to you, so search and find the ones that do.

Next, define them to precisely mirror your own goals.  Some of the goals listed are short-term , while others are more long-term .

Whichever path (or paths) you choose, you’ll find your goals are not only within sight… but also within reach. After each goal, we’ve included an action plan to help you get started.

1. Raise your GPA (grade point average).

As a student, you realize the value of having a good grade point average. It can help you become eligible to receive financial aid and get into the university of your choice. Raising your GPA can be an ambiguous goal unless you phrase it more specifically.

Action Plan: First, define and then write down the steps you need to take to raise your GPA. Understand what it is currently and what it will take to raise it. You may want to speak with your teachers or professors to gain insight into how you can raise your grades in each class.

2. Improve your test-taking skills.

Learning how to take tests effectively can take you a long way toward success in your educational journey. A good start is to learn how to set yourself up for successful test-taking.

Action Plan: Write down what you intend to do before and during tests, such as mentally preparing, including adequate study, and focusing on keywords in the test questions.

3. Take better notes.

This is a worthy goal to help you learn and do well on tests. Note-taking skills can carry you far toward academic success. The benefits are two-fold: taking notes in class enables you to remember what you’ve heard, and taking notes to review will give you a better comprehension of the material.

How are you taking notes today? Are you taking down everything the professor says? If so, it’s time to think about note-taking differently.

Action Plan: Define what you need to notate. Only take notes on the main points your professor makes. Listen for clues as to the notes you need to study; a professor may indicate if the material will be on a test. Also, underline or highlight the most essential points, and notate any references if you need to look up information regarding a subject.

4. Learn to control your emotions.

This is a goal that will serve you well on your educational journey and beyond. Having the ability to control your emotions can keep you from hurting others’ feelings or embarrassing yourself.

Action Plan : You may have heard the term “emotional intelligence.” The awareness of your emotions would be the first step toward learning to control them. Look at the impact of your feelings in the past. When you feel emotions rising, take a moment to think through the problem and determine the most appropriate action to take rather than letting your initial emotions dictate your actions. For more tips in learning to control your emotions read this article from Healthline . 

5. Schedule time to read.

Readers are leaders, so it’s important to make sure you have time to read. Whether you plan to read fiction for entertainment or nonfiction in your educational field, spending time in books can help broaden your knowledge or enjoy your downtime. Finding it hard to find the time? Read our article with  15 tips to save time each day. 

Action Plan : Set your alarm for a ½ hour earlier and read first thing in the morning. Be sure to have your reading materials nearby for easy access. Anytime you leave your house, be sure to carry a book with you. Get in the habit of reading on the bus, train, or subway.

6. Develop a positive outlook.

If you see the glass half full, as in viewing your circumstances in a positive light versus seeing the glass half empty, it will help you deal better with negative situations. You’ll experience more happiness and joy throughout your educational journey and throughout life.

Action Plan: An easy step is to begin surrounding yourself with positive people. Next, celebrate every small success. Be grateful for the small victories, like each quiz you pass, each time you walk into class on time, and each time you meet one of your goals. Finally, feed your mind with positive affirmations daily.

7. Exercise on schedule.

Working out, walking, and doing aerobic activities can reduce stress and anxiety, which is helpful as you navigate your educational journey. Exercise can also help you sleep better and boost your mood. Here's an article that can help you set your health goals . 

Action Plan: Use a daily planner, either online or in hard copy, to schedule regular exercise. Then, stick to the schedule. Make it a priority as you would any appointment, knowing it is vital for both your physical and mental health as well as helping you meet your educational goals.

8. Eat healthy foods.

Controlling your appetite and choosing to eat a healthy diet will help you have more energy, optimal brain function, and a robust immune system. This can mean you’ll miss fewer days of class to sickness.

Action Plan: If possible, make most of your meals. Eat less fast food and pre-packaged foods. Plan your meals and snacks using a daily planner or app.

9. Attend every class.

You can essentially set yourself up for success when you’re well-armed with the knowledge you need to succeed. The best way to do that is to attend every class and be present “in the moment” to absorb that information.

Action Plan: Set an alarm daily to ensure you get up and out the door with plenty of time to make it to your class. Use a daily planner to keep up with your schedule, and be sure not to overbook yourself. Make attending classes a priority over other activities, no matter how tempting.

10. Stay in touch with close friends and family members.

Keeping in close contact with those that are closest to you can help you stay the path toward your educational goals when the going gets tough. Having a network of supportive friends and/or family members will help you stay on track.

Action Plan : Schedule calls each week. Send periodic emails and texts. Make time for video chats, especially on holidays and special occasions when you can’t be there in person.

11. Earn a degree or certification.

Your educational journey will more than likely culminate in a certificate or a degree from an institution or college. While it takes time, it is well worth earning the cert or diploma as it can help you acquire your dream job and live the life you’ve imagined.

Action Plan: Make a plan, setting a beginning and end date to meet your goal. Start small with incremental goals, making sure you pass your individual classes and stay on course. While you may need to adjust your journey on your way, never lose sight of the end goal. Making a dream board to keep your goals in view may be helpful.

12. Decrease screen time.

Limiting the time you’re focused on a screen for whatever reason can help you meet other goals, such as improving your sleep, decreasing headaches, and giving you the time and focus to tackle any obstacles or problems.

Action Plan: Intentionally limit the time you use screens, whether it’s your cell phone, tablet, computer, or television. Schedule your screen time so you can control it before it controls you.

13. Develop communication skills.

Setting a goal to increase your written and verbal communication skills can take you far in your educational and life goals. Honing your skills in interacting with others can help you become more likable and have fewer misunderstandings.

Clear communication ensures your success with your classmates and your workmates.

Action Plan : Practice your skills with others. You can do this by volunteering or working in customer service industries. Or you may find it helpful to join study groups or a Toastmasters club to learn how to speak in public and fill leadership roles.

14. Find a study buddy.

Some of the best reasons to find someone to share study time with are accountability in showing up, motivation to succeed and making learning enjoyable.

Action Plan: Ask fellow students to gauge their interest in partnering with you. You can have a study buddy from several classes or one dedicated buddy that keeps you motivated to put in study time together. Check out these 7 habits we've put together to help you and your study buddy develop your critical thinking skills. 

15. Limit gaming.

In and of itself, it is not wrong to game until it interferes with the rest of your life, like going to class or creeping into study time. To reach your educational goals, keeping a handle on how many hours a week you spend gaming is crucial. It’s too easy to lose yourself in a game and spend hours that you did not intend to spend online.

Action Plan: For a week, log the hours you spend gaming. This will give you a reasonable frame of reference to begin setting limits. Next, figure out which blocks of time are crucial to meeting your educational goals and re-take that time. It may be helpful to block off time in a daily planner to make sure you stick to the limits you’ve set.

16. Improve memory.

This may be one of the most important gifts you can give yourself on your educational journey and throughout life. When you improve your memory, you’ll stay focused on tasks, become a more efficient learner, and optimize your study time.  

Action Plan: Repetition can help when memorizing information before test time. Not just reading your material several times but reading it aloud can give you a better understanding of it and a better chance of retaining the information. Group pieces of information together that relate to each other. Try using mnemonic devices, which are sentences that help you memorize a sequence of words. An excellent example of this is how music students memorize notes with a mnemonic device like “All Cows Eat Grass” to remember notes A, C, E, and G on the Bass Clef.

17. Submit class requirements on time.

While this may require some discipline, it will undoubtedly pay off. What is interesting about this goal is that you can create individual short-term goals out of it. For instance, when you write it down for yourself, try writing it like this: I will submit my weekly class requirements on time.

Action Plan: Get a daily planner and record your class requirements. When you complete one, check it off. Not only will this give you a sense of accomplishment, but it will also keep you on track and focused on your goal.

Final Thoughts on Educational Goals

The secret to one’s success in reaching their goals lies in beginning the process of setting those goals. An excellent way to start is to write them down.  It makes them seem more real and tangible.

If you need help getting started, check out these printable SMART goal worksheets we've created to get those juices flowing and motivate you to push forward.

Once you have them on paper, you can prioritize them and make a plan on how to achieve them using the tools we’ve outlined here. And by using the educational goal examples in this article as inspiration, I’m confident you will be able to define your goals, and crush them!

And if you want more SMART goal ideas and examples for teachers , be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 15 Teacher Professional Goals Examples
• 10 SMART Goals Examples for an IEP (Individualized Education Program)
• 11 SMART Goals Examples for Special Education Teachers

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

How to Develop Student Learning Goals

In the teacher-centered classrooms of the past, instructors determined what students should learn and then measured their students’ progress against those aims. Today’s students, though, need to learn how to set and develop their own smart learning goals.

More and more of the responsibility for learning rests on the students. Developing curriculum is much more effective when the educator knows the learning outcomes for their students. Teachers can identify and establish learning outcomes, teach students how to set their own goals, and better use them in curriculum development. 

The Anatomy of Impactful Learning Goals

In their simplest form, student learning goals determine what students learn, and setting them allows teachers and learners to focus on the most important educational content.

Goals should be formed using the acronym SMARTER, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely, evaluated, and reviewed. SMARTER goals help students and teachers hone their focus and create fairer assessments than unwritten or undefined expectations do.

When educators teach students to define their learning goals, they start with the question, “What do you want to know by the end of this course?” This question goes a long way toward creating a specific and measurable goal.

Usually, these targets should start with a verb such as “calculate” or “apply.” It’s something the student should be able to do, not just something he or she knows and can regurgitate. Typically, objectives include both lower order skills and higher order ones based on Bloom’s taxonomy. Some examples might include basic knowledge such as “list” or “describe” along with application words such as “contrast” or “critique.”

Learning goals work in a three-tiered structure:

• Activity-level goals: These small goals address outcomes from specific small portions of the course.
• Unit- or topic-level goals: These medium-sized goals focus on general knowledge about a topic within the course.
• Course-level goals: These are larger goals, and they determine what constitutes overall success in the course.

Educators and learners develop the content of the course around each of these three tiers.

Types of Learning Goals

The best learning aims are personal and tailored to the individual learner’s needs, opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses. While setting broad-based ambitions may be easier, it’s not typically as effective as creating focused objectives specific to the student. Some educators call these “personal learning objectives” instead of goals. Personal learning objectives typically include six types of goals, according to an article on Classcraft’s blog .

1. Short-term goals

Unlike goals that a student only achieves by the conclusion of the course, short-term goals give a learner something to celebrate along the way. These work especially well with younger students who may not have the patience or sense of time to understand a 10-week or 18-week goal.

Older learners also appreciate the chance to have some wins along the way, though. An example of a short-term goal for an elementary student might be reading one chapter in a book each night for a week. A short-term goal for a high-schooler might be selecting a college major.

Short-term objectives do not have to focus on academics alone. Student’s near-term aims might be personal, relational, emotional, or professional. Any course can equip students to grow in all those areas in some way. Learners simply need to determine their definition of success in the area they want to achieve in and create steps to get them there. 

2. Long-term goals

Long-term goals are ones that students work toward completing over the course of a semester or even a full school year. Sometimes, several short-term goals can lead toward a long-term goal. In all cases, a long-term goal should include benchmarks and a timeline.

Students and teachers can use the benchmarks to check progress they are making against the progress they expect to make. They can use the timeline to make sure they are staying on target to meet the goal in the agreed-upon timeframe. Long-term learning goals examples for students of any level might be improving a class grade by two letters over the semester. 

3. Work habits

While long-term and short-term goals focus on what information the student learns, work habit goals emphasize how the student learns. The purpose of establishing work habits goals is to help students identify their own areas of weakness and to set benchmarks for improvement. A good work habits goal might have to do with staying on task longer, working independently more often or starting projects earlier.

Using a self-evaluation chart, students can measure their own progress against their anticipated outcomes in this area. A self-assessment checklist can help students divide their ambitions according to theme, phrase them correctly, and then give them three or four options for determining for themselves how well they’re doing.

