By Laura Blanco
With a new year comes a new semester and new goals for students to set so they can do their best. Before students set new intentions for the semester, it is important to distinguish the difference between a goal and a resolution.
Dr. Trent Wondra, associate professor of psychology at Barry, helped make this distinction.
“The biggest difference is in conceptualization and mindset,” he said. “Resolutions are abstract, while goals are specific.”
Wondra suggests setting two resolutions: one for a healthier life and one for better academics. The goals come next.
There are two ways to format a goal. For short-term goals, students can write “I will...” statements. For long-term goals, students should write in present tense, such as “I am...” statements.
Wondra broke down the psychology behind setting a goal.
“Goals have two main components setting (e.g., “I will earn an A in my class.”) and striving (e.g., planning out the semester, reading, coming to class, studying, etc.). [Another] component of goal setting is motivation, which is largely determined by the probability of the outcome and how much we value the outcome,” he said.
A goal students could consider implementing, Wondra suggests, is avoiding procrastination.
Students can do this by planning and setting deadlines for themselves. For example, if there is a paper due March 4, students should plan to have it ready for March 2.
“This way, when life, competing goals, or just underestimating how long something will take occurs, anxiety does not overtake us and instead we can still be successful,” said Wondra.
Maria Bolivar, a junior majoring in advertising and public relations, has several goals for 2022. Some include, “[planning] ahead for my senior year, looking into internships, going back to doing my gym routine, [and] finding the passion for makeup again.”
Bolivar plans to work on these goals by meeting with her advisor, sharpening her LinkedIn profile, motivating herself to get to the gym, and making time to do colorful makeup.
Karol Fragoso, a freshman studying television and media studies, also has various goals for this year.
“My goals are reaching 10K [subscribers] on my YouTube channel, recording daily TikToks, traveling a lot, making profit from daily activities using social media, studying about business and the stock market to be financially independent, and making a lot of new friends,” said Fragoso.
Fragoso’s plan to achieve some of these goals is to plan her day and record her daily activities for her TikTok videos.
Many people are hesitant to set goals at the start of the year because they tend to stop following through. According to Wondra, the reason why people can’t accomplish their goals is because of a lack of planning.
To aid in this, Wondra suggests students set up “SMART” goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
With this knowledge, it is time for you to set your own goals. To provide some guidance, The Buccaneer has put together a list of four possible goals this semester.
Get organized at the start of every week.
Using a digital app or planner, you can write down all your upcoming events, meetings, and assignments. This will help you stay on track and prevent you from forgetting something.
Meal prep if you want to change your diet.
You can meal prep in two ways: outline the meals you would like to eat throughout the week or prepare these meals in advance to save time during the week. This can help you avoid mindless snacking throughout your busy day and give your body the fuel it needs to support you.
Take one day to rest and recharge every week.
It is important to give our bodies and minds rest from the daily grind. Try to complete all your work and assignments in six days so you can disconnect at least one day per week.
Get involved with the Barry community.
On the Corq app, you can find events that Barry hosts throughout the month and become involved. You can also join clubs or organizations that interest you to find new friends and opportunities.
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