Set your study goals

Throughout the years of teaching college and talking with the best students, I have found that they all have one thing in common. They all have clear career plans for themselves and follow them carefully. Even when they start their plans with a little skepticism about the goal that they set, eventually all of them believe it and commit to make it into a reality.

Many students told me that they were surprised at the power of goal setting and career planning. Because of that, all of them have accomplished far more than they ever believed possible in college. Later they ascribe their success to the process of thinking through every aspect of their work then developing a detailed, written road map to get them to where they wanted to go.

One student told me: “When I am working step-by-step toward the career goal that I set for myself, somehow I generate within myself a continuous feeling of success and achievement. I feel more positive and motivated. I feel more in control of my own life. I feel happier and more fulfilled. Eventually I soon develop the psychological momentum that enables me to overcome obstacles as I move toward achieving my goals.”

Career planning begins with the determining what do you want to do with your knowledge and skills. Your knowledge is the machine that drive you, your career plan is the roadmap, and your career goal is the destination. Having a career goal will help you to set the direction from the beginning of your college education. You are going to college to get educated and with your education, you can achieve something meaningful to you. With the knowledge that you acquire in college you can do many things. Your knowledge, your discipline, your determination and your beliefs are the axle around which the wheel of your life turns. All thing in college begins with you clarifying your career goals and committing yourself to make it into a reality.

Successful students are successful because they are very clear about what they want to achieve. Unsuccessful students are not sure about their future. They often change direction and goal every time they face an obstacle. Today, many students go to college without any career ambition and without any goal. They only think about having a degree and a job, NOT a career and goals. Many get lost during the time in college as they have no roadmap to guide them. Without a clear direction or goal, they just drift from one class to another. Some may graduate but without a clear career plan, they will take anything that come their way and let things happen to them. If something good happens, they believe that they are lucky and if something bad happen, they blame their fate.

Having a clear direction and goal is the beginning of the process to build self-confidence, self-esteem and personal character. When you take time to think through your strengths, your wishes, your dream and your goals then commit yourself to pursue it, you feel a surge of mental strength and strong determination. You feel more capable, more competent of accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.

For first year students, decide for yourself what do you really want to achieve and then organize your time in college around it. Write down your career goals, make plans to achieve them and make it happens.

Sources

  • Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University