4. Subject areas

Teachers establish subject area learning objectives according to the textbooks or by aligning with national, state, or district standards. Some educators may tailor these expected outcomes to their unique classes, but in general, subject area goals have to follow previously agreed-upon content recall and skills development.

Students who set subject area goals simply identify a particular subject in which they plan to improve. The challenge with subject area goals lies in creating the SMARTER steps that lead a student to improvement. Learners could select a subject in which they wish to bring up a grade, or they could choose a subject they find particularly interesting in which to advance their level of knowledge.

5. Behavioral goals

Behavioral goals relate to social conduct and behavior management in the classroom. These might include having more patience with peers or being more polite to faculty members. Students and teachers may set these targets privately, or a behavioral goal might apply to the whole class. Often parents can be involved in helping students set, work toward and finally meet behavioral goals.

Like work habits, behavioral goals are often best evaluated by the students themselves, working with resources provided by the teacher. Few students will find the motivation to achieve behavioral goals unless they are intimately involved in setting them and evaluating their own progress against them. 

6. Specific knowledge goals

Students can establish a personal goal related to specific knowledge they want to acquire in a field or subject. This goal could be an addition to any other list of learning goals for students in a course. Learners might even establish specific knowledge goals in pairs or small groups and work on them together. Teachers can help students establish and meet specific knowledge goals by setting aside class time for learners to focus on activities that help them achieve these targets.

Defining the Learning Goal Outcome

How does an educator determine what they want students to know or do by the end of the course?

It’s a big concept, but writing a learning goal can be broken down into a series of actionable steps:

• Determine the most important concepts covered in the course.
• Establish an assessable definition and metric for the concepts.
• Consider what questions a student should be able to answer at the conclusion of the course.
• Determine the most important skills a student should develop and apply.
• Ask how your course will help learners develop those skills.
• Consider any emotional goals for the course. For instance, do you want to create a goal that students learn to love the subject?

One way that educators go through this process is to design their courses backwards. Using this approach, educators start with what they want to learn or what students themselves want to learn. From there, the teacher and student consider the skills needed to achieve this learning goal. At that point, the teacher can determine what content will help develop those skills.

Teachers who establish learning goals create classes where students achieve mastery. Those educators who step beyond that approach and help students set their own learning goals also create lifelong learners.

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30 Realistic Educational Goals And Examples

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Setting educational goals can help you achieve success in your academic career. The best way to do this is to set realistic educational goals that fit your needs and educational timeline. In addition, getting in the habit of setting and meeting goals will help you be successful throughout your career and life.

If you’re a college student or are taking educational courses to improve your skills, we’ll go over what educational goals are, we’ll provide 30 examples of realistic educational goals, as well as some tips for setting these goals.

Key Takeaways

Accomplishing educational goals will enhance your education and expand your skill set.

Educational goals can include anything from joining an extracurricular activity to building a portfolio to taking regular time to relax and unwind.

SMART educational goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

What are educational goals?

30 examples of realistic educational goals, how to make educational goals smart, tips for setting educational goals, realistic educational goals faq.

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Educational goals are defined objectives that you plan to meet in a specified amount of time while studying. Accomplishing educational goals strengthens your overall academic profile and instills helpful skills that you’ll bring to future employment.

The purpose of setting educational goals is to train students to devise a plan of action for goal-setting and improving their knowledge in the field. Achieving educational goals furthers a student’s overall competency.

Educational goals are more than just graduating from a certain school or program — they’re goals that you can work toward while you’re in that school or program that will help you make the most of your time there. Some realistic educational goals include improving your GPA, building good study habits, or joining an extracurricular activity.

Here are 30 educational goals examples:

Improve your GPA. A student’s grade point average is a crucial statistic when applying to higher education or even applying for jobs. Deciding to improve upon your GPA requires taking all classes more seriously and getting higher grades overall. This is one of the most common educational goals throughout a student’s career.

Build good study habits. Building good study habits can help you set the foundation for your educational goals. Good study habits can also help you increase your self-esteem and confidence and help reduce any anxiety about deadlines or tests. A great way to do this is to plan specific times to study and get into a consistent routine.

Build a portfolio . Building a portfolio is important to landing jobs when you’re working towards a career in an industry that relies heavily on examples of talent. Establishing and adding to your portfolio is a great educational goal because it helps you land a position once you’ve graduated.

Join an extracurricular activity. While finding the time to accomplish just our baseline responsibilities can be a stretch, joining an extracurricular activity should still be on your educational bucket list. Joining an extracurricular activity broadens your perspective, gives you valuable skills, and looks great on a resume .

Get a part-time job . Educational goals don’t have to directly involve school at all. Some students need some extra cash to comfortably afford to be a student, and in that case, getting a part-time or online job is a very useful goal.

Be more positive. It’s easy to get down on yourself after receiving a few bad grades or crumbling under university pressure. However, a negative mindset causes ripple effects in your productivity and interpersonal life. Being more positive can be an excellent goal for stressed-out students.

Accomplish a project ahead of time. You may be surprised to find out how great it feels to finish a big project before the due date. Many classes that expect students to finish a large project by the end of the course give enough resources to complete it before it’s due.

Introduce yourself to someone new. It’s hard to get through the long hours of studying for finals and the pressure of graduating on time without friends. Another goal that can improve your school experience and in general life is introducing yourself to someone new. You might just make a friend for life.

Cease a bad habit. Everyone has their own brand of poison when it comes to bad habits, and working on yours can be a great educational goal. Whether you’re smoking, biting your nails, or procrastinating, stopping these behaviors can have a positive effect on your work.

Read an unassigned book. Reading books deepens your knowledge of particular subjects and requires you to stick to it until the end. The clear-cut timeline for finishing a book makes it a good option as an educational goal.

Study for an extra thirty minutes every night. Half an hour doesn’t seem like enough time to accomplish anything grand, but the daily implementation of this study time can significantly improve your school performance.

Get up an hour earlier on weekdays. Committing to waking up an extra hour early every morning sounds like a major drag to most people, but it can strengthen your productivity and make your mornings go a lot smoother. If you put this extra hour to good use, it upgrades your whole day.

Improve your soft skills. Excelling in school is about more than just doing well on assignments and showing up to class. Soft skills contribute to your educational and professional success, as well. Working towards improving a skill, like time management or communication , has major benefits for your academic performance.

Attend an event relevant to your studies. Most industries host events for individuals who work in the field to grow their professional network . Find some in your area and pick the events that are most relevant to the career you’re working towards.

Get an internship . Many students build up their resume and on-the-job abilities through an internship position . While attaining an internship slot is competitive, it’s definitely possible with the right preparation and realistic goal-setting.

Participate in a study abroad semester. Studying for a semester in another country is not only fun but also a rich learning experience.

Build rapport with a teacher in your major. In between taking tests and writing research papers, many students forget to create a meaningful relationship with the professors in their discipline.

Get an article published. Getting an article published is no small feat, but it’s still possible for eager students who want to make their mark on the written world and enhance their resume .

Take a certification course. The best employees and students are the ones who continuously improve their skills. Taking a certification course or free online class takes your abilities in a particular area to the next level and makes for a positive educational goal.

Find time to unwind. This example may go against the fiber of what most people consider useful goals, but it helps your work performance greatly. Everybody needs a break every once in a while. If you’re the kind of person who never stops working, this is a great goal for you.

Start networking . A person’s career advancement relies on the foundation of their professional network . Initiating the educational goal of networking more has a long-term positive impact on your career and supplies you with new opportunities.

Build a website. In 2020, more business took place online than any year prior . Establishing a virtual presence is a good goal for anyone, but especially students who are close to graduation and applying for jobs .

Make a LinkedIn profile . Professional networking websites have made it easier to expand your network and career. Most people who are active in their profession use resources, such as LinkedIn, to connect with others and build working relationships.

Update your resume . Putting effort into crafting your resume and keeping it updated is a productive educational goal because it’s working towards the big picture of your future career. Do some research on what a great resume looks like and edit yours accordingly to stand out in the job application process.

Take an elective class just for fun. Find a course that sounds interesting and take it — even if it has nothing to do with your degree plan. Art, foreign language, or even science classes can be fun ways to add some variety to your schedule and will help you round out your education.

Actively participate in class discussions. Participating in can help you get out of your comfort zone and be a better student. Class discussions are also a great way to get a better understanding of a subject because you get to talk it over with your peers.

Practice time management. There are only so many hours in the day, and managing those hours effectively is the difference between a healthy work-life balance and a continuous hectic scramble of last-minute hand-ins.

Take more effective breaks. Getting stuff done is great and all, but trying to spend 100% of your time completing goals will quickly lead to burnout. Most experts recommend about 10 minutes of break time each hour, but there are plenty of other methods for breaking up your time .

Find a mentor. Having an educational or career mentor is an incredibly valuable thing. And if you’re a college student, you have one of the most unique and special opportunities you’ll have in your life just by having access to the campus staff.

Beyond professors, start to consider who’s in your area that can provide insight into your area of interest. Informational interviews , job-shadowing experiences, and networking events are all chances to meet a more seasoned professional who can provide first-hand advice.

Develop patience to achieve your goals. It takes time to achieve all of your goals so it’s important that you are patient. Taking deep breaths and practicing mindfulness techniques can help you keep your mind clear and focused on your goals.

SMART goals stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Creating these goals can help ensure that your objectives are obtainable within a certain time frame. Here’s how to create your SMART goals:

Specific. Describe exactly what you want to achieve, rather than using vague language. For example, instead of saying “Improve my grades,” write down “Achieve a 3.5 GPA this semester.”

If your goal involves more moving parts, you can also mention the who, where, when, and why of your goal. Who’s help will you need, where will you get this done, and why are you doing it are usually minor questions.

Measurable. Numbers are great because they help answer the question “did I do what I set out to do?” While not all goals can be measured precisely, try to set up your plan with a system in place for tracking progress.

Achievable. Being realistic is key. Goals that are way outside of your reach will almost certainly lead to frustration. And it’s easier to walk away from a goal that’s impossible.

Relevant. Think about the over-arching goals of your educational experience. While it can be hard to know exactly what you want to do with your life when you’re in college (or even when you’re out of it), give some thought to what you hope to gain out of your degree program.

Time-bound. Deadlines keep you accountable to yourself. Time is the second variable, along with whatever unit of measurement or metric you’ve decided is most indicative for tracking the progress of your goal.

Here’s more information about setting SMART goals .

When setting your goals you should first outline a path to success and be realistic about your goals. Here are some more tips to keep in mind when setting educational goals:

Outline a path to success. A mistake that many students make when setting their educational goals is that they are too ambiguous. “Doing better in school” is not a measurable goal, and therefore, it will be impossible to complete or define success. Describe the details of what the goal is and the steps it takes to ultimately accomplish it.

Check-in on a schedule. Achieving an educational goal isn’t as simple as getting from point A to B. In larger goals, specifically, there are often many steps to take before reaching success. Goals like these require checking in on a schedule to see if you’re on track to accomplishing it according to your initial plan.

Be realistic. Setting realistic goals is important because otherwise, you run the risk of wasting time on an objective that’s out of reach. Before committing to an educational goal, assess your skills and time constraints to make sure you won’t be overextending.

Understand that it’s okay for plans to change. Even with a wealth of preparation and a clearly outlined plan, sometimes the unexpected arises. Needing to alter your plans for meeting a goal doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. If anything, it gives you the chance to improve upon an additional skill of problem-solving .

Be open to failure. Although the word failure is the worst-case scenario for most students when setting educational goals, avoid this mindset.

What are SMART goals?

SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Creating SMART goals can help you create concise goals and action steps that will keep you on track.

Why are educational goals important?

Educational goals are important because they allow you to create concrete objectives and steps to achieve them. Setting goals will help you manage your time more effectively and will help make the tasks more manageable.

