Sarah Lopez

11/23/2008

Goals

            One of the ways I learned to succeed at Gavilan College is to set goals, immediate, short, and long-term goals. You need to have a plan and have goals because if you don’t, you’re easily distracted. You need goals so you know where you are, where you want to go, and have a realistic plan to get there. Throughout my paper I will explain why you need goals, how to set them, how to make an appropriate time limit to reach them, and the benefits of having them.

            When I first came to Gavilan, I was eighteen years old and was not serious about school. I wasn’t focused and was caught up in my own social life. I never made enough time. I had goals but I never wrote them down. Back then I just don’t think I had the right mind set, and was kind of immature. Now I’m twenty-six, have a daughter, and in a different place. I want to be successful and have a great future for my daughter and for myself. I have a different attitude towards college and it’s something I want to finish. I never really saw the importance of having goals, like I do now. They really do make a difference because you have a plan and are willing to do whatever to get there. I feel when you come to college you need to be serious and have a direction in life. I want to accomplish so much. One of them is to graduate by the year 2011 with my nursing degree. I have seen such a big difference now that I’m older and more focused.

            To get started in college, you first need to set immediate goals. A good example of an immediate goal, would be attending class every day. Second, you need short-term goals. They will keep you motivated to reach your long-term goals, like getting A’s in every class. Third, you need to make long-term goals. A dream without a plan is just a wish. If you write your goals down, you will achieve them. For example, graduate in four years with honors. Many students are motivated by the desire to prove to themselves and others that they are capable of setting goals and achieving them.

            In a Student Guide to Succeeding in Community College, Dorothy Hoerr states that you need to make time for what you want. Make sure you make a target date for you to reach your goals. This is the only way that you can measure your progress toward meeting them. Also, use your time effectively to achieve your goals. Be specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and timely.

            The benefits of having goals are that you have a plan. It gives you the motivation to reach them. Now that I am older and know exactly what I want and how to get there, it’s a lot easier. “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity" (Louis Pasteur). Fifty percent of first year college students drop out. They are not focused, have no motivation, have no goals set, or just aren’t ready. They just want to come to college to socialize or meet people.

            A study at Yale was taken, and three percent of the students had set goals and actually had them written. The students that had written them down had better grades and seemed more focused. Ninety-nine percent of people don’t even have goals. Make sure your goals are based on what you can do and on your circumstances. I have noticed, throughout my college years that it’s just better to have goals. I have seen the benefits of having them, and not having them. I now have better grades, have a study group, and know what I want. You accomplish and achieve much more because you have a plan and direction in life. I have my goals written down on a piece of paper, and have them posed up on my vision board, so I can seem them daily. It reminds me of them and what steps I need to take, to get there.

            I know that goals are very beneficial to succeeding at college, not only in college but also, just in life. You need to make sure they are realistic and achievable, have a plan, and know where you want to go. Many students learn by doing. All you have to do is focus, have a plan, and set goals: immediate, short-term, and long-term goals. I believe that if you have goals and actually put them into perspective, you will be a very successful student and go far.