Study Skills: Goal Setting, Information Retention in Higher Education

This report delves into the critical study skills required for success in higher education. It emphasizes the significance of setting both short-term and long-term academic goals, presenting them as a roadmap for intellectual growth and improved academic performance. The report highlights the SMART goal framework and its benefits, including enhanced focus, motivation, and the ability to assess deficiencies. Furthermore, it evaluates various methods students can employ to retain new information, such as feedback from assignments and group presentations, recognizing their impact on learning and knowledge acquisition. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of these skills for improving grades and overall academic achievement, with a focus on how tests, presentations, and assessments contribute to effective learning and information retention.

Study skills for Higher Education

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................3
Discussing importance of setting goals in the academic content along with short and long
run..........................................................................................................................................3
Evaluating methods that students can use to remember new information.............................4
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
In the current times, with the motive to attain success in near future students lay high
level of emphasis on setting both long and short term goals. Moreover, now competition is
increasing in each area with the very pace. Thus, for dealing with such situation students are
striving for making their best efforts. In this, report will shed light on the significance of
setting goals with regards to both long and short term. Further, it also entails methods that can
be undertaken by the students for remembering new information.
MAIN BODY
Discussing importance of setting goals in the academic content along with short and long run
In the context of students, academic goals are highly significant which forward them
towards their educational progress. Hence, academic goals may be served as a roadmap that
contains both small and large benchmarks which in turn ensures intellectual growth
(Dobronyi, Oreopoulos and Petronijevic, 2019). From the perspective of getting appropriate
direction, it is highly essential for students to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and time-bound) academic goals. Academic goals may be presented as a concrete
plan which assists students in taking suitable measure for upcoming time period. There are
several benefits which can be capitalized by students through the formulation of study related
goals. It includes improved focus, high motivation level, high quality experience in the
educational field, comparable results and success. Goals provide students with pathway in
relation to point where they should go in the near future. Moreover, in the case of setting
goals students actively put their efforts for fulfilling commitment towards study.
In addition to this, students devote more time, when they set goals, for achieving
higher grade. In this, students not only get higher grade but also understands topic in a better
way. It has assessed from the evaluation that skills and information which students learn
through setting specific academic goals helps them in performing better. In addition to this,
predetermined goals also offer opportunity to the students in relation to assessing deficiencies
take place in the existing results. In other words, goals enable students to do comparison of
existing performance in against to the goals. By this, students would become able to measure
their success and find areas that still require more efforts or improvement (How to Set and
Follow Through on Academic Goals; Examples for Success, 2020). Considering all the above

depicted aspects it can be mentioned that academic performance can be improved by the
students prominently through SMART goals settings.
With regards to University students, goals can be distinguished into two short and
long-run. Hence, short term goals imply for the one which need to be completed soon or
shorter time period. On the other side, students take entire semester or several years for the
accomplishment of long term goals. Usually, university students set following short and long
term goals.
Short term goals
 Achieving higher grade in the upcoming project
 Developing better knowledge and understanding about specific topic
 Taking assistance of teachers for guidance purpose
 Formation of specific study group with peers (How to Set and Follow Through on
Academic Goals; Examples for Success, 2020)
 Formulation of consistent study schedule
Long term goals
 Qualifying in a course
 Getting specific grades
 Graduating on time
Evaluating methods that students can use to remember new information
From assessment, it has found that, at University, students are persuaded regarding
several study materials or subjects. This in turn makes significant contribution in learning
new information. With the motive to develop skills and knowledge several exams as well as
assignments are designed by the University for students. It offers opportunity to the students
in relation to present their skills and knowledge in examination. By this, students get know
about the areas that need improvement. In other words, results of formative and summative
assessment enable students to work on the areas where outcome is not aligned with academic
goals.

There are several methods that students can undertake for improving aspects
pertaining to remember information. In the case of assignments students are provided with
feedbacks from tutor’s side. This in turn enables students to explore their understanding and
knowledge about specific subject area or research. However, it is to be critically evaluated on
the basis of aspects that when students are provided with additional feedback then they feel
de-motivated (Al-Qirim and et.al., 2018). Moreover, feedback directly impacts on their grade
and overall performance.
In addition to this, for the purpose of student’s development & growth Universities
emphasize on organizing group presentation. It helps students in developing their skills about
several aspects such as research, MS-power point, presentation, communication, time-
management etc. Further, through attending group presentation given by others students can
develop their knowledge and remember new information as well. Moreover, usually verbal
and pictorial aspects gain attention of students over other methods. Thus, by considering all
the above mentioned aspects it can be stated that presentation and examinations make
significant contribution in student’s learning as well as knowledge.
CONCLUSION
By summing up this report, it can be concluded that from the perspective of
improving performance and enhancing skills setting of short & long term academic goals is
required for students. It can be summarized from the report improving grades and taking
admission in a specific recognized college considered as the main motive of students. It can
be seen in the report that through test, presentations, summative and formative assessments
students can remember new information.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Al-Qirim, N. and et.al., 2018. Learning orientations of IT higher education students in UAE
University. Education and Information Technologies. 23(1). pp.129-142.
Dobronyi, C. R., Oreopoulos, P. and Petronijevic, U., 2019. Goal setting, academic
reminders, and college success: A large-scale field experiment. Journal of Research on
Educational Effectiveness. 12(1). pp.38-66.
Online
How to Set and Follow Through on Academic Goals; Examples for Success. 2020. Online.
Available through: <https://strategiesforparents.com/how-to-follow-through-on-academic-
goals-examples-for-success/>.