SMART Goals

What are SMART goals?

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-bound

Read the first letters of each word from top to bottom and tada! You get the word SMART. In today’s session, our lecturer shared how to set realistic goals for ourselves AND achieve them.

Learning how to frame goals as SMART goals and being willing to adjust them to get SMARTer is an important skill that would help every student get off to a better start and have a better school year, this year and into the future.

It’s not easy to write SMART goals. This skill takes time to develop, and it’s especially important to have in place for students at pre-university level. A goal is an outcome, something that will make a difference as a result of achieving it. It can’t be too ambitious to be out of reach, but also not so simple that it does not challenge. A goal has to be realistic with a stretch, requiring effort and focus to achieve it. That’s why goals need time frames and measurable action steps along the way so that we can keep track of progress and make adjustments as necessary.

Extracted from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/smart-goal-setting-with-students-maurice-elias

From a student’s point of view, goals that we set for ourselves are extremely important because they serve as motivation for us. We always want to feel the satisfaction of attaining our own goals, hence will work hard to achieve them no matter what.

Here’s my SMART goal:

Specific – I want to get 4A* in my A2 examination.

Measurable – The marks will serve as a standard.

Attainable – Yes, with combination of time management skills, perseverance and hard work

Relevant – Definitely. It will be one of the entry requirements for my undergraduate studies. I also need this for my scholarship applications.

Time-bound – 1.5 years