University of Minnesota – 11 Academic Goals to Set for Success in an Online Class

Southern New Hampshire University – What Are SMART Goals: Examples for Students and Work

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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50 Educational Goals Examples

An educational goal is an objective a person hopes to meet regarding their education. Every student, no matter the grade level, should establish a set of educational goals.

This is especially important for university students because they are fast approaching the point of entering the job market and embarking on a career; hopefully a long and successful career.

The timeline for accomplishing educational goals can be set for an upcoming course, the academic year, or upon graduation.

How to Set Educational Goals

Setting each educational goal should involve writing a statement that identifies the specific skills or area of knowledge a person would like to acquire.

It is important that these statements be very specific. For example, saying that you want to get an “A” in a course is too broad. More detail regarding how to write effective educational goals will be described further below.

Educational goals can also include defining strategies for achieving those objectives. Implementing the right study habits will help ensure those goals are met.

Having a goal isn’t going to help if a person doesn’t know the right steps to accomplish that goal.

Educational Goals Examples

• “…to learn at least 5 techniques for detecting a firewall breach on a company server in my computer programming course.”
• “…to be able to add at least 7 motion dynamics to a graph covered in my data visualization course…. from memory, with no help.”
• “…to study for one hour per day at university. I will be at a desk in the library at 9am each day to do this.”
• “…to find a good tutor to help me through my upcoming course in multiple regression analysis.”
• “…to memorize the APA or Chicago Manual of Style citation formats for: journal articles, books, edited chapters, and websites.”
• “…to learn 5 classroom management techniques for transitions taught in my early childhood education course.”
• “…being able to conduct at least 4 kinds of descriptive statistics for survey data without looking at the manual or asking for help.”
• “…to schedule at least 2 meetings this term with my academic advisor to discuss my career objectives after graduation.”
• “…to get involved in at least one research project conducted by one of my professors, starting at the beginning of the upcoming academic year.”
• “…I will set my mind on presenting at least one research paper at an undergraduate academic conference within the next year.”
• “…I aim to gather detailed admissions requirements for my top 3 and middle 3 graduate programs by the end of this term.”
• “…to be able to speak Spanish at a conversational level within six months by taking daily group lessons online.”
• “…I will master the art of public speaking by completing a public speaking course. I think I could do this by the end of the year.”
• “…I will learn how to code in Python and build a fully functional website by the end of the semester.”
• “…I will improve my critical thinking skills by using a critical thinking puzzles app for ten minutes per day at exactly 8pm each day.”
• “…to complete a course on financial management to improve my knowledge of personal finance and investments with the goal of getting a promotion in my firm.”
• “…I should be able to develop my leadership skills by attending leadership workshops and seminars.
• “…to improve my writing skills by checking my drafts with my teacher 2 weeks before each essay is due.”
• “…I will get into a writing habit by writing at least 500 words every day for a month.”
• “…I will learn how to play the guitar and be able to perform at least five songs by the end of the year. The first song will be Hey Jude by The Beatles .”
• “…to be able to solve complex mathematical equations by attending math tutoring sessions twice a week at my university library.”
• “…to improve my time management skills by creating and sticking to a schedule for the next six months.”
• “…I will learn how to use Adobe Photoshop and create professional-quality designs by the end of the semester. My portfolio presentation will get at least a B.”
• “…to improve my memory and focus by practicing mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes every day, directly after breakfast, for a month.”
• “…I will improve my public speaking skills by joining a local Toastmasters club and attending Tuesday meetings weekly for 3 months.”

See Also: 101 Goals for the School Year

Educational Goals for Studying

• “…to read and comprehend a chapter of a challenging book every day to improve my reading skills .”
• “…to memorize 50 new vocabulary words each week to expand my knowledge of the English language.”
• “…to attend every lecture and take detailed notes to improve my understanding of the course material.”
• “…to practice a new math problem every day to improve my problem-solving skills.
• “…to participate in a study group to gain different perspectives and insights on the course material.”
• “…to complete all of the assigned readings and assignments on time to improve my time management skills.”
• “…to attend office hours and ask questions to gain a better understanding of the course material.”
• “…to review my notes and study materials for at least an hour every day to improve my retention of information.”
• “…to actively participate in class discussions and ask questions to improve my critical thinking skills.”
• “…to create a study schedule and stick to it to improve my discipline and focus.”

Educational Goals for High School Students

• “…to complete my college application by the end of the week. I will work on one section per day and get started first thing when I get back from school each day.”
• “…to achieve a high score on the SAT/ACT exams so I can be accepted into my desired college. To achieve this goal, I will study for 45 minutes every afternoon.”
• “…to write the required research paper two weeks before it’s due so I can have time to edit and improve it before submission.”
• “…to participate in a summer internship program. To get started on this goal, I will send five emails to five separate companies I want to intern for.” ( See more internship goals in this list. )
• “…to learn how to use Microsoft Excel and create a financial model for a real-life business. To achieve this, I will watch one YouTube video on Excel strategies per day.”
• “…to learn how to write a resume and cover letter to prepare for job applications. To get started on this goal, I will find a resume template online and start filling it out this afternoon.”
• “…to learn a new language to be able to communicate with people from different cultures. To do this, I will enrol in an after-school language learning program this week.”
• “…to attend five college fairs by the end of the month and meet with admissions representatives from each college.”
• “…to participate in March’s debate competition to improve my public speaking skills.”
• “…to attend my local career fair next month and learn about different career paths in my field of interest. My sign of success will be that I have a shortlist of 5 preferred careers.”

Educational Goals for Graduate Students

• “…to complete my dissertation by the end of the academic year to fulfill the requirements for my degree.”
• “…to publish an academic article in a peer-reviewed journal to contribute to the scholarly discourse in my field.”
• “…to attend at least three academic conferences this year to network with other professionals in my field.”
• “…to develop and present a research proposal to my department for funding to support my research.”
• “…to improve my data analysis skills through advanced statistical courses to enhance the quality of my research.”

Tips for Attaining Your Educational Goals  

1. develop good habits.

Setting goals is great and can go a long way to help you keep focused on your objectives. But, if you don’t have good study habits a lot of those goals will be difficult to reach.

With that said, take a look at the good habits below that will make you a more efficient and effective student.

• Learn how to take better notes. This is a valuable skill to master. A lot of students try to write or type nearly everything their professor says during class. This prevents you from engaging in deep cognitive processing of the information because you are too focused on writing/typing. Most of the time you should only be writing 2- or 3-word phrases.
• Attend every class. Missing class is a bad habit to get into. Many professors will supplement textbook material with other sources during lecture. If you’re not there, you will miss it completely.
• Show up early to class. Getting to class 10 minutes early will give you time to review notes from previous classes, which is a nice tune-up for your memory network. Being early also helps you get in the right mindset.
• Sit in the front. This will make you more attentive during the entire class and you will be more likely to participate in discussions or respond to the professor’s questions. It will also help your professor remember you, which will be important if you need a letter of recommendation later.
• Study daily. Distributed studying is much more efficient and effective than cramming. It will be easier to retain information, be better organized in your knowledge base, and allow you to identify gaps in your understanding that you can ask your professor about. And, you won’t have to deal with all that anxiety of studying 5 chapters the night before the mid-term.
• Study in the library. Libraires are quiet and very conducive to deep cognitive processing. Studying in the dorm is ill-advised. Dorms are noisy and friends will interrupt with temptations you don’t need. Plus, there are much more interesting people in the library. They are more serious about school and could be a better influence in your life.

Personal Note from Dave: I didn’t learn these strategies until the end of year 2 of undergraduate study. First two years GPA=2.4; Final two years GPA=3.98 ( stupid French class ).

How To Set Your Educational Goals (The SMART Format)

SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The SMART format is a great tool for setting an educational goal that can actually be met.

Here is a more detailed description:

1. Specific

The goal should be clear, concise, and specific. The biggest mistake most students make when setting their goals is that the goals are too vague. If your goal has numbers in it, then it is a good sign.  

• I will improve my vocabulary.
• I will learn at least 10 new words every week.

See More: Examples of Specific Goals

2. Measurable

The goal should be written in a way that it can be measured. It should include some identifiable markers of success; again, numbers in your statement are a good sign that the achievement is quantifiable.

• I will improve my data visualization skills.
• I will be able to apply 3 interactive elements to a graph.

See More: Examples of Measurable Goals

3. Achievable

A goal should be challenging, but not so difficult that success is unlikely. When we are young, we like to dream big. Nothing wrong with that. But don’t set yourself up for failure. Remember that big goals are usually achieved incrementally.

• I will get involved in 3 research projects this year.
• I will get involved in 1 research project this year.

4. Relevant

Make sure that you set goals that are directly connected to your major or career aspirations . Don’t let yourself get distracted by pursuing a goal that is not directly related your long-term plan. There can be many side streets on the path to success, but it is better to stay on course.

• I will go swimming every day.
• I will study at least twice a day for 45 minutes each time.

5. Time-bound

Each goal should specify a timeframe for accomplishment. Setting a very specific date for when the goal should be met is vital, especially if you have a tendency to procrastinate.

• I will apply to 3 graduate programs.
• I will apply to 3 graduate programs by the end of this term.

Examples of SMART Educational Goals 

1. getting research experience.

Educational Goal:

“I will get involved in one of my professor’s research projects beginning this academic term.”

Here is an example of setting an ambitious educational goal. A lot of undergraduate students will want to move forward after graduation and pursue a master’s or doctorate. Most of those programs will be looking for students with research experience. 

Remember: Research takes a long time. Planning, designing, collecting data, analyzing data and writing the report can take at least 1 year, perhaps more. So, if you plan to apply for graduate schools anywhere from November – February of your senior year, it means you should start getting involved in research at the very beginning of your junior year (at the latest).

2. Getting Relevant Work Experience

Educational Goal

“I will apply for 3 internships every month that are directly related to my career/graduate degree until I get one.”

Whether your goal is to start your career right after bachelor’s study or continue on to grad school, having some relevant work experience will be a big plus on your resume. The key word here is “relevant.”

Having an internship related to your future career or area of graduate study is a fantastic idea. It will give you first-hand knowledge of what the job is really like. Be forewarned, that can turn out to be a real eye-opening experience. What we imagine a job to be like and what it actually entails on a daily basis can be very different.

Having some relevant work experience looks very good on your resume. It will help you stand out from the scores of other applicants. In addition, it can also lead to another letter of recommendation that will add diversity to the ones that come from your professors.

Everyone needs to set goals for themselves. This will help you stay on track and maintain focus.

Although most of us think we know how to set goals, most of the time we are too vague and don’t include a timeline. Sometimes we set goals that are unrealistic and not directly relevant to our long-term objectives.

This is why the SMART format is recommended. It is a framework that will help you identify specific goals, set a timeline, and provide a way to assess if you have met that goal or not.

Each student should use the SMART system for each course they take. Setting goals for an entire academic year and your 3-5-year life plan is highly recommended.

Drucker, P. (1954). The practice of management . New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Lawlor, K. B., & Hornyak, M. J. (2012). SMART goals: How the application of SMART goals can contribute to achievement of student learning outcomes. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 39 , 259-267.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Reeves, M., & Fuller, J. (2018). When SMART goals are not so smart. MIT Sloan Management Review , 59 (4), 1-5.

Rubin, R. S. (2002). Will the real SMART goals please stand up. The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist , 39 (4), 26-27.

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

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How High School Students Can Set — and Accomplish — Their Goals

Setting and achieving goals can contribute to developing skills for future success.

Valerie Kirk

The start of a new year is a good time to reflect on things you would like to accomplish, or areas of your life you would like to improve upon or change. This reflection often leads to setting resolutions or goals. But a recent survey by the University of Scranton found that only 8 percent of adults manage to achieve their goals; that’s a staggering 92 percent failure rate.

Setting — and accomplishing — goals is important as they help to guide our decisions and motivate us to become the best versions of ourselves. They drive us to achieve the things we feel are important. 

