Goal Setting

Goal setting is important for academic success. To successfully set and plan a goal, you must state the goal as an outcome, specify actions and measurement. The clearer and more specific the goal, the more likely your chances of achieving it.

To do well in the classroom, goals must be set in many areas. It may helpful to divide your goals into segments- daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly (or semester), annually. Dividing goals this way lets you know that you have overall goals and shorter, more easily met goals. It gives you an opportunity to accomplish some goals while keeping the larger picture in mind. Remember that if you set a goal in one segment of your life, it may affect another segment. In other words, if you decide to study three hours a day, you may have to visit with your friends one hour less. If you decide to change jobs, it may affect your times to study. Keep the big picture in mind when setting goals.

Many people label goals as long, medium or short range. Decide what goals fit which category then look at the time you have available. Set priorities with the goals. Decide which are the most important. Make sure that the time you give each goal meets the priority of the goal. Don't give a few minutes to the highest prioritized goal and several hours to one of the low priority goals. If necessary, change your time commitments to meet the goals.

Sometimes, you have to go back and change your goals. Many unforeseen circumstances can contribute to this change. Your class or work schedule can change. A family member or you can have an illness. You may not have to change the goal, simply postpone it.

Setting goals give you a road map as to where you want to be. It is important to remain flexible with long range goals in case your circumstances change. Always congratulate yourself when you achieve a goal and mark it off your list. You can look back to that achievement while starting to work on the next goal.

Decision Making

Many people have trouble making decisions. People are often afraid of making the wrong decision. Just remember that even if you make the wrong decision, you can learn from it. As long as you use the decision and its outcome to your advantage, you are progressing.

Some of the factors that hinder decision making include the physical or mental inability to make a decision. Some people experience great anxiety when making decisions. Procrastination also hinders decision making, as does letting your emotions control you. Being "wishy-washy" and not wanting to hurt any feelings also stands in the way of many decisions.

One way to effectively make a decision is to define the problem. Once that is done, gather all the necessary information, pro and con, about the problem. Look at all the possibilities and evaluate them. Take the possibilities and see what may work and what may not. Pick the best possibility that you can envision. Go ahead and begin to work on the solution. Be sure to check on your progress as you are implementing your decision. It is important to review the decision. You need to be able to see what worked and what did not work. Make certain that you learn from the experience, whether it was good or bad.

Sometimes decisions are so large that circumstances may dictate making small changes, rather than large ones. You may want to use a trial and error method. Make a small decision and see if it works. After the first decision is made, evaluate it and move forward or laterally, if necessary. Prioritize the challenges so that you do not have to decide everything at one time. Let each decision help the next one.

Always look to the future when making decisions. You need to be open to the unknown possibilities and factors that may exist. Keep your mind open to all avenues.

Effective Learning

In order to become a successful student, you need to understand your learning processes. Learning to learn can be learned. You need to start by beginning to understand your own needs and interests, your ability to learn, your best way of learning, and your understanding of the subject.

Learning is a process. It is built upon steps. Analyze your studying. Figure out how you learn. It can be by memorizing, reading, speaking, summarizing or other methods. Find out how you study best. It can be in a quiet place by yourself or with a group. Find out how you test best. Testing can be by true/false, multiple choice, discussion or speaking.

Decide how much the topic intrigues you. It may be that you do not understand the subject but are determined to get a certain degree. Dedication is important in the learning process.

When you are studying, look over the subject matter. Get the feel of the topics through the headings, titles, bullets, key words and definitions. Decide if you need other references to help you such as a dictionary, atlas or thesaurus. Read the subject matter. See if you have more questions or if you need to come back to it later. You may decide that you need to talk with your teacher or go to a tutoring session.

A successful learner always reviews. Go back and look over the topic. Decide if you could have studied in a better, more effective manner. Learn your best study techniques and stay with them.

Good Study Habits

It will help you in your college career to develop good study habits. The first thing you need to do is take responsibility for your actions. You are the only one who can decide your priorities and how to use your time and resources.

Don't allow yourself to become distracted by friends and fellow students. Keep in mind the bigger picture. Know what you have to do and when it needs to be done. Keep your goals in mind. Don't let other people influence you into not doing your work.

Figure out your most productive times of the day. If you study best in the morning, plan to study your hardest subjects first. If you have trouble concentrating at a certain time, don't get out your hardest subjects or your most complex project.

