Using your goals to guide your study strategy

 

Using your goals to guide your study strategy
Your reasons for studying and your goals can guide the way you proceed with your study, as in the following examples.

Goal A: to learn about the subject
If learning about the subject is the most important outcome for you, then reading around the subject and doing what interests you may be more important than following the curriculum.

Goal B: to have a good grade
If your chief priority is getting a good grade, then it is likely to be important that you ‘play the game’ and find out exactly what is required.

Goal C: just to get through
If you have many other demands on your time, or gaps in your education, you may have to limit yourself to covering essentials. What is important is that you know how to find and use information to get you through – you can fill gaps in your knowledge later in life.

Stating you goals
Goals are most motivating when stated in the present:
I am able to achieve a 2.1!
It is also best to state them as positive objectives:
I am able to gain a good job.
Negatively worded goals, such as ‘A degree will help me to escape from my current employment’, are less effective in providing motivation.

The effect of thinking negatively
Having a negative outcome is like going shopping with a list of what you are not going to buy.

Analyze goals in detail
The following questions are based on approach known as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). For each goal, go through the following questions and the resource sheet below.

Are your goals ‘well-formed’?
*             Are the goals clear and specific?
*             Are they at all limiting?
*             Do they help you?
*             Are they realistic?
*             Do they help you?
*             Are they realistic?
*             Are they sufficiently motivating?
*             Are the outcomes worth it?
*             Are they really desirable?
*             How will you know you have achieved the outcomes – what will be different?

What are the implications of having these goals?
*             Will you need to put everything else on hold?
*             Will you have to change your study options?
*             Who else will be affected?
*             Are there other implications?

What are the potential gains?
*             Will you feel more in control of your life?
*             Will you have more respect for yourself?
*             Are there other potential gains?

What are the potential losses?
*             Will you see less of family and friends?
*             What sacrifices are involved?
*             Are there other potential losses?

Visualize yourself in the future, having achieved your goals
*             Where are you as a result of your achievement?
*             Are there any good or bad consequences?
*             What has changed for you?
*             Are you as happy as you thought you would be?