Benefits of Setting Goals in High School

Goal setting isn’t just for adults. It’s also critically important for high school students to learn how to set and achieve goals. Practicing this skill early in life can help you stay motivated through school and to guide you in the direction you want to take in life.

Learning to set goals is also a skill that will carry over into your adult life, making it more likely for you to achieve any future goals you set for yourself.

Other benefits of learning how to set goals in high school include the following: 

Achieving a desired result

Goals help students work towards a desired result. For example, you could set a goal to earn a high result on an AP exam or to make your high school’s field hockey team. You know what you want to achieve, and by setting a goal, you can make a plan on how to achieve the outcome.  

Developing a strong work ethic

Students who set goals learn how to work toward achieving them. This builds the foundation for a work ethic that will carry over into your future career, helping you to find greater success throughout your adult life. 

Building resiliency and problem-solving skills

Achieving goals doesn’t always go as planned. Students who set goals learn how to overcome barriers by solving problems to help them achieve their desired results. If a plan falls through, this teaches resiliency, accepting setbacks, and how to adapt to change.

Knowing how to take action

It’s easy to say you want to accomplish something; it’s much harder to actually do it. Setting a goal shows commitment to what is important to you and motivates you to take action to keep that commitment.

How to Set SMART Goals

Hope is not a strategy, and it takes more than just a wish to achieve a goal. There is a process to setting and achieving goals. While people should do what works best for them personally, following the “SMART” goal process can offer guidelines if you don’t know where to start. 

“SMART” is an acronym for the steps needed to create and accomplish goals.

Goals should be clearly defined to help you focus your efforts. For example, having a goal to start jogging is very broad. Instead, set a goal to start jogging to participate in a 5K by a future date. Having a more specific goal can also make it more tangible.

When goals are specific, they are also measurable. Students can define and track results based on success criteria, which will help you stay motivated and improve the likelihood of achieving  your goals.

Setting a goal that is too lofty or out of reach can be discouraging instead of motivating. Ambition is admirable, but if you experience feelings of failure because what you want is out of reach, this may also  lead to an unwillingness to attempt other goals in the future. 

Identify what goals are realistic and what may be simply inaccessible. Think about what resources you have available to you, such as how much time you may have to devote to the goal, and what elements can and cannot be changed. 

Unrealistic goals are often wishes and may include factors that are beyond your control.

A critical element in setting goals is setting an achievement date, along with dates for any key milestones. Short-term goals can be broken down into actions to achieve over a short period of time. Long-term goals can be broken down into milestones that can be tracked and measured over specific dates to help keep you on track. 

Following Through

While creating goals using the SMART process will help set students up for success, there are other things you can do to help you achieve your goals.

Make a plan

A critical element to finding success is to build a plan with actionable activities. Consider what may best help you along the way and include those factors in your plan. A goal calendar with  important dates and reminders for completing different tasks and activities may also provide structure and  help you  achieve your goal. 

Find a buddy

Students should seek a buddy to help motivate them and hold them accountable. This could be a trusted friend, mentor, or parent who offers encouragement and can help you work through any barriers. 

Celebrate milestones

It’s also important to celebrate milestones along the journey! Celebrating accomplishments can give you a sense of pride and help you set and achieve future goals. 

Know When to Pivot

Life moves fast, and students today have a lot on their plates. It’s okay if busy schedules and other setbacks get in the way of achieving a desired goal. It’s better to take a step back from a goal and pick up the process when the time is right than to experience stress or anxiety when attempting to achieve a goal. Remember, aim for progress, not perfection.

It’s also okay if you realize that the original goal might not be something you enjoy doing. High school is a time of discovery — students discover what they like and what they don’t like. If the goal isn’t bringing you joy, then it’s okay to stop working toward it. 

Goals for High School Students

There are many goals that high school students can set to build their confidence and help them learn about things they might want to do after high school, such as trying a new sport, practicing self-care, volunteering, or learning a new skill or language. 

Goals don’t have to be grand ideas, or even long-term goals. Short-term goals are a great way to learn the process of setting goals and can offer quick wins. When you experience a sense of accomplishment through achieving short-term goals, this can boost your self-confidence to set other goals that are more long-term or outside of your comfort zone .

Harvard Programs for High School Students

Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education offers programs that can help high school students work toward achieving their goals. 

For students who want to explore college while in high school and strengthen their college applications, they can attend a Harvard Summer School college program for high school students . 

These programs run from two to seven weeks and offer high school students the opportunity to challenge themselves in college-level academics. During the program, students will build skills that will help them be successful in college and beyond. Learn more and apply to Harvard’s Secondary School Program or Pre-College Program.  

Explore Summer Programs for High School Students

About the Author

Valerie Kirk is a freelance writer and corporate storyteller specializing in customer and community outreach and topics and trends in education, technology, and healthcare. Based in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay, she spends her free time exploring nature by bike, paddleboard, or on long hikes with her family.

How to Jump-start Your Business Career in High School

Get a head start on your journey by exploring summer business programs for high school students.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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1 Successful students have goals

Succeeding in college is rather like succeeding in life. It’s really much more about you than it is about college. So the most important place to start is to consider why you’re here, what matters to you, and what you expect to get out it. Even if you have already thought about these questions, it’s good to reaffirm your commitment to your plan as we begin to consider what’s really involved in being a college student. Let’s take a look at successful student have goals.

Students who have long term life and career goals see college as one step towards achieving their goals. This can set a purpose and a direction for students. It can increase students’ day-to-day and semester-to-semester motivation because they see that each course is part of a greater whole that will help them in the future. This can also help with persistence, with keeping at it when things are tough. There will be challenges during your college career. There may be times you feel like giving up or you just don’t feel like going to class, reading your textbook, or writing that paper. Having that purpose, that long term goal can help you decide to move past that challenge and keep going. We call this resiliency.

Goals help you set priorities and remain motivated and committed to your college success. Setting a long term goal usually leads to setting medium and short term goals. These are practical goals related to being a student that can help you make better decisions when considering your choices of how to spend your time. Setting priorities with shorter term goals can help you see what you need to do next. Working through goals can help you feel more in control and can reduce stress.

Attitude is the largest factor determining success in college. Work to stay positive and surround yourself with positive people, and you’ll find you are motivated to carry out the activities that will help you succeed in your courses.

Goal Setting

A goal is a result we intend to reach mostly through our own actions..

Things we do may move us closer to or farther away from that result. Studying moves us closer to success in a difficult course, while sleeping through the final examination may completely prevent reaching that goal. That’s fairly obvious in an extreme case, yet still a lot of college students don’t reach their goal of graduating. The problem may be a lack of commitment to the goal, but often students have conflicting goals. One way to prevent problems is to think about all your goals and priorities and to learn ways to manage your time, your studies, and your social life to best reach your goals.

It all begins with setting goals and thinking about priorities.

As you think about your own goals, think about more than just being a student. You’re also a person with individual needs and desires, hopes and dreams, plans and schemes. Your long-term goals likely include graduation and a career but may also involve social relationships with others, a romantic relationship, family, hobbies or other activities, where and how you live, and so on. While you are a student, you may not be actively pursuing all your goals with the same fervor, but they remain goals and are still important in your life.

Goals also vary in terms of time.

• Short-term goals focus on today and the next few days and perhaps weeks.
• Midterm goals involve plans for this school year and the time you plan to remain in college.
• Long-term goals may begin with graduating college and everything you want to happen thereafter.

Often your long-term goals (e.g., the kind of career you want) guide your midterm goals (getting the right education for that career), and your short term goals (such as doing well on an exam) become steps for reaching those larger goals. Thinking about your goals in this way helps you realize how even the little things you do every day can keep you moving toward your most important long-term goals.

Write out your goals.

You should literally write them down, because the act of finding the best words to describe your goals helps you think more clearly about them.

Follow these guidelines:

• Goals should be realistic. It’s good to dream and to challenge yourself, but your goals should relate to your personal strengths and abilities.
• Goals should be specific. Don’t write, “I will become a great musician;” instead, write, “I will finish my music degree and be employed in a symphony orchestra.”
• Goals should have a time frame. You won’t feel very motivated if your goal is vaguely “to finish college someday.” If you’re realistic and specific in your goals, you should also be able to project a time frame for reaching the goal.
• You should really want to reach the goal. We’re willing to work hard to reach goals we really care about, but we’re likely to give up when we encounter obstacles if we don’t feel strongly about a goal. If you’re doing something only because your parents or someone else wants you to, then it’s not your own personal goal — and you may have some more thinking to do about your life.

Everything people do and how they do it starts with attitude.

One student gets up with the alarm clock and cheerfully prepares for the day, planning to study for a couple hours between classes, go jogging later, and see a friend at dinner.

Another student oversleeps after partying too late last night, decides to skip his first class, somehow gets through later classes fueled by fast food and energy drinks while dreading tomorrow’s exam, and immediately accepts a friend’s suggestion to go out tonight instead of studying.

Both students could have identical situations, classes, finances, and academic preparation. There could be just one significant difference— but it’s the one that matters.

Here are some characteristics associated with a positive attitude:

• Enthusiasm for and enjoyment of daily activities
• Acceptance of responsibility for one’s actions and feeling good about success
• Generally upbeat mood and positive emotions, cheerfulness with others, and satisfaction with oneself
• Motivation to get the job done
• Flexibility to make changes when needed
• Ability to make productive, effective use of time

And here are some characteristics associated with a negative attitude:

• Frequent complaining
• Blaming others for anything that goes wrong
• Often experiencing negative emotions: anger, frustration, resentment
• Lack of motivation for work or studies
• Hesitant to change or seek improvement
• Unproductive use of time, procrastination

Stay Focused and Motivated

Okay, you’ve got a positive attitude. But you’ve got a lot of reading for classes to do tonight, a test tomorrow, and a paper due the next day. Maybe you’re a little bored with one of your reading assignments. Maybe you’d rather play a computer game. Uh oh—now what?

Attitude can change at almost any moment. One minute you’re enthusiastically starting a class project, and then maybe a friend drops by and suddenly all you want to do is close the books and relax a while, hang out with friends.

One of the characteristics of successful people is accepting that life is full of interruptions and change— and planning for it. Staying focused does not mean you become a boring person who does nothing but go to class and study all the time. You just need to make a plan.

Planning ahead is the single best way to stay focused and motivated to reach your goals. Don’t wait until the night before an exam. If you know you have a major exam in five days, start by reviewing the material and deciding how many hours of study you need. Then schedule those hours spread out over the next few days — at times when you are most alert and least likely to be distracted. Allow time for other activities, too, to reward yourself for successful studying. Then when the exam comes, you’re relaxed, you know the material, you’re in a good mood and confident, and you do well. Planning is mostly a matter of managing your time well, there is more about this topic in the Successful Students Get it Together chapter.

Here are some other tips for staying focused and motivated:

• Remember your successes, even small successes. As you begin a project or approach studying for a test, think about your past success on a different project or test. Remember how good it feels to succeed. Know you can succeed again.
• Get the important things done first. Stay focused, motivated and concentrate on the things that matter most. You’re about to sit down to read a chapter in a book you’re not much enjoying, and you suddenly notice some clothing piled up on a chair. “I really should clean up this place,” you think. “And I’d better get my laundry done before I run out of things to wear.” Don’t try to fool yourself into feeling you’re accomplishing something by doing laundry rather than studying. Stay focused!
• If you just can’t focus in on what you should be doing because the task seems too big and daunting, break the task into smaller, manageable pieces. Don’t start out thinking, “I need to study the next four hours,” but think, “I’ll spend the next thirty minutes going through my class notes from the last three weeks and figure out what topics I need to spend more time on.” It’s a lot easier to stay focused when you’re sitting down for thirty minutes at a time.
• Imitate successful people. Does a friend always seem better able to stick with studying or work until they get it done? What are they doing that you’re not? We all learn from observing others, and we can speed up that process by deliberately using the same strategies we see working with others. Visualize yourself studying in the same way and getting that same high grade on the test or paper.
• Separate yourself from unsuccessful people. This is the flip side of imitating successful people. If a roommate or a friend is always putting off things until the last minute or is distracted with other interests and activities, tell yourself how different you are. When you hear other students complaining about how hard a class is or bragging about not studying or attending class, visualize yourself as not being like them at all.
• Reward yourself when you complete a significant task – but only when you are done. Some people seem able to stay focused only when there’s a reward waiting.

