Creating goals for your studying helps you make the most of your time. They’re great to help you plan your activities and stay focussed. Goals are also incredibly helpful in keeping you motivated as you study.
Setting Study Goals
The popular term ‘SMART goals’ refers to the type of goals you should set. Applying these criteria ensures that your study goals are truly helpful:
- Specific – what will you do? Write a particular essay, review a certain section of a book, complete a module?
- Measurable – will it be easy to know if your goal has been achieved? This can reflect completion of a task, or points of progression along the way.
- Achievable – is your goal and deadline a realistic target that you can achieve in the time available to you?
- Relevant – how will your goal help your overall study plan? Will it contribute to a certain module? Is it in line with your course requirements.
- Time-Bound – have you set clear deadlines? These help you to plan and focus.
Helpful Habit Goals
Creating goals for your study habits is an incredibly helpful way of ensuring that your study time is as productive as possible. How can you improve your study habits? Understanding how you study now is the first step. Are you easily distracted, or feeling under pressure from deadlines for example? Here are some habit-based study goals which may help:
- Turn off your phone and music while you study. You can do it!
- Ensure that you start each assignment at least two weeks before it needs to be submitted.
- Commit to a manageable amount of study time every day, such as 30 minutes.
4 Strategies for Success
Once you’ve set your study goals, you’ll feel more focussed. Here are some great tips to help you keep your motivation:
- Keep your goals in mind by ensuring they are visible. Put them on your wall, in your phone or on your screen so you can easily remind yourself of what you want to achieve.
- Reward yourself. Incentives are a great way of maintaining your determination to study effectively. From video games or music, to chilling out or social media – what do you love to do? Indulge yourself as a well-deserved treat for achieving your goal.
- Plan for distractions. Even the best SMART study goals can be disrupted by, well, life! Think of obstacles which may affect you and try to plan around them. For example, you may plan to study daily for 30 minutes but feel tired in the evenings. A solution may be to arrange your study session as your first action of the day or during your lunch break.
- Review your methods. You should keep your goal in mind, however it’s ok to change your approach along the way. It’s the outcome that’s important. Adjusting your study timing, location or media can all help boost your study success.
“Whether you’re studying for 11+, GCSE, A level or degree exams, setting study goals is hugely helpful,” says Atish Mehta of The Confident Tutoring Co. “We see the difference that this makes to students’ focus, motivation and, ultimately, results.”
Would you like to explore how a private tutor can help improve your confidence and academic achievements? Talk to the friendly team at The Confident Tutoring Co. Let’s boost your study success!
