5 Strategies for Setting Goals for a New Semester

Setting Goals and Achieve Them

A new semester is a great time to set goals that will lead you to study better. Your goals should be as specific as possible to allow you to check that you’re on track for meeting them, and they must be possible to achieve. With this in mind, any of the following could be a great starting point for a goal this semester.

1. Stop Procrastinating

If you regularly find that you’re staying up all night to prepare for exams or you finish assignments right before their due date, the likelihood is you have a problem with procrastination. Instead of feeling like a test or paper is something to worry about far in the future, begin early. Set a goal to study consistently to avoid a rush at the last minute.

2. Keep Up with Readings

It can be especially easy to put off readings until later, as you may feel like you’ll always have time to catch up. However, you’ll gain much more from your classes and be better prepared to write papers if you’re up to date with readings. This is because you’ll only retain everything you read if you pace yourself. Most importantly, never leave readings until right before a test. To do well, you need to be reviewing your notes and reminding yourself of material rather than learning anything new.

3. Regularly Review Your Notes

Talking about reviewing your notes, this should be something you do on a regular basis. Mark a time on your calendar to review notes for each of your classes. Don’t consider this an optional activity — it’s crucial for helping you retain information in the long term.

4. Improve Your Class Attendance

Aim to improve your class attendance by a certain amount. Ideally, you should be going to all your classes to make the most of your education; however, this may not be possible due to other commitments. Nonetheless, it’s definitely a useful goal to have if you’ve been skipping classes because you see them as optional or you don’t like waking up early. By attending more classes, you’ll find that you understand the material better, which will result in higher grades.

5. Find Some Great Study Spots

Commit to finding a few great places where you can focus on your studies. Having more than one place will mean you can fit in a short study session wherever you are — whether that’s on campus, in your student housing, or around town — and it will keep things interesting by giving you a change of scenery.

Of course, not all your goals need to be about studying: another could be to find better housing. An alternative to living in Ontario Tech University residence is 17Hundred. You’ll have a room in a fully-furnished suite in a building located just a few steps from campus. Plus, we have a range of onsite facilities that you need for a great university experience, including a yoga studio and fitness facilities, dedicated study spaces, and places where you can socialize, including the TV and games room. Book a video tour to see it for yourself.