Thinking about your goals gets you started, but it’s also important to think about priorities. We often use the word “priorities” to refer to how important something is to us. We might think, this is a really important goal, and that is less important.

Try this experiment: go back to the goals you wrote and see if you can rank each goal as a

• Top priority
• Middle priority
• Lowest priority

It sounds easy, but do you actually feel comfortable doing that? Maybe you gave a priority 1 to passing your courses and a priority 3 to playing your guitar. So what does that mean—that you never play guitar again, or at least not while in college? Whenever you have an hour free between class and work, you have to study because that’s the higher priority? What about all your other goals — do you have to ignore everything that’s not a priority 1? And what happens when you have to choose among different goals that are both number 1 priorities?

In reality, priorities don’t work quite that way. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to try to rank goals as always more or less important. The question of priority is really a question of what is more important at a specific time. It is important to do well in your classes, but it’s also important to have a social life and enjoy your time off from studying. You shouldn’t have to choose between the two — except at any given time.

Priorities always involve time: what is most important to do right now. As we’ll see later, time management is mostly a way to juggle priorities so you can meet all your goals.

When you manage your time well, you don’t have to ignore some goals completely in order to meet other goals. In other words, you don’t have to give up your life when you register for college—but you may need to work on managing your life more effectively. But time management works only when you’re committed to your goals. Attitude and motivation are very important. If you haven’t yet developed an attitude for success, all the time management skills in the world won’t keep you focused and motivated to succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Having long-term goals (college diploma) lead to setting midterm goals (by semester) which can be broken down into short-term goals (completing an assignment).
• Writing out your goals helps you think more clearly about what you want to achieve.
• Having enthusiasm for daily life, accepting responsibility, being motivated and flexible, and making effective use of time are signs of a positive attitude.
• Planning ahead is the single best way to stay focused and motivated to reach your goals.
• When deciding what to do with your time, considering your priorities is a good way to decide what to do next.
• Goals help you set priorities and remain committed to your college success.

A Guide for Successful Students Copyright © 2019 by St. Clair College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Progress towards quality education was already slower than required before the pandemic, but COVID-19 has had devastating impacts on education, causing learning losses in four out of five of the 104 countries studied.

Without additional measures, an estimated 84 million children and young people will stay out of school by 2030 and approximately 300 million students will lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills necessary for success in life.

In addition to free primary and secondary schooling for all boys and girls by 2030, the aim is to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to quality higher education.

Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. When people are able to get quality education they can break from the cycle of poverty.

Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality. It also empowers people everywhere to live more healthy and sustainable lives. Education is also crucial to fostering tolerance between people and contributes to more peaceful societies.

• To deliver on Goal 4, education financing must become a national investment priority. Furthermore, measures such as making education free and compulsory, increasing the number of teachers, improving basic school infrastructure and embracing digital transformation are essential.

What progress have we made so far?

While progress has been made towards the 2030 education targets set by the United Nations, continued efforts are required to address persistent challenges and ensure that quality education is accessible to all, leaving no one behind.

Between 2015 and 2021, there was an increase in worldwide primary school completion, lower secondary completion, and upper secondary completion. Nevertheless, the progress made during this period was notably slower compared to the 15 years prior.

What challenges remain?

According to national education targets, the percentage of students attaining basic reading skills by the end of primary school is projected to rise from 51 per cent in 2015 to 67 per cent by 2030. However, an estimated 300 million children and young people will still lack basic numeracy and literacy skills by 2030.

Economic constraints, coupled with issues of learning outcomes and dropout rates, persist in marginalized areas, underscoring the need for continued global commitment to ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all. Low levels of information and communications technology (ICT) skills are also a major barrier to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity.

Where are people struggling the most to have access to education?

Sub-Saharan Africa faces the biggest challenges in providing schools with basic resources. The situation is extreme at the primary and lower secondary levels, where less than one-half of schools in sub-Saharan Africa have access to drinking water, electricity, computers and the Internet.

Inequalities will also worsen unless the digital divide – the gap between under-connected and highly digitalized countries – is not addressed .

Are there groups that have more difficult access to education?

Yes, women and girls are one of these groups. About 40 per cent of countries have not achieved gender parity in primary education. These disadvantages in education also translate into lack of access to skills and limited opportunities in the labour market for young women.

What can we do?  

Ask our governments to place education as a priority in both policy and practice. Lobby our governments to make firm commitments to provide free primary school education to all, including vulnerable or marginalized groups.

Facts and figures

Goal 4 targets.

• Without additional measures, only one in six countries will achieve the universal secondary school completion target by 2030, an estimated 84 million children and young people will still be out of school, and approximately 300 million students will lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills necessary for success in life.
• To achieve national Goal 4 benchmarks, which are reduced in ambition compared with the original Goal 4 targets, 79 low- and lower-middle- income countries still face an average annual financing gap of $97 billion.

Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

4.1  By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes

4.2  By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education

4.3  By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

4.4  By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

4.5  By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations

4.6  By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

4.7  By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

4.A  Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

4.B  By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries

4.C  By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UN Children’s Fund

UN Development Programme

Global Education First Initiative

UN Population Fund: Comprehensive sexuality education

UN Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth

Fast Facts: Quality Education

Infographic: Quality Education

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What is the Goal of the American Education System?

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When we discuss the uses of technology in the classroom, the conversation inevitably turns to the theme of reform within the education system. The two concepts are conceivably joined at the hip, two peas in a pod: Ed-Tech = Ed-Reform.

I don’t think this is quite right. For me, introducing technology into the classroom has various use cases (automating administrative processes for teachers to free up more time for real teaching, creating richer content-based experiences, connecting local students to the entirety of the world around them) that add up to something more akin to the modernization of the learning experience. Advanced technologies are increasingly becoming commonplace within the pure act of surviving in the 21st Century.

Reform, however, has more to do with the learning experience itself. What should we be teaching? How do we think about accountability? How do we balance standards with the complexities of population diversity? Undoubtedly, technology is typically an offshoot of this dialogue, a tool through which much of this reform can be delivered and administered. But they are not the same thing.

Reform is a big fancy buzzword that floats around one particular concept: what are we trying to get out of this educational experience, and how do we adjust the current system to reflect these changes? In the United States education system, we have kids under our control until they are 18 years old. By the time they are 18, what is it that we would like them to have accomplished and be positioned to accomplish in the future?

Before any logical debate can take place regarding reform, we first need to determine what the point of public education is in the first place. It seems obvious on the surface, but my guess is the deeper we delve into this narrative, the more differentiated the opinions will be.

Are we trying to produce happy adults? Are we trying to produce the next generation workforce? Are we trying to produce active, informed citizens capable of navigating a complex democracy? Perhaps simply “college readiness?” Are we simply trying to “beat” China (or South Korea, or Finland, or whoever)? Is it something in between?

So, I decided to ping an array of informed voices on this very subject and compile a set of responses from these diverse individuals within the education world. I asked two questions:

In your opinion, what is the current goal of the American Public Education System?

What should be the goal of the American Public Education System?

Here are some of the responses I have gathered so far (more to come in Part II). By all means, please feel free to contribute your own thoughts in the comments section below, or even shoot me an email for potential use in the followups to come:

From Paul Smith, Head of Marketing at LearnSprout , former Fourth Grade teacher

Over the last thirteen years since NCLB the American education system has shifted away from the broad goal of preparing students for life, to the specific goal of preparing students for college.

I’ve typed and deleted and typed and deleted my answer here... The answer to this question should be simple, but it’s not. I’m not sure if it’s wise to have a singular goal for public education since we know from experience that diversity has been the key to our success. That being said, I think it would be wise for us to establish a national mission statement.

We recently went through this exercise for LearnSprout and the process revealed a great deal. It invoked deep, prolonged late-night discussions and many beers were consumed. It forced us to reflect on what our combined strengths were and revealed discrepancies in our individual aspirations for the company. Through the process we ultimately landed on something that serves as a constant touchstone and influences every decision we make.

This is the conversation we should be having about education in the U.S. Instead we’re lost in the weeds, arguing about tactics without a strategy or mission. ( The US DOE has their own but it doesn’t speak to the purpose of public education.) Wouldn’t it be great to have folks like Arne Duncan, Diane Ravitch, Sugata Mitra, Ken Robinson, Michelle Rhee, Geoffrey Canada and Randi Weingarten all on a joint task force to take on this question and come up with a mission statement we all could agree with? Perhaps that’s naive on my part, but it’s worth a shot IMO.

Here’s my attempt:

• To develop in all students the core knowledge requisite for an independent life.
• To help students realize and develop their strengths while improving upon their weaknesses.
• To help students understand our commonality while celebrating individualism.
• To develop respect for history and tradition while cultivating a shared desire to challenge the status quo.
• To cultivate divergent thinking instill a creative spirit.
• To engender a sense of patriotism, balanced with a global world view.

From Matt Greenfield, Managing Partner of Rethink Education , former Professor of English at Bowdoin College and the CUNY system

1. I think most Americans would agree with me that the goal of the American public education system is to prepare students to be responsible, healthy, engaged, self-aware citizens and experts in the performance of a socially useful task. We disagree about how to achieve this goal.

2. I think the goal does not need to be changed. I do think, though, that the system needs modify its methods: learning needs to be more personalized, more active, more collaborative, more global, and more closely tied to the passions and expertise of students. Technology can help us get there, not by replacing teachers but by freeing teachers to spend more time with small groups and individual students. One-on-one instruction will continue to be the gold standard in education.

From Allison McKinnon, K/1 teacher in the Greater Rochester public school system

I believe the current goal of the american public education system is to raise the academic standards in the United States through the implementation of the common core standards. The belief is, by raising standards and helping students develop critical thinking skills, students will achieve greater academic success and perform better on standardized tests, ultimately raising the United States educational ranking in the world. Unfortunately, the increased frequency of poor quality standardized assessments does not truly reflect student achievement and cognitive ability.

The goal should be to provide teachers with high quality professional development to implement the common core in a dynamic an interactive manner and not rely on standardized tests to rank students, teachers, schools, districts and states.

From John Katzman, founder of The Princeton Review , 2U , and Noodle.org , regarding the second question

To turn out students who, over the next 30 years, are economic successes, good citizens, and happy people. Each of those things is highly measurable, and any short-term metric that doesn’t durably predict those long term metrics is worthless.

From Peter Mili , 2013 NEA Foundation Massachusetts Teacher of Excellence and a Pearson Foundation 2013 Global Learning Fellow In your opinion, what is the current goal of the American Public Education System? What should be the goal of the American Public Education System?

I’d say there is a fair amount of consensus with this partial list, that our American Public Education System should strive towards in educating our students to

• be prepared to participate in our democracy, • be responsible citizens, • acquire ‘21st century skills’, • be globally competent, • think critically, • read and write, • and be quantitatively literate.

As a practitioner, I’m fearful, along with many colleagues, that these goals and all that is involved in achieving them is currently being compromised by the policies of accountability and undesirable consequences that are in place. One result is that what happens in schools is to focus on what is easily measured by the assessments for ‘accountability’ such as (arithmetic, spelling, comprehension), at the expense of other skills and understandings that are not easily measured (such as responsibility, collaboration, global competence, critical thinking).

From Betty Bardige , Early Childhood Consultant, Author & Advocate

Today, the central aim of our public education system seems to be: To prepare (some) students to succeed in the worlds of work and continuing (higher) education. (I said “some” because our system is not equitable.)

