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Latwell Nyangu Youth Interactive Writer

Goal-setting is an effective strategy for managing and achieving many things including students.

Most fellow students have colossal dreams that can seem impossible to accomplish at first.

It’s easy for students to feel dispirited when they are ogling at a future that seems too large to achieve.

But with proper goal setting, it can break those grander, more intimidating aspirations down into achievable stepping stones.

Without set goals, students can float from one area of life to the next.

Not only does planning towards smaller goals make it easier to formulate a plan of how one achievement can lead to another, but research suggests that achieving smaller milestones offers greater levels of contentment and motivation.

Students without goals end up being yes men and women in the post academic era.

Succeeding in college is rather like succeeding in life. It’s really more about you than it is about the college.

Many students do not know why they are in college. I was doing a survey the other day during an orientation at a certain college and I observed that most students seem to be at college by default.

Some were sent by parents not because of their passion but just to be away from home.

Parents also do not enjoy seeing their children sitting at home without doing anything and this will force them to push their children to look for some courses to attend.

Some students are at college due to peer pressure from others or some are there by mistake.

But when a student has goals, they will know the reasons why they are at college.

The most important place to start is to consider why you are at college, what matters to you, and what you expect to get out of it.

Even if you have already thought about these questions, it’s good to reaffirm your commitment to your plan as you begin to consider what’s really involved in being a college student.

My duty this week is to stress the importance of setting and pursuing specific goals.

Most students think goal setting is only for companies, corporates, organisations or other individuals who are up for starting something else.

But as students, we should have goals that determine the long term achievements.

Goals that are challenging, when well-constructed, motivate students to effort and achievement beyond standard expectations.

Goal setting is fundamental to long-term success. 

After all, it’s difficult to get to a desired destination before you have clearly defined where that destination is.

Goals support students to focus upon the journey to a collection of set achievements since this helps them allocate their resources and time efficiently.

Goals also help students to access motivation during times when they feel like giving up.

From an academic perspective, goals improve performance by ensuring students remain accountable for their own failures and successes, propelling themselves forward through a selection of small achievements designed to break down a larger purpose.

Setting and achieving goals translates to feelings of success and confidence for students, which in turn leads to greater confidence and productivity.

Scoring big for a student is to write specific goals somewhere and it gives them something to work and plan toward.

When written down, these goals form an external representation of inner desires to get a higher grade, progress with sporting skills, or achieve a new rank. They are a constant reminder of what that student wants to accomplish.

Goals even fuels ambition and confidence by encouraging determination through difficult periods and offering a sense of pride when success finally arrives.

The goals keep students moving forward since most of us have gone astray due to lack of focus.

All the fellow students who fail to run good races like, falling pregnant, dropping due to mischief or promiscuity, bunking lessons, squander fees do not have goals.

When you have goals as a student, you get something to work and plan toward.

 These goals form an external representation of inner desires to get a higher grade, progress with sporting skills, or achieve a new rank.

They are a constant reminder of what students want to accomplish.

Establishing a goal creates a sense of clarity and correlation between the process of working hard and accomplishing something significant.

Students can be encouraged to work towards short-term and long-term goals that interconnect, giving them more focus on what they should be spending energy and time toward. Through the pursuit of those smaller goals, students learn more about themselves – their skills, weaknesses, and what they want to accomplish.

Having goals makes students responsible for their actions, their efforts, and even their time management skills.

Having goals obligates students to take action, regardless of the obstacles that may be in place. 

As such, it can encourage students to develop critical thinking skills, new problem solving techniques, and a better understanding of how to overcome issues.

The accountability of goal setting encourages students to look back over their previous successes and failures, evaluating areas they need to improve.

As such, it pushes them to tackle challenges head on and work on their weaknesses in order to produce better chances of overall success.

Happy goal setting my fellas!