Beginning of Senior Year: 3 Fall Semester Goals#
Today is Saturday and the third day into the beginning of my senior year! Not only am I excited, but I am determined to be the most focused, most productive, but also the most well-rounded during my last year of school. Throughout the past several years, I have learned a lot about the importance of health, socializing, and family when it comes to being motivated to learn and study everyday.
With that being said, I think that it is very important for me to set at least three goals this semester that can keep me on track.
My 3 Goals for this Fall Semester
1. Go to sleep at the same time every day + get at least 7.5 hours of sleep a night as a habit before the 4th week of the semester.#
Having a good sleep schedule is a game changer. Not only will I sleep better, but I’ll have a much clearer mind at the beginning of the day and feel more refreshed than if I go to sleep at random times every day.
Ofcourse, this will take a lot of self-discipline and micromanagement of time. I already plan to make sacrifices in some of the things that I do in my day to day to make this senior year successful.
In order to go to sleep at the same time AND get enough sleep with my extracurriculars, schoolwork, and job, I will need to put the anime-watching, kdrama watching, webtoon reading, and youtube watching on hold unless I am literally eating a meal at the same time.
This goal will also teach me to stop saying yes to everything. Even though I am involved in extracurriculars and love what I do (dance), this last year is very important - school comes second - which means, health comes first.
2. Create the habit of making at least 1.5 hrs of progress in school work every day before the 3rd week of the semester.#
At first, I thought about making my second goal about fitness. However, with how much I dance - I definetly already have that covered. This means that my next goal needs to be about managing dance, work, and school together.
There have been some days where I have gotten no work done because of how fast time seems to move after I clock out around 2:30 - 3:00pm. With lunch, chores, and poor choice of taking a nap and watching a little Youtube, I lose the chance of doing homework between that time and 6:00pm when I have to leave for dance practice. By the time I come home, it is usually around 10:45. I eat some dinner that I cook and bedtime is at 12:30.
See the issue here?
This goal that I have will force me to utilize my time management skills to their maximum potential, and create some innovative ways to make things more convenient in the future.
No time to cook? Meal prep. Feel like I need a nap? A little caffeine will help (and better sleep). Want to watch youtube? Block Youtube. In fact, blocking distractions would potentially give me a 25 min window for some kind of power nap.
A lot can be done in 1.5 hours if I am focused with a cup of tea. The only problem is getting started. However, technology does not always have to be a distraction. Utilizing these tools can help leverage the time available and make every minute count.
3. Make it a habit to apply to at least 5 jobs a week before the 6th week of the semester.#
This may seem like a very small and random goal - especially for someone who aleady has an internship. However, I think there is no issue with seeing what is out there and exploring new opportunities. As a soon to be new grad - I think it would be unwise to put all of my eggs in one basket - because it is impossible to tell what the future holds (especially in today’s economy).
In fact, it is also a great opportunity to practice interview skills and get use to the new age long interview processes just in case I come across something super interesting and need the money / diverse experience.
What are your goals for your upcoming semester?#
In my next post, I will briefly discuss some other tools that I will be utilizing this semester so that I’ll be not only a busy bee, but a healthy busy bee.
I think it is imperative for all of us students to make at least 3 goals at the beginning of each semester to faciliate the grounds for success! Whenever I have specific goals and plans on how I will achieve them, I have a less stressful semester.
Remember, make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T goals. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Just saying, “my goal is to get straight A’s this semester” is not a real goal. Not only is it just expressing a desire - there is no direction or foundation for this goal to feel achievable.
Think of something important to you - something that you want super bad. Now write it down and list ways you can get to that desire. What do you need to do in order to get straight A’s? Study, ask questions, and probably be healthy - right?
After breaking down the desire - create goals toward that desire. Ask yourself questions such as, “How much do I need to study a week or day? What is realistic with my other responsibilities? What would I need to sacrifice for this goal - and when do I think I should have this habit locked in?”
These are just some questions I ask myself when writing a goal in one sentence.
And you may have guessed it - my desire this semester is to get straight A’s. So let’s get it!
