According to Deb Peterson, About.com's guide for continuing education, goals need to be smart. Or rather "SMAART"- specific, measurable, attainable, action-oriented, results-oriented, and time-phased. And New Year's resolutions are, in fact, goals.
So, as a student, what should your New Year's resolutions (goals) be? Here are some examples to get you started:
New Year's Resolutions for High School Students:
- I will attend school every day for the rest of this school year, so I never have to make up any work.
- I will dedicate 8:00 – 9:00 PM every night to homework, so I can get an "A" or "B" in every class.
- I will complete every step of the Senior Year College Application Timeline, so I don't miss out on anything important before graduation in June.
New Year's Resolutions for Undergraduate Students:
- This semester, I will only go out with friends on Saturday night if I have completed all of my work due on Monday, so I can have Sunday free to study ahead.
- This quarter, I will turn in every essay on time, so I'm not docked any points from the overall grade.
- I will go to the library to study every Wednesday night from 4:00 – 8:00, so I can get a 4.0 this term.
New Year's Resolutions for Graduate Students:
- I will study for fifteen minutes every night for the next three months, so I can score a GRE high enough to help me get into an Ivy League graduate school.
- I will research and secure an internship by the end of this semester.
- Since I'm juggling work and school, I will secure a flex-time schedule by the end of January so I can work forty hours and study fifteen.
See? Each one of those New Year's resolutions was specific, measurable, attainable, action-oriented, results-oriented, and time-phased. SMAART.