If you do not understand the course material, try some innovative ways to learn it. Don't just keep rereading the material in hopes that you will eventually understand it. Ask your instructor for help. If your school has study sessions and peer tutors, take advantage of these offerings. Set up study groups within your class.

When you put your best effort in your work, then you have succeeded. If you are satisfied with what you have done and know that you have done your best, then your grade is the icing on the cake. Always give your best in the classroom and in study sessions. By doing so, you will know that you have tried.

Motivation

Motivating yourself is an important attribute in student success. You will take control of your learning when you begin motivational techniques.

You need to go ahead and study some every day. Don't get so behind that you have to read the entire book before a test. A little studying every day will make a huge difference. Whenever your teacher gives you an assignment, go ahead and work out an outline or a plan that evening. It is best not to put the paper away until the assignment is due. Get familiar with the assignment and find out what you have to have to complete it.

Realize what makes you want to study. You may want to learn the subject, or you may want to earn a degree. You need to know what is driving you forward. The best motivator is yourself. If you understand why you want something, then you will become more focused on attaining it.

It helps to put all your assignments into smaller segments and set goals as to when to finish. Every time you study, have a small goal - read five pages, write three paragraphs - to get done during that session. By separating the overall assignment into smaller bits, you will feel that you have accomplished something and want to do more.

The most important motivational force is going ahead and doing something with the task at hand. Don't procrastinate. Accomplishing a small goal will make you feel better. When you finish one task, go ahead and put down your goals so you will be focused for the next task.

Sometimes it helps to have a mentor, a faculty member or a friend with whom to discuss your work. A third person can point out what you have accomplished and encourage you to do more.

Self Discipline

Self-discipline provides the opportunity to improve your performance and your thinking. It is important to practice self-discipline in order to accomplish your goals. Don't think of self-discipline as deprivation; think of it as a way to improve your life.

Learn how to schedule your priorities. Set small tasks at different times of the day. Do the tasks at the scheduled time. This will allow you to stay focused on your priorities. It is a good idea to keep a list of what you have done. You can refer to this list when you want to chart your progress, or if you are getting discouraged.

Even though it may sound boring, you need to develop a routine. Stay with that routine. Practice the action at the scheduled time of day. Once you have a routine, things start to become a habit. Time management is another route to follow. Break down tasks into smaller segments, so you will see accomplish each day.

It helps to schedule your day, your week and your month. It helps to have a "to-do" list for top priority items. Decide which items are most important and work on the most important ones first. Once you decide on a task, keep at it until the task becomes a habit.

Don't let yourself get discouraged if you do not succeed at all your goals. Take them slowly. Give yourself positive feedback even if you don't get something accomplished.

It will help if you have a friend or mentor to guide you and give you tips. If you have another person to talk to about your efforts, you will get feedback as to how they are perceived.

Time Management

Student success depends on your use of effective time management. Time management is a skill that can be learned. First, you need to understand how your time is spent. Keep a record for several days documenting how much time is spent in class, studying, visiting with friends and family, working and eating. Take a look at the list to see where you time is going.

Once you know how your time is spent, start a daily or weekly planner. Put down your classes, appointments, meetings, work schedule, assignment due dates and other activities. Check the planner every day so you will know what needs to be done that day. A daily "to-do" list may assist you in knowing what needs to be done immediately. This list will help you keep your assignments in a priority order. It is a good idea to keep a monthly or annual calendar so the long range dates can be set. Get a copy of your school calendar and put in the important dates and holidays, so you will know when to expect tests and other assignments to be due.

In order to use your time wisely, put your assignments in a priority order with the most difficult one first. If you do your most difficult task at the beginning, it will be out of the way and the others will be easier. Be sure to schedule time to study. Make sure that you schedule enough time to study but not enough time to get restless. Start studying in a distraction free environment - and don't listen to the television or leave your cell phone on. It is a good idea to study for shorter periods of time so you won't be exhausted rather than hours at a time.

Schedule time to allow for tests, papers, and speeches. These larger assignments may need to be broken down into smaller bits and pieces. Be sure to go over your lecture notes within a twenty-four hour time period to keep the material fresh in your mind. Try to review your notes and any reading just before your class period so the material will be fresh on your mind.

Once you become aware of how you use your time, you will be able to manage it and do well in your studies.

Really inspiring sir . Thanks a lot