Need to plan for your upcoming exams, but not sure what to do first? Setting study goals for yourself is a great place to start. Learn How to Maintain Your Study Goals so you can achieve the best results right here!
Setting Study Goals the SMART Way
Before you can accomplish anything, you need to set a goal. SMART goal setting is one of the most effective tools used to achieve goals. Use the following steps as a guideline to help you set your study goals effectively.
Specific – When setting a goal, you need to be clear on what you want to achieve. If your goal is concise, you have a better chance of understanding the steps needed to complete it. For example, “I will study more.” is too vague. “I will study everyday between 3-4pm.” is more specific.
Measureable – Once your goal is set, you need to be able to measure your progress. This helps you stay on track as you work your way towards your goal. You can’t measure, “I will do better.”. If you set a goal to study for a certain amount of hours or score a specific mark, you have something to aim for.
Attainable – It’s important to set a goal within your abilities, but with slight challenges. This keeps you motivated and can help determine if you need to improve something. Be careful to not be too ambitious. Keep in mind that goals are there to help you achieve things, not set you up for failure.
Realistic – You can identify whether a goal is realistic by looking at your values and long term goals. Does this goal help you in accomplishing a bigger goal? If so, it’s considered relevant. Increasing your study time from 2-3 hours a week to 9-10 hours is probably not realistic. Try to increase to 4-5 hours a week instead.
Time-specific – Figuring out if your goal is short term or long term can help you determine the time frame. You’re more likely to complete a goal if you have a deadline. Make sure your study goals are in line with your academic timetable and other responsibilities. This will help you keep track of all your tasks more effectively.
How to Maintain Your Study Goals
Knowing how to set up a goal is easy enough. Learning how to maintain that goal is where the hard work starts. You can easily get distracted and lose focus after setting your study goal. Listed below are some tips on How to Maintain Your Study Goals.
Write Down Your Goals
People who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Having something concrete to look at can help motivate you to work towards your goals. Display them somewhere you can see everyday as a reminder.
Be Consistent With Your Actions
When you take action, you remind your brain to work towards your goals. This is why it’s important to do small things at a time. For example, clearing your desk can help you get organised. This in turn can help you feel more motivated as there is less clutter to deal with.
Plan for Obstacles
Any goal has its fair share of challenges. It’s very rare to complete a goal without one or two problems. This is why it’s important to look at the possible challenges you may face, while planning your goal. It can help prepare you, should something go wrong.
Be Flexible With Your Methods
If you are not making progress with your goals, take a look at the methods you are using. Don’t just go ahead and change your goal. The outcome of your study goal is far more important than what you did to achieve it. Your methods should be flexible, not your goal.
Importance of Study Goals
Study goals help you keep your studies on track. It puts you in the right frame of mind to accomplish things. Some reasons why setting study goals are so important includes the following:
- Helps avoid procrastination
- Keeps you committed
- Helps you meet deadlines
- Improves academic performance
- Boosts your confidence
- Identifies important milestones
Staying Motivated While Studying
There is no set method to keep you motivated while studying. It depends on the type of person you are. There are, however, a number of options you can try to see if it works for you. If they work, try to incorporate them into your daily routine. If not, try something different.
Get Into a Study Routine
It’s generally easier to stay motivated if your studying is part of your everyday routine. It can also help with any stress or anxiety that comes with preparing for exams. Draw up a timetable and set aside a specific time of the day where you know you won’t be disturbed.
Create an Organised Study Space
Having a dedicated study area can help keep you focused and motivated. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but make it comfortable for you. Also make sure that it’s neat, organised and free from any distractions.
Break Work Into Smaller Chunks
Sometimes having a big workload can seem overwhelming. This is why it’s so important to split the work into smaller parts. It’s a lot easier to focus on one topic a day, than trying to squeeze five chapters into one day.
Keep the End Goal in Mind
The best motivator is the constant reminder of what you are working towards. Add as much detail as you can to your goal so it’s easier to picture. If you are more of a visual person, create a vision board and display it somewhere visible.
Reward Yourself
Hard work should always be rewarded. After you complete a task, give yourself a small reward. You can watch an episode of your favourite tv show or enjoy a sweet treat. As motivating as this can be, you should be careful to not go overboard.
How can I Improve my Study Skills?
If you want to learn how to study effectively, you need to improve your study skills or learn new ones. It’s often helpful to take short courses as it doesn’t need much time to be completed. If you are already studying a course, the following might be more helpful to you:
- Limit your use of electronics
- Study one subject at a time
- Use a timetable to stay organised
- Take short breaks every hour
- Use flashcards
- Practice on old exam papers
- Explore different learning styles
Not only can study skills help you achieve your study goals, they can also help you prepare for the working world. Here at Skills Academy, we offer workplace skills courses through distance learning.
Learn How to Maintain Your Study Goals With us!
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