1. Goal setting and time management
Chapter 3

2. Defining goals By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Explain how time management plays a factor in goal setting, leading to short-term, medium-term, and long-term objectives
Identify overall academic goals
Identify and apply motivational strategies to support goal achievement
Explore the social aspects of achieving goals (networking, social media, etc.)
Brainstorm factors that might hinder goal achievement and possible ways to address these issues

3. Success Begins with Goals
Goals! A goal is a desired result that you envision and then plan and commit to achieve.
Goals can relate to family, education, career, wellness, spirituality, and many other areas of your life.
Generally, goals are associated with finite time expectations, even deadlines.

4. Success Begins with Goals
As a college student, many of your goals are defined for you.
You must take certain courses
Comply with certain terms and schedules
Turn in assignments at specified times
But there are plenty of goals for you to define yourself.
You decide what you’d like to major in.
You decide how long you are going to be in college
You decide what terms you want to enroll in
What else do you decide as a college student?

5. Goals
Within your group answer the following questions. Have one person in the group record the groups responses.
What are my top-priority goals?
Which of my skills and interests make my goals realistic for me?
What makes my goals believable and possible?
Are my goals measurable? How long will it take me to reach them? How will I know if I have achieved them?
Are my goals flexible? What will I do if I experience a setback?
Are my goal controllable? Can I achieve them on my own?
Are my goals in sync with my values?

6. Setting smart goals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVstw9HYl-o
Compete the Personal Identity – My Goals sheet found on blackboard under this section.
Print and turn in when completed.

7. Social Aspects of Achieving Your Goals
Make new friends
Study with friends
Actively engage with the college community
Volunteer to help others
Join student organizations
Get an internship
Work for a company related to your curriculum
Stay connected via social media (but use it judiciously)*
Keep a positive attitude
Congratulate yourself on all you’ve done to get where you are

8. Your Physical environment
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Analyze the impact of your surroundings while you study
Define distraction and multitasking
Assess the degree to which personal technology may help or hinder your study efforts

9. The Impact of Your Surroundings While You Study
If a researcher walked up to you right now and asked you to identify your favorite place to study, what would your immediate response be?
What are your preferences for your physical surroundings when you study?
What are the attributes of your most conducive study environment?
Click the link to read about how your study environment effects your productivity:

10. Your study environment FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDY SPACES
Answer Yes/No to the following questions as we go over them.
Music: Background music is generally “easy” on the ear and can enhance study productivity, as well as drown out other distractions. Depends on your personal tolerance, though. Headphones negatively impact memory and information retention.
Background noise: Volume of noise and persistence can be major distractions. Try out other environments.
Smells: Any smell, delightful or otherwise, has the potential to pull your attention away from your work. You may want to change your spot.
Lighting: Good lighting is essential. Without good lighting, you may strain or squint, get a headache, or tire. Be aware of the lighting conditions.
Temperature and humidity: If either is too extreme, it can make you uncomfortable and get in the way of effective studying.
Facebook, , smart phone: Distractions come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. What draws your attention away from the task at hand? Remove all distractions.

11. Your study environment FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDY SPACES
Comfort—too much or too little: Too much of a good thing can be counterproductive. Best to study at a desk in a good chair, sitting up straight, rather than in bed, lying down. Be aware of how you feel.
Associations with other activities: Make sure that you associate the environment you’re in with schoolwork, study and concentration. Try new spaces if the associations are not supportive.
The clock: You may wish to set time goals for your studies. But avoid “being a slave” to the clock. Be clear about what you intend to accomplish and how much time you want to devote.
Other people: Depending on who the people are, they can help or distract. Study groups can be very helpful, but housemates all around can be distracting. Know your limits and your weaknesses.
Feng shui: This is the art of placement in your physical environment. Nurture your thoughts, emotions, and senses with good organization of furniture, knickknacks, etc. Avoid feeling cramped. Create a clean, neat workspace.
Does this exercise give you any ideas for ways in which you might change where you study? How might you alter your physical environment to better support your schoolwork?