SMART Goals for College Students

What Are SMART Goals?

SMART goals is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Each of the five letters in the SMART acronym represents a critical component in the process of creating realistic and achievable college goals. SMART goals must possess all five of these characteristics—failing to account for any of the letters may decrease the likelihood of accomplishing your goal(s).

The following is a more detailed breakdown of the SMART goal framework:

• Specific: Setting an ambiguous or overly broad college goal can make it hard to know whether you have accomplished it.
• Measurable: A measurable goal can be quantified, tracked, or assessed. Breaking down your end goal into smaller, measurable components can help you to stay focused and on track.
• Achievable: Achievable goals are realistic goals, and what is realistic can depend on any number of factors. Doing a self-assessment can be helpful here—because what was realistic for you two months ago may not be realistic for you now, and what is realistic for you now may not be realistic for you six months from now.
• Relevant: SMART goals for college students should relate to academic progress and/or success, or to career goals.
• Time-Bound: Open-ended goals or delivery dates could spell trouble for anyone who is prone to procrastination. Hard deadlines, in contrast, can be motivating or make achieving a goal feel more manageable. Knowing when something is due enables you to set interim goals to help keep yourself on track.

How to Write SMART Goals

To create and write a goal using the SMART format, identify a goal and write it down. Underneath that goal, write out each SMART goal component (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) on its own line. (If you prefer, you could use a different format, such as a table, or utilize a spreadsheet program, such as MS Excel). Next to each component, write a sentence about how the goal you have chosen aligns with that component. At this point, you may realize that your stated goal does not align with all five SMART goal components (maybe it is not specific enough, or perhaps it is too subjective and cannot be measured). In that case, rewrite your original goal in a way that brings it into alignment with all of the components. Once you have done that—Congratulations! You now have a SMART goal.

Sample List of SMART Goals for College Students

The following is a sample list of goals for college students that adheres to the SMART goal framework. For more practice, try to think of other potential SMART goals for college students—you may even end up identifying some new goals you want to set for yourself.

1. Set Academic Goals for College Courses

Your academic goals may differ from course to course, and many factors can potentially impact your performance in the classroom. Setting SMART academic goals may help you to stay on track.

I will get an A- or higher in my Managerial Accounting course.

Specific: This goal focuses on earning a specific grade in a specific course.

Measurable: Earning at least an A- for the entire course is quantifiable.

Attainable: I earned a B+ in my Principles of Accounting course, so earning at least an A- in this course seems achievable.

Relevant: I want to earn high marks in my business administration program.

Time-Bound: This course lasts six weeks.

2. Plan Homework/Study Times

Carving out sufficient time for studying and doing homework for every college course can be challenging, particularly for working professionals. Committing to blocking out study time on your calendar can help.

Next term, I will dedicate one hour of study time in the evening for every class
I took earlier that day.

Specific: This goal specifically sets aside 60 minutes of study/homework time for every class taken that day.

Measurable: It is easy to track 60 minutes, and it is easy to count how many classes were taken during the day.

Attainable: I can spend one to three hours studying on a weekday evening if I limit my TV and social media time.

Relevant: I want to understand the materials covered in my classes.

Time-Bound: This study schedule applies only to the next academic term.

3. Meet with Each Instructor at Least Once This Semester

Meeting with instructors is not a privilege reserved only for traditional college students. Online college students have the ability to schedule visits with their instructors virtually or over the phone. Such meetings may provide an opportunity to solicit performance feedback, develop a mentorship relationship, or connect to new networking opportunities.

This academic term, I will schedule at least one meeting with every instructor I have.

Specific: This goal relates specifically to the current academic term. I am explicitly aiming to set up a meeting with all of my instructors this term, not just one or two of them.

Measurable: The success metric is clear—I either meet with all of my instructors or I do not.

Attainable: I have four instructors this term and enough spare time to meet with each 30 minutes at least once this term.

Relevant: Instructor feedback could give me insight into how I am performing academically and where I might improve.

Time-Bound: The current academic term is four weeks long.