In a democracy, the central aim of public education needs to be to create an informed, involved, critically-thoughtful citizenry committed to the long-term welfare of the community and the collective pursuit of a just, healthy, and inclusive society. In a country that is founded upon the shared value of equal opportunity, all children must have access to an education that enables them to be full and productive participants in civic, social, economic, and community life. In today’s world, that means promoting global knowledge, cross-cultural communication and competence, wide-ranging curiosity, and the ability to use a variety of technologies to continue to develop knowledge, expertise, and new perspectives and to actively participate in knowledge creation and civic discourse. It also means building emotional as well as cognitive intelligence.

The Common Core , which promotes critical and creative thinking, deep content knowledge, analytic and problem-solving skills, and effective communication in a variety of forms and contexts

From a child’s perspective, the aim of education is to engender and satisfy curiosity and to build the knowledge and skill needed for self-chosen individual and collaborative pursuits.

At the Mailman-Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies , the preschool curriculum is based on 5 “c’s: communication, cooperation, creativity, concept development, and critical thinking. The curriculum incorporates other important c’s as well: culture, community, curiosity, content knowledge (in a wide range of areas that interest children), and coping strategies, along with the ongoing development of physical competence and health-promoting habits. That’s a pretty good list of educational aims.

We’ve built our education system upside down, with narrow “college and career ready” aims and easily tested skills at the top driving and often crowding out the broader “whole child” aims that - according to extensive research - are actually critical to achieving college and career readiness. Ellen Galinsky’s book, Mind in the Making , summarizes these “seven essential life skills:" focus and self-control, perspective-taking, communicating, making connections, critical thinking, taking on challenges, and self-directed, engaged learning.

Several years ago, I participated in a conference on “Quality Education as a Civil Right,” convened by the Algebra Project , the Young People’s Project , and Howard University . The conference brought together educators (pre-K - 12), academics, civil rights activists, and students from across the U.S.. There was a surprising amount of consensus among the various groups as to what constituted a “quality education.” Although they used different words, all groups called for an approach that balanced building knowledge and skills needed to obtain satisfying work at good wages with opportunities to pursue individual passions and curiosity and a values-based commitment to community responsibility and social justice.

The opinions expressed in Reimagining K-12 are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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List of Goals for Students

It’s never too early to start setting goals. Whether you’re a parent with elementary-school-aged children, a high school junior, attending college or earning a postgraduate degree, you can set goals that will help you succeed in your studies.

Why Should Students Set Goals?

In a poll run by TheHopeLine.com , most students said that they wanted to avoid slacking off during the next school year. One way to prevent procrastination and get your work done on time is to set goals.

But goal setting isn’t just for academic work . It can help students with their personal lives too.

No matter how old you are, you should be setting goals in various categories . These include:

• Health and wellness

To visualize the importance of setting goals, Overcoming Obstacles recommends doing the following activity with students:

• Separate students into three or four groups.
• Ask each group to make a different noise, such as clapping, whistling or stomping their feet.
• Set a timer, and ask students to start making the noise. Stop them after 30 seconds.
• Ask if you accomplished anything during the activity. Students may say something like, “We accomplished making a lot of noise” or “we got into a rhythm.”
• Ask if the students achieved their goal. You might have a discussion at this point that no goal was set for the activity. Everyone put in some effort, but it’s tough to define what they accomplished.

How could you adjust this activity to make it more goal oriented? You could:

• Attempt to make noises that sound like a thunderstorm.
• Ask students to make noises as quietly as possible.
• Ask students to make noises as loudly as possible.

Then, ask students if they met their goal. Now, you can explain why it helps to set goals in the first place. They direct students’ focus and give them a standard by which they can measure their success .

What Can Students Do to Set Themselves Up for Success?

It’s hard for students under the age of 18 to envision their future. Elementary students may have a hard time imagining life next week. Middle school students might only be able to think as far as the end of the school year .

Although much of the goal-setting advice out there recommends that you start with a big vision and work backward, that might not be the best tactic for students.

Young people can do some activities to help them discover their values, though. When they familiarize themselves with what they want in life, they can better structure their targets as they learn more about guide to goal setting .

Here are some pre-goal-setting activities that students can use to understand their priorities:

• Reflect on their strengths and weaknesses – Students can ask themselves what qualities they appreciate most about themselves and what qualities they would like to improve. They might also ask themselves what they’re good at and what they find difficult.
• Look at others – Ask students to list the 10 most important people in their lives. Then, ask them what they admire in those individuals.
• Values – What values are most important to you ? Use the answers from the previous two activities to help you decide. For example, if you love your friends because they are supportive and honest, then being helpful and trustworthy may be two of your top values.
• Superpowers – if you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? What would your vulnerability be?
• Picture the Future – Imagine that it’s five years from now, and you’re telling the story of what you’ve accomplished in the past few years. What would you like to say?

Asking themselves these questions can help students identify their goals. Here are some ways that you can transform the answers into goals:

• If you are proud of your creativity, set a goal to draw, paint, write or make music for 30 minutes a day.
• If you feel like you could be more organized, make it a goal to maintain your planner.
• If kindness is important to you, write in a gratitude journal every day.
• If your superpower would be to make everyone happy, give one person a compliment every day.
• If you would like to be working at a law firm in five years, enroll in a class in your political science department.

Regardless of your educational stage, you can benefit from adopting the general goals below. They can help you become more organized and structure your days around planning and completing goals.

1. Create a Routine

Developing a routine can help students stay consistent with their work. Take time to look at your week.

Do you have certain activities on specific days? Write them in a planner so that you can see the pattern.

Then, ask yourself how much time you need for the following tasks:

• Doing homework
• Cleaning your room
• Reviewing previous work
• Preparing for the next day
• Making your lunch
• Hanging out with friends

Accommodate these tasks in your planner. You probably need to schedule daily pockets of time for doing homework and making your lunch. But you might only clean your room or hang out with friends once a week.

After you have created your plan , see if it works for you. Refer to your planner throughout the week. Make adjustments as necessary.

Your routine will become more automated as you practice it. Knowing what’s coming up and how much time you need to accomplish all of your tasks can take the pressure off of your obligations.

2. Keep Your Backpack Organized

If you’re shoving papers, assignments and your lunch into your backpack, you might have a hard time finding what you need when you get home. An easy way to get more organized is to set a goal to put everything in the right place.

This starts with your school bag. Begin by emptying it out completely. Wash it if necessary.

Make sure all of the items that came out of it have a place. If you notice that you come home with a lot of loose papers, consider purchasing folders or binders to keep them together. If miscellaneous items or school supplies get out of hand, put a pencil box or smaller bag inside your backpack to corral them.

3. Give Yourself Rules

Set some rules for yourself to stay on track with your responsibilities. Your guidelines may include:

• Finish assignments two days before they’re due.
• Begin studying for exams at least one week ahead of time.
• Spend 30 minutes a day working on a writing assignment.
• Create a deadline that’s a day or two ahead of the actual deadline.

These rules can get worked into your daily and weekly goals .

4. Make a Note of Your Resources

It’s difficult to accomplish all of your goals by yourself. You will likely need assistance from other people or resources.

Maybe you need to learn more about a particular topic. For example, you want to work in fashion design when you graduate from college. You might need to learn more about:

• Colleges that cater to this industry.
• The best cities for fashion designers.
• Trade shows or events that you can attend to network with others.
• Software that you might need to use.

If you think that you’ll need support from other people, line up a list of those who can help you right now. Maybe a friend’s parent works in the fashion industry and you could pick their brain. Perhaps you’ll need your parents to help you with finances as you get on your feet. You might need to apply for grants, scholarship or financial aid to reach your goals.

Considering the help that you might need ahead of time makes it more readily available when you’re ready to reach out for it.

5. Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification when you need it. You can get into the habit of using your planner or a specific spot in your notebook to jot down questions as you’re going over academic material.

Perhaps you don’t understand something in your reading. You can make a note of your question so that you can ask your teacher the next time you’re in class.

Curiosity is a key to success , and it’s never too early to instill a sense of inquisitiveness in a student. In fact, the joy of discovery and motivation to explore the unknown are two characteristics that can make a young person a better learner .

If you’re a parent, you can encourage curiosity in your kids by taking them to new places, helping them find stimulating activities, letting them take the lead and engaging in imaginative play. Teachers and caregivers can also nurture curiosity by:

• Rewarding it
• Teaching children to ask good questions
• Encouraging students to reach out when they feel confused
• Fostering exploration
• Pairing students with different levels of curiosity
• Teach students to question the status quo

Example Goals for Elementary School Students

In elementary school, children don’t just pick up a wealth of information about the subjects that they’re studying. They also learn how to set up habits that will help them succeed in the world.

At an early age, children learn about manners, appropriate behavior, classroom expectations, organization and time management . Helping them set and accomplish goals at this stage in life can prepare them to continue the practice throughout their lifetimes.

A goals list for elementary school students might include:

• Take out and put away materials quickly.
• Keep your feet on the floor.
• Keep your eyes on the teacher when he is talking.
• Don’t speak when your teacher is talking.
• Finish your work before you play with your friends.
• Use kind words.
• Raise your hand before speaking.
• Sit up in your seat.
• Follow directions the first time they’re given.

Example Goals for High School Students

By the time they’re in high school, students should be more familiar with setting goals . Plus, the pressure to go to college typically builds throughout high school. By junior and senior year, many students have multiple deadlines for standardized testing and college applications.

Helping them set goals before the pressure increases may help them cope with their obligations as they near graduation.

A goals list for high school students might include:

• Do 20 hours of community service this semester.
• Find a volunteer position that I’m passionate about.
• Get a part-time job.
• Spend 30 minutes every Saturday learning vocabulary words for the SAT.
• Join a club that I’m excited about.
• Look at my planner every Sunday to make sure that I’m prepared for the week.
• Do my homework before I talk to my friends in the afternoons.

Example Goals for University Students

College challenges students in new ways. Young people are more independent than ever before. They don’t always have parents or teachers looking after them to make sure that they accomplish all of their tasks. Getting organized is crucial at this stage in life.

Goal setting during the college years will help students build solid study skills and manage their time in ways that set them up for success after they graduate and enter the workforce.

Some ideas for goals that college students can set include:

• Planning regular study times for every course.
• Make sure that you enter all deadlines in your planner.
• Meet with each professor at least once during the semester.
• Join an extracurricular organization.
• Visit your career services department.
• Find a tutor to help you with a subject that you’re having trouble with.
• Explore intramural sports on campus.
• Go to the rec center or ride your bike to school five days a week.
• Learn the public transportation routes that apply to your schedule.
• Go to class every day; don’t skip classes.

Tips for Student Goal Setting

Now that we’ve given you some background about goal setting for students, here are some specific tips.

Use a Planner

Students who use planners typically get high marks in school. They don’t miss deadlines, they’re well prepared for exams and they can predict what’s coming up instead of being surprised by a looming project.

Some people are resistant to using planners. They may think that they’re too laid back to be bound by the constraints of a planner.

However, most people would probably say that they don’t want to lose track of things. However adept your memory is, you could benefit from writing down deadlines and keeping track of them outside of your mind.

A planner that’s convenient enough to use should:

• Be thin and not bulky
• Have spiral-bound pages that are easy to flip open
• Have a bookmark or clip to help you find the right page
• Have a spot for a pen
• Be kept in an accessible place

Students should be using their planners to record daily tasks and assignments during school. They should be able to pull out the planner easily when the teacher delegates homework so that they don’t have to worry about remembering the task.

On their own time, however, students can take their planning to the next level. At the beginning of every week, they can review the projects that are due by Friday. They can create weekly goals to hold themselves accountable.

Every evening, they should also check their planners. Doing this allows them to set goals for the next day.

Share Your Goals

If you’re a parent or caregiver, you may have a student that always wants to know what you’re up to. Have you ever fielded questions from your child about your schedule, only to brush them off by saying, “Don’t worry about it. You’re not involved.”

