Goal Setting for Students

Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive. ~ Robert H. Schuller

Every instance of professional and personal success is an example of perfect goal setting. Student life is the golden period of an individual's life. Our dreams and aspirations are shaped in these formative years of life. However, if the student remains in a dilemma of if's and but's and are unable to chalk out a career plan, their dreams may not be able to materialize.

Activities for College Students
One very sad thing about most of the educational institutions is, that students in college and schools are rarely taught to set goals. Establishing a goal is not just finalizing their job or designation they want after graduating from college, but it covers larger sphere of students life, aiming for an holistic development of the student's personality. It also inculcates self-esteem, discipline, focus, concentration, dedication and hard work.

Exercises to Learn Effective Goal Setting
Teachers should set a goal for the entire class, that are well within the each student's reach. The teachers must assist and guide students in achieving the goals. For instance, some of the possible activities for students are as follows:

• Raise some fund from the local area for helping the school library.
• Plant saplings in the area around the schools and near the homes.
• Try to get summer/part-time jobs.
• Learn some new hobbies like swimming, dancing, painting etc.
• Help new students in the school or college to get involved.
• Work for some time in old age homes.
• Make a project that is eco-friendly.
• Prepare charts and pictures based on famous people and their accomplishments.

Give Writing Assignments
Students can be made to realize the importance of this step with the help of writing assignments. These assignments will help them to gain better understanding of goals. Here are some questions you can include in the assignment

• Given all the resources, what would you like to become in your life and why?
• Name three tasks that you would like to achieve in the next three months? How do you plan to tackle each one of them?
• Write about a situation when you committed to achieve a goal but didn't succeed. Describe the situation and how did you handle it?
• Mention a situation when you committed to achieve a goal and succeeded in achieving it?
• How do you set goals for yourself?
• How do you define success and failure?

Activities for Students
Students can discuss and decide among themselves, some goals for the coming months. For example, the classes can be divided into groups and each group can set a goal to score highest marks in some particular subject. They can set the time limit to be the next semester exams or the next unit tests. Besides fostering healthy competition, it will help the weaker students to perform better.The class can also decide to behave in more sensible and respectable manner and treat every other class with respect and courtesy. This will help the class to be more disciplined and will also enhance the reputation of the class in the school. Also, every student in the class must try to set two personal goals and write them on the chart displayed in the classroom. As a group, the entire class should cooperate and help each other to achieve the set goals. Once the goals are achieved, rewards in forms of school picnics and other perks must be given.

Teachers should ensure that goal setting for students must be directly or indirectly a part of the teaching methods. This will be beneficial for the students.