4. Take an Extra-Challenging College Course

Different courses are challenging to different students for different reasons. Sometimes a course might be challenging because the subject is unfamiliar. Other times a course might be challenging because it covers advanced topics. Whatever the reason, taking a course that is more challenging than what a student is used to—one that is outside the “comfort zone”—can be an opportunity to grow.

Next term, I will take an intermediate-level accounting course.

Specific: This goal is relevant to the next term and specifies that the challenging course will be in the subject of accounting.

Measurable: I either enroll in an intermediate-level accounting course or I do not.

Attainable: I have already taken Principles in Accounting, so I have met the prerequisite for this course.

Relevant: I am currently pursuing the generalist track but am thinking about pursuing the accounting specialization in my bachelor’s in business administration degree program.

Time-Bound: This commitment to take a challenging course applies to the next academic term.

5. Join an Extracurricular Group or College Organization

Semester goals for college students often focus on academic performance—but there are a number of potential benefits to participating in non-academic extracurricular activities or joining a college organization. Setting a SMART goal to join a student club could be a way to discover a new passion, meet other students, build networking connections or develop leadership skills.

I will sign up for a student club at the start of the new college semester and attend one meeting per week.

Specific: The goal is to sign up for one club at the start of the new semester and then actively participate in it on a set schedule.

Measurable: I either sign up for a club at the start of the new semester or I do not. I then attend one meeting per week or I do not.

Attainable: I believe that my online classes provide the flexibility I need to fit an extracurricular club meeting into my overall schedule.

Relevant: I would like to add more extracurricular activities to my résumé.

Time-Bound: The deadline for signing up for an extracurricular activity is the start of the new semester.

6. Explore Career Services Resources

Students may be able to take advantage of various career resources as they move through the process of career planning and job searching. AIU career services resources—including job search strategy assistance, résumé assistance, webinars featuring guest speakers, and more—are available to both current students and alumni.

This year, I will set up one interview preparation session in the spring and one in the fall.

Specific: This goal relates to the current year and specifies when each interview preparation session will be set up.

Measurable: I either sign up for one interview prep session in the spring and one in the fall, or I do not.

Attainable: I can set aside time to engage in two formal interview prep sessions this year.

Relevant: I would like to feel more prepared and confident going into interviews.

Time-Bound: Both interview preparation sessions must occur within the current calendar year.

Tips to Help You Stick to Your SMART Goals

Once you have created SMART college goals, the next challenge becomes sticking to them. There are various methods you can use to measure your SMART goal progress and stay on track.

1. Make a Checklist

Checklists are a simple way to keep track of academic goals for college courses or networking goals for professional development. Write down your goal, then write down all milestones that must be met in order to accomplish your goal. As you accomplish each milestone, check it off the list and focus on the next.

Creating a checklist can help you to break down a larger goal into more manageable pieces. It can also help you adjust your pace, as checklists make it possible to see at a glance how much you have accomplished and how much more is left to do. And, if you get a sense of satisfaction from crossing items off of a to-do list, the checklist method can be a great motivator.

2. Mark Your Calendar

Some SMART goals might involve weekly assessments, while others involve only monthly or once-a-semester assessments. Whether you use a traditional, bound planner or prefer to set up alerts via the calendar app on your mobile phone, marking your calendar is a tried and true way to ensure that you are hitting your milestones and deadlines.

3. Self-Assess Your Performance

Are your grades improving? Are you really studying more? Have you been participating more in-class discussions? While different SMART goals will be measured by different metrics, self-assessment can help you to periodically reflect on your performance and progress.

Pursue Your Academic Goals at AIU

If you are thinking about going back to school, setting SMART goals could even help you to stay on track during the college application process.

Whether you are looking to advance your skills and knowledge in your current field or in a different one, American InterContinental University has you covered. We offer an array of undergraduate and graduate online degree programs, many of which offer the option to choose a concentration or specialization.

Explore AIU’s complete listing of online degree programs today, or apply now.

American InterContinental University cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states.
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