When kids ask about your routines, consider giving them the information that they’re asking for. They’re learning how people organize their lives, and you serve as the model.

You might think about holding a family meeting once a week to go over your goals for that time period. Parents can tell their kids if they have appointments or carpool plans. Kids can remind parents of extracurricular activities or class projects that are due this week.

This practice helps parents teach kids how to think ahead. It also gets everyone on the same page to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Apps can help students set goals. Habitica is designed for younger students but can help older ones too. This app turns habit building into a game.

You can choose to set goals in multiple categories. Then, you break them down into the following:

• Habits – Regular tasks that you want to get comfortable with
• Dailies – Activities that happen on a particular day or every day; you can set a start date or due date or have it repeat.
• To-dos – Tasks that you do rarely or once go here; you can add deadlines and checklists.

You can set up rewards that you earn in the app or real life to celebrate your wins. As you check off the tasks in Habitica, you earn points, which help you earn rewards.

If you pick up bad habits or neglect your goals, your “health” in the game will suffer. As you advance in your life, you also move forward in the game .

MyStudyLife is an electronic planner . If a paper agenda doesn’t work for you, you might find this app helpful. It’s designed specifically for students and can help you arrange your classes, internship, job and exams.

It syncs across platforms so that you can access it from your computer or phone. It also features reminders that let you know when an important deadline is coming up.

Learn to Break Down Large Tasks

Getting lots of assignments at school can be overwhelming. But you can handle large tasks by breaking them down.

Let’s say that you have to write a history paper. Thinking about writing 3,000 words on the subject can be daunting. Instead of holding the finished assignment in your mind, divide it into smaller pieces.

This might look like:

• Find 10 resources for research.
• Read those resources and take notes.
• Write an outline.
• Write a draft of the introduction.
• Write the main points from the outline.
• Write the conclusion.
• Proofread the paper.
• Print it out.

When each task can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less, you’re more likely to take it on instead of procrastinating. Every time you have an assignment, ask yourself how you can make it easier by breaking it down.

Don’t Worry About Impressing Others

As you’re growing up, you’re shaped by your family, peers and environment. Although much of that influence is positive, it can sway you in directions that aren’t ideal for you.

Make sure that the goals that you set are based on your values and strengths. For example, your sibling may have joined Model United Nations in high school because she wants to be a political science major in college.

In ninth grade, you follow in her footsteps. However, you have an engineering mind and love math and numbers. You struggle to understand your responsibilities in the club, and you don’t get much out of it.

Perhaps your time would have been better spent following your own goals instead of trying to do what you thought your parents expected of you. We’re not saying that you should ignore your parents’ advice.

However, you do need to be honest with yourself and others about your passions. You’ll find it much harder to set goals that someone else sets for you than to accomplish those that you value.

According to the 2017 National Student Satisfaction and Priorities Report , only about half of the students at four-year colleges are satisfied with their experience. Many feel as though they’re not experiencing intellectual growth and the content of the courses within their majors is not valuable.

It’s hard to know exactly why some college students are dissatisfied. Perhaps the reason is that they’re following somebody else’s goals and expectations instead of their own.

The same survey referenced above indicated that non-traditional learners, such as those attending night classes while working full time or taking online courses, are more satisfied with their education. Could that be because they are adult learners who chose to follow this path? Perhaps their education is more aligned with their goals than a younger student’s.

To be successful, you have to find your own path. Don’t let others pressure you into being someone you’re not. When you’re passionate about your goals, you’re much more likely to stick with them.

Know Why You’re Setting Goals

In the noise-making activity that we described above, students don’t know why they’re making strange sounds during the first round. Therefore, they’re left feeling as though they didn’t really accomplish anything.

Even if you have a list of to-dos outlined in your planner, you may not feel fulfilled if you don’t know why they’re important to you.

Identifying the personal value of every goal can be daunting for a student. Much of your time is spent adhering to someone else’s expectations or deadlines. That’s why it’s even more important to decide why your goals are important to you.

Here are some examples for you to consider:

• Why do you want to finish your assignments two days before they’re due? – You hate the stress of rushing to complete assignments at the last minute; you end up missing out on fun times with friends when you’re working around the clock the day before a project is due; you hate it when your parents hound you about completing your homework.
• Why do you want to do community service? – You want to have a robust college application; you feel good when you’re helping others; you want to work at a non-profit someday.
• Why do you want to exercise regularly? – You like feeling energetic while you’re sitting at your desk; your mind feels clearer, and you’re able to raise your hand more often, which makes you feel proud of yourself; you like playing games outdoors with your friends.
• Why do you want to clean your backpack out every week? – You hate finding old lunches at the bottom of your bag; you don’t want to miss out on a field trip because you forgot to give the permission slip to your parents; your teacher makes you rewrite your homework if it comes in wrinkled or torn.
• Why do you want to be quiet when the teacher is talking? – If you miss out on some information, you have to sit inside to learn it at recess; you don’t get points on your reward chart when you’re talking in class; you don’t get to sit with your friends when you’re not being a good listener.
• Why should you keep your feet on the floor while you’re sitting at your desk? – You don’t want to fall and hurt yourself.
• Why do you want to go to class every day? – You don’t want to feel rushed catching up on information that you missed; you don’t want to fail a test because you didn’t learn a particular piece of information; you don’t want to have to borrow someone else’s notes.

Setting goals allows students to take an active role in their learning. If they are in charge of their education, students may be more curious, dedicated and passionate about it. Goal setting is a skill that you can practice. When honed, it’s one of the keys to success in all areas of life.

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9 Effective Strategies to Boost Student Motivation

With regard to the field of education, the fuel that drives achievement is the motivation of the students. Students are more interested, passionate, and willing to learn when driven to do well in their classes. Educators, on the other hand, often have difficulties when it comes to sustaining high levels of motivation. In response to this difficulty, these nine effective tactics may be used to enhance the motivation of students. So just keep on reading and get to know effective strategies for boosting student motivation.

Establishing Realistic Objectives

If you want your students to be motivated, you must set clear objectives and expectations. Students can succeed better when teachers establish concrete educational goals and make those expectations known. Students are more likely to maintain concentration, interest, and drive when they have a clear goal to strive for.

Students find their work more meaningful and applicable when they have clear objectives. Students are motivated to learn independently when they can understand the relevance of their studies. Having clear goals also allows students to monitor their development and celebrate their successes, boosting their self-esteem.

Encouragement and Praise

Positive feedback and encouragement may motivate and reinforce desirable actions in kids. Students’ self-esteem and confidence are elevated when teachers recognize and applaud their hard work and successes. Students are more likely to adopt a growth mindset when they get positive reinforcement for seeing setbacks as chances to learn and improve.

Teachers can boost students’ confidence and motivation by praising their achievements and giving out rewards like certificates, trophies , and goodies for their unique contributions to the classroom. As a result of these encouraging words, kids are more likely to keep working hard in class.

Establish a Positive Setting for Education

Creating a positive classroom atmosphere is key to inspiring students to do their best. Students’ likelihood of actively participating in their learning increases when they perceive a classroom environment that is safe, respectful and appreciated. Educators may provide a nurturing atmosphere by facilitating open communication, fostering cooperation, and demonstrating empathy toward students’ wants and concerns. Educators may encourage active participation and ownership of the learning process by creating a welcoming classroom environment where students feel they belong.

Provide Options and Independence

Motivating students may be as simple as giving them more control over their learning and more options for pursuing those options. Students take more pride in their education and are more invested in their learning when they can choose their learning strategies and ways to show what they have learned. Teachers may let students pursue interests or learning styles that are a good fit by giving them options in assignments, projects, and learning activities. Teachers may encourage students ‘ intrinsic motivation and cultivate a love of learning by giving them agency over their learning.

Give Your Students Something They Can Use

Motivating pupils to learn is possible by making classes relevant to their interests and real-life situations. Teachers may put their lessons into perspective by demonstrating how the material relates to their students’ real-world experiences, goals, and dreams. Teachers may pique their students’ interest and keep their attention by showing them how the material is essential and valuable. When students see the practical application of what they are learning, they are more likely to put in the necessary work to master the material.

Variety of Teaching Approaches

To keep students interested and involved, it’s a good idea to use various teaching strategies that may address their individual learning preferences and styles. To engage a wide range of students, teachers may employ multiple instructional approaches, including but not limited to classroom discussions, technology-enhanced learning, group projects, and hands-on activities. Teachers can meet the needs and interests of their pupils and give them a fair shot at success by providing a range of experiences. Students may benefit from learning in more ways than one when teachers use a variety of approaches, which piques their interest and encourages them to think creatively.

Establish Checkpoints and Recognize Success

Students’ motivation and morale may be boosted by breaking major activities into smaller, more doable objectives and praising their achievements. Teachers may help students keep track of their progress by establishing measurable goals and objectives. Recognizing students’ accomplishments, whether attaining a certain level of competency, finishing a project milestone, or becoming an expert in a particular ability, motivates them to keep working hard and advance their learning. Students might feel pleasure in their accomplishments and be encouraged to keep working hard when they get public recognition, diplomas, prizes, or verbal praise.

Prioritize a Growth Mindset

Students’ motivation and resilience may be significantly enhanced by promoting a growth mindset, which centers on the idea that one’s intellect and talents can be expanded through work and persistence. By highlighting the importance of the learning process, complimenting students’ efforts, and seeing setbacks as chances for improvement, educators may help students develop a growth mindset. Teachers may assist their pupils in becoming more resilient and persistent by modeling a positive attitude toward setbacks and difficulties. Students are more likely to seize learning opportunities, take calculated risks, and relentlessly pursue their objectives when they have a growth mindset.

Have Fun and Engaging Activities

Making learning more interesting and fun for students via multimedia materials, interactive technology, and hands-on activities may increase their motivation and involvement. Simulations, games, virtual tours, and multimedia presentations are all examples of interactive components teachers may use to improve students’ learning experiences. Students are captivated and piqued by an interactive activity because it plays to their interests and senses. Students have a more thorough grasp of the material and are likelier to remember what they’ve learned when actively engaging in the learning process via interactive learning. Teachers may engage their students’ curiosity and foster a love of learning by combining technology with their own creativity to create engaging and immersive classrooms.

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CSULB Class of 2024 celebrates Commencement

Angel Stadium in Anaheim was transformed into a final, celebratory stop for Cal State Long Beach graduates, as more than 12,800 students were estimated to have attended Commencement in their black caps, gowns and regalia during five days of ceremonies, May 19-23.

The festivities – recognizing the completion of undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as various credentials – started Sunday with the College of Engineering and concluded Thursday with the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics .

“I feel excited. It feels surreal,” said Kenneth Peña of Compton, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in math/economics. “It’s a monumental moment, that’s for sure. I’m the first in my family to graduate from college.”  

Raya Torres, a journalism graduate who completed the University Honors Program , was recognized during the College of Liberal Arts’ ceremony as one of two outstanding baccalaureate winners. She maintained a 3.95 GPA and won several awards for her research, leadership and work with Beach TV News.  

“It means the world to graduate from CSULB today,” said Torres, who started her college career in 2020 on Zoom. “Four years ago, I wasn’t granted the opportunity to have a high school graduation due to the pandemic, so to have my name called and walk alongside such talented graduates is a privilege and honor. I am grateful to CSULB for granting me the opportunities to grow and excel.”

Wendy Gonzalez is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies.

“I feel super excited,” said Gonzalez of Long Beach. “I’m first generation, the first in my whole family to graduate. It’s very overwhelming and very exciting. All the professors and all the staff were really just there for you, and there for you to succeed, and I couldn’t have chosen a better school. For me, it’s an honor to be able to attend a dream school – something I never thought was possible for me.”

During a taped message, President Jane Close Conoley said, “Congratulations graduates of 2024! You made it through a pandemic, global unrest, and much more and stayed focused on reaching this significant milestone.

“I wish you lives of happiness, curiosity, learning and service. I think these are the elements of well-lived lives.”

