Importance of Setting Goals for Students

This essay discusses the importance of setting goals for students and how it can improve their academic performance and retention. It explores the reasons why setting goals is important, such as providing measurement criteria, giving focus, keeping students undistracted, and providing motivation. The essay also includes short-term and long-term goals that university students can set, as well as methods to improve retention, such as using the internet for comprehension, engaging in two-way communication, using SMART study techniques, putting theoretical information in real-life scenarios, and creating a learning community. References are provided for further reading.

Essay

Table of Contents
Essay............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...............................................................................................................................3
Why it is important to set goals...............................................................................................3
Methods students can use to improve their Retention............................................................4
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Educational goals of individual are known as Academic Goals. This study includes why it
is important to set academic goals. It is very important as they guide individual for what they
need to do. In this report some of the goals which students set for short term and long term
have also been included. Along with strategies for retention of information they learn at their
university.
MAIN BODY
Why it is important to set goals
Goals are something that individual want to achieve in a particular time. This may be short
term and long term (Aarts, 2019). In this academic goals are goals which are set by the
students and are related with their education and academic achievements.
Academic goals are really important as they give direction to students for all of their
activity and also keep students focused on their studies. Some of the importance of setting
gaols for students are as follows-
Goals Provide Measurement Criteria
Students when set gaols they have criteria on the basis of which they can measure their
performance and what they want to have and what they really have. For instance if student set
that they want to get particular marks in their next exam and prepare for that then they have
marks to measure whether their performance was right or not.
Goals give Focus to Students
This is when students set goals they are focused to achieve that goal. This situation is better
than those when student do not set any goals, and they remain in vague idea about what they
should do and what not (King, 2018). This also allows students to turn all their idea in the
direction of their goal and goal achievement.
Goals Keep students undistracted
Students are able to keep undistracted when they set goals. This is important so that
students are totally focused on their efforts and do not get distracted by anything they face.
Focus is very important and people this focus can only be provided when students set goals.
Goals of Students Give them Motivation

Goals are important as they provide motivation to students. They are motivated as they
want to achieve something and this is possible only if they make adequate efforts and prepare
themselves for that (Janke and Dickhäuser, 2019). Students know the value what they will be
able to achieve when they achieve their goals this is why it is important for students to set
goals.
Some short-term and long term goals of University Students are as follows-
 To get more than 90% Marks in next Exam.
 To get first rank in assignment.
 Complete the next assignment within set time limit.
 To complete and prepare particular number of units before upcoming exam.
These were short term goals which students can set but there are long term goals which
students set to achieve before completion of current academic session or before they complete
their graduation. Such goals can be-
 To get admission in the best college.
 To get scholarship for further studies.
 To get job before completion of graduation.
Methods students can use to improve their Retention
It is very important to remember what students learn and get information from their university.
This is important for its further implication in real life and in professional life (Mertes and
Jankoviak, 2016). Some methods for improving retention is as follows-
Use Internet for Comprehension- internet have become significant source for information
and this is why it is important that students use this for comprehension of their information. It
is not necessary that students comprehend every information when they get it for the first time.
This is why they can use internet. Comprehension is important so that students cam apply that
information in professional lief and also remember that for longer time.
Stay open for Two Way Communication- This is when they are getting information from
their teachers specifically in class. This should be a two-way communication which includes
question answers. Students should ask questions from their teachers if they are not able to

understand anything. They should also stay open for questions which their teacher ask them
this will ensure that they have understood what they have learnt from their teachers.
SMART Study- This includes various easy and shortcut ways to understand difficult
information and students should use this method so that they can understand every
information. This will increase their retention for longer (Mertes and Jankoviak, 2016). This
also includes that while getting information students are not stick with what they are required
to learn but also get information relevant to the topic this clears all the doubts and queries
related to main topic of information.
Put the theoretical information in real life scenario- This includes that teacher should put
the information in real life scenario and students are aware with all the logical aspect of the
information this will improve their understanding and retention. Putting theoretical
information in real life scenario creates experience and experience are best when it comes to
retain information for longer period of time. Experience can also create life long memory and
retention.
Learning Community- Students can develop their own learning community. In this can add
their mates and teachers. In this community they can share their knowledge and information
and also that they can ask their queries which other students and their teachers can solve. This
is a very effective practice and it gives chance for both sharing information and gaining
information and knowledge for students.
Activity- It is good that sometimes teachers take action beyond class room lectures and
sessions. Activity can be of any type but should be relevant to topic which teacher is trying to
make students learn (Parker, 2018). These activities clear all the logical doubts like what, why,
how, when etc. This will contribute to improve understanding and retention of students.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above study and discussion it can be concluded that setting goals are
very important for students, and they can add short term goals in long term success. Long term
goals are vision of students like what they want to achieve after and before a particular time.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aarts, H., 2019. Goal setting theory and the mystery of setting goals.
Janke, S. and Dickhäuser, O., 2019. Different major, different goals: University students
studying economics differ in life aspirations and achievement goal orientations from
social science students. Learning and Individual Differences. 73. pp.138-146.
King, A., 2018. The Effects of Setting Goals on Accelerated Reader.
Mertes, S. J. and Jankoviak, M. W., 2016. Creating a college-wide retention program: A
mixed methods approach. The Community College Enterprise. 22(1). p.9.
Parker, V. S., 2018. Community College Student Retention: Effectiveness of Online
Intervention Methods in Retaining Students on Financial Aid Probation. Mississippi
State University.