What are your goals for this year?
Jan 02, 2025
Happy New Year! May we all cultivate peace, prosperity, and happiness this year and set up a strong foundation for the future.
Many of us made New Year’s resolutions, which is wonderful. But if the resolutions are too general, they may be hard to implement. This is why SMART goals are important (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).
The good news is that you can take any goal and transform it into a SMART goal.
Here's an example from the University of Minnesota showing the difference between a general goal and a SMART goal:
1. General goal: My goal is to study more for my math course
2. SMART goal:
- Specific: I want to study for my upcoming math exam
- Measurable: I will study for 2 hours every day
- Achievable: I will focus on one chapter each day, reviewing notes and solving practice problems.
- Relevant: Improving my math skills will help me achieve a high grade in the class, which is important for my academic progress.
- Time-Bound: I will complete my study sessions every evening from 6pm to 8pm for the next two weeks.
Ivy League Potential helps students create and implement SMART goals that will maximize their chances of getting into their top choice college.
Having someone to report to on a regular basis is an important part of that process, and that's where personal college counseling can be really valuable.
Developing goals is especially important for 9th-11th grade students, because college can seem far away.
But with college admissions, it’s the rule of the farm—you cannot reap what you do not sow.
So start early and get off to the right start!