“It went really well. It was faster than I thought, so it was nice,” said Mojan Miraghasi of Irvine, who is graduating with a degree in communication studies. “It was smooth, so it was nice. And I’m happy. I loved it.”

Amy Neibel, the mother of creative writing/English graduate Lauren Neibel, said she enjoyed the ceremony.

“I thought it was a great graduation, and we’re very proud,” said Amy, who is from Henderson, Nevada. “I liked the stage. It all looked very nice, and it went smoothly.”

Mirlanda Robles of El Monte, who’s also graduating with a degree in creative writing/English, said, “I thought it was really nice. It was great to see everybody out here, and some of the people I hadn’t seen for a while. I thought it was beautiful.”

She added, “I feel like this school was the right choice for me. It was very inexpensive, but very open, with really intelligent people. I’m very happy.”

Michael Ahland, an associate professor of linguistics, said Commencement is an opportunity for the faculty to celebrate the students.  

“It’s really all about them, isn’t it?” he said. “We want to celebrate achievement, hard work and scholarship. It’s a chance for us to greet and appropriately recognize these students in front of their families. We are in a unique position to offer good news and celebrate their achievements in front of family, and that’s a lot of fun.”

After graduates moved their tassels from right to left and the official ceremonies were over, they exited through the stadium’s main gate, where DJ B-Rokk played bumpin’, celebratory tunes at the entry diamond. Graduates took pictures with their families and each other, with Elbee (CSULB’s shark mascot) and in front of a four-foot-tall gold 2024 sculpture. Hugs and tears were plentiful.  

“Honestly, it feels very fulfilling,” said Kevin Fernandez, who is graduating with a degree in journalism. “I was a transfer student, so it was a very short time. But just to see the growth I’ve made, and the connections I’ve made – everything was phenomenal. It felt like a weight off my shoulders. Walking the stage, doing the pose, seeing my family, seeing my friends – I can’t even describe the feeling. Seeing everyone in the crowd, seeing the joy in my parents. I got emotional.

“I grew up in Anaheim,” he added. “To graduate in my hometown – honestly, it’s a great feeling.”  

Mitali Jain, the outgoing Associated Students Inc. president, said Commencement was a “surreal” experience.

“So, the class of 2024 went through a pandemic, we went through so many things,” said Jain, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and diet. “But this is our moment. I’m very proud of my classmates. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve them, and it was an honor to be friends with them. They were the ones who got me through these four years, so I’m really just grateful for it.”

Ezra Schlarb of Long Beach, who is graduating with a degree in creative writing/English, said he’s ready to move on to the next big thing.

“I’m grateful to Long Beach because it’s raised me my whole life, but it’s time to go, and I’m grateful for the time I had,” he said. “I learned a lot, especially about people. I learned a lot about others, and how diverse Long Beach is. For that I’m grateful, because it broadened my perspectives.  

“I’m excited to be done.” 

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Documents reveal impacts of SB-17 on higher education institutions

A detailed report Friday shows how Texas institutions of higher learning are dealing with SB-17 and the impacts of the bill’s goals to eliminate offices and programs of diversity, equity and inclusion, are having on institutions across the state.

Earlier this month, the Texas state Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education held a hearing to see how public colleges and universities across the state were complying with State Senate Bill 17 – the bill behind the ban on diversity, equity and inclusion at public institutions of higher learning.

“What you were seeing from lawmakers that passed this bill and shepherded this bill, it was that they were very against the idea of equity,” said Sneha Day.

Day is an education reporter for the Texas Tribune. On Friday she wrote an article peeling back the layers Texas public university systems are dealing with in falling into compliance with SB-17 in the form of written responses to the bill’s author, state Sen. Brandon Creighton.

Day said what she’s seeing from the documents highlights a struggle to balance compliance while trying to meet other demands and requirements as well.

“And that is really indicative of some of the challenges that these universities are experiencing, balancing SB-17, the DEI ban, with the other demands and requirements that they’re having to meet to keep funds from outside of state funding,” Day said.

She says the concerns of these schools’ accreditation being impacted are real.

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“Colleges need their schools to be accredited, to maintain credibility for students to keep federal financial aid,” Day says.

Day reports in her article that the primary agency which provides accreditation here in Texas does not have a DEI-related standard but says some programs will have to go through outside agencies and, “those accrediting agencies may require schools to answer questions about how they’re supporting their diverse body of students.”

SNEHA DAY/EDUCATION REPORTER, TEXAS TRIBUNE [SNEHA DAY TEXAS TRIBUNE ZOOM] (6:17-6:26) “And so those accrediting agencies may require schools to answer questions about how they’re supporting their diverse body of students.”

Documents obtained by the Texas Tribune show systems such as the Texas State University System responded to Sen. Creighton with actions its member schools have made to comply with SB-17.

That includes Texas State University which says it “eliminated prohibited programs, activities, initiatives, jobs, and offices” like its Division of Inclusion Excellence.

It also shows a response from the University of Texas system, which states each institution reviewed and eliminated operations or changed functions to meet compliance.

CBS Austin reached out to both the Texas State University System and the University of Texas System. The Texas State University System was not available for comment, meanwhile the University of Texas System did not respond to requests.

Day says the next question now is how universities will be able to adequately answer the question of how they are supporting and prioritizing diversity in a post-DEI world.

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6 Activities That Inspire A Goal-Setting Mindset In Students

From daily sticky notes to multi-week hopes and dreams conferences, here are six activities to help foster a goal-setting (and goal-achieving) mentality in students.  

When researchers from the University of Scranton tracked 200 people who had made New Year’s resolutions, they found that close to 80 percent kept their pledges for one week—but just 19 percent managed to stick to them for a period of two years.

There are plenty of reasons resolutions fall flat. We tend to set “unattainable goals—ones that are too difficult for us to meet because we don’t have the energy, skills, or resources required to bring them to fruition,” writes Haiyang Yang , an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, for the Harvard Business Review . Often, our goals are too vague, or we neglect to plan for unanticipated “external forces,” Yang and his co-authors assert.

Framing goals so they’re realistic, achievable, and even motivating—and then developing the habits to monitor progress and stick with them over the long haul—are critical components of successful goal setting, research shows , but these aren’t skills we’re born with, they tend to require planning and practice.

For students, learning to set and meet goals is an important competency that, over time, places the responsibility of meeting academic objectives squarely in their hands. But to be effective, teaching them these skills should start small. “Too often, we ask students to tackle their areas of greatest deficit prematurely,” writes Maurice J. Elias , a professor of psychology at Rutgers University. “First, we need to have them build skills and confidence in an area that is genuinely important to them, and then they need to have a success experience. From small successes, larger successes can be built.”

Carving out the time to teach kids these highly transferable skills—across grade levels and subject areas—is worth the effort and can lead students to “feel in control of their learning,” writes NWEA research scientist Chase Nordengren for Phi Delta Kappan . “Effective goal-setting practices help students focus on specific outcomes, encourage them to seek academic challenges, and make clear the connection between immediate tasks and future accomplishments.”

Here are six activities to help scaffold the process of goal setting, providing students with a deeper understanding of how to recognize when they need to set a goal, how to think about their own progress, and how to move forward when they encounter hurdles along the way:

1. Start Early and Take Your Time: As early as kindergarten, kids can begin visualizing and articulating personal and academic goals, says Alissa Alteri Shea , a first-grade teacher in Western Massachusetts. To get her students started, Shea asks them to reflect on their hopes and dreams for the school year ahead. Structured reflection prompts like “Why do we come to school?” get kids thinking and talking about what they would like to accomplish.

Shea facilitates these conversations over the course of several days—to illustrate that “setting learning goals takes time and requires thoughtfulness”—recording each student's answer into a class list. Some goals emerge slowly, she notes, as students acclimate to day-to-day classroom and school routines. After a week has passed, each child selects a goal from the co-created list. With paper, markers, crayons, or watercolors, students illustrate their goals and share them with the class.

2. Keep it Simple: To help upper elementary and middle school students develop the habit of creating, planning, and reflecting on goals, educational consultant Stephanie Toro suggests starting small . For a few minutes each morning, ask students to imagine and select a new task or skill they’d like to develop, then write it down on a sticky note. Each goal should be something simple that demonstrates a clear behavior, like “Try to share more of my ideas in class” or “Listen to others more,” says Toro. Because the note itself acts as a quick visual reminder, students can place it on the corner of their desk or anywhere prominent where they will see it throughout the day.

As the week comes to a close, students spend some time reflecting on their goals and why they chose them, as well as what choices helped or hindered their progress. Questions can range from “How did you progress toward your goals?” to “What were some of the wins for the week?”

3. Tap Into Dreams: At the beginning of each school year, eighth-grade English teacher Cathleen Beachboard schedules a check-in with each one of her students to ask them a series of questions about their interests, goals, and what they feel they excel at. It’s both a get-to-know-you exercise for Beachboard and an intro to teaching her students the complex work of goal-setting.

One student planned to travel to Spain, attend college, and eventually become CEO of a company, Beachboard recalls. Together, they broke down the goals into smaller steps and plotted the points for achieving these lofty goals: a beginner Spanish class to start, earning top grades in math, taking accounting in high school, and learning to read at a lexile level of 1,340.

To keep her students motivated and accountable, Beachboard paired them up with goal buddies  and asked them to track their progress in a spreadsheet over the course of nine weeks.

4. Make Goal-Setting Visual: Challenging students to regularly visualize and communicate what they care about and want to work toward builds motivation and confidence, writes educational consultant Catlin Tucker for her blog . One way to do this is by having them create vision boards. “In the day-to-day craziness of life, it’s easy to move from one task to another without stopping to take inventory of where we currently are, and where we hope to be one day. The same is true for our students,” Tucker writes. “I want them to reflect on and articulate what they care about and want to work toward.”

While students can choose from a variety of materials and mediums—creating a collage of clippings from old magazines, for example, or using digital tools like Canva or Google Slides—Tucker says the process should begin with space and time to “reflect on what is important to them personally and academically.” Try asking questions like, “What motivates you?” or “What are you hoping to accomplish or achieve this year?”

5. Set stretch goals: As a way to challenge her students to set and exceed their own expectations, Beachboard carves out time each week for them to set or revise goals for themselves that are connected to the curriculum and their own learning.

During the course of a lesson, students practice a number of skills and learn new concepts. Toward the end of each class, students pair up with a classmate to give and receive feedback: a glow —something the student did well in the lesson—and a grow —something the student can work on. Students use the feedback as well as their own view of their performance to set what Beachboard calls a weekly stretch goal, a goal that requires a higher amount of effort for students to achieve, recording their progress on a Feedback Tracking Form .

“Students start to see trends in the areas that they need to grow in,” Beachboard explains. “‘I’m doing well with describing sentences but need to use more adjectives. I can be more descriptive.’ Being more descriptive then becomes a goal which they work toward.”

6. Imagine the goal and the hurdles: The successful pursuit of a goal requires students to avoid indulging in the fantasy of a desired outcome and its benefits, keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground.

When psychologist Angela Duckworth and a team of researchers taught middle school students the metacognitive skills that combine “mental elaboration of a desired future and the present reality standing in the way,”—an exercise called mental contrasting –they found that the intervention “significantly improved” the students’ report card grades, their attendance, and behavior . This process results in “a strong mental association between future and reality” that motivates students to work toward overcoming any obstacles in order to achieve their desired outcome.

Students start by imagining an objective or target, as well as the positive and negative consequences that may come from achieving the goal. For example, a student might imagine practicing her soccer skills over the summer, and how she might make the team this year if she works hard. She realizes she’ll have less time for homework and friends after school, but decides that the positive outcome outweighs the negative.

Next, she identifies obstacles that stand in her way—time, resources, or knowledge, for example—and plots a strategy for overcoming them. Taking private soccer lessons with a coach, for example, could help her understand the skills she’ll need to focus on to achieve her goal.