SETTING YOUR GPA GOAL FOR THE TERM

Last week I blogged about what makes a goal a SMART goal, rather than just a wish. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely are much easier to plan for strategically, to schedule, and to gain.

I’ll be focussing quite a bit this term on turning academic goals from hopes to goals to action. This week my clients–and you, if you are a student—have finished your first week of class. It’s time to set some SMART goals.

These goals might be in the area of maintaining life school balance. Or of health–such as getting good sleep. Or they could be tackling a past weakness, such as meeting all deadlines. Pick one that is challenging, yet important to you.

One area every student ties in to all term, and that is their GPA. Everyone hopes for a “good” GPA, and everyone hopes for a “good” grade in each course. It’s time to get SMART about it.

What does a SMART GPA goal look like? It is Specific. You can change it later, adjust upward or downward, but for right now, set a specific GPA that you are going to target for this term.

It has to be Measurable. That means you will be monitoring your grades on assignments. You will know how much each assignment is worth in each course. Check the syllabus to avoid surprises later in the term. Set up a tracking system that works for you. It doesn’t matter if you invent a short-and-dirty spreadsheet, or use an app, just something that you will keep up to date as you get quiz, labs, paper, and participation grades.

Your SMART GPA goal has to be Achievable. If you are on probation, 4.0 is a bit of a reach (although I’ve seen it happen). Set a goal that you believe you can meet, either the minimum you think you can reach, or one that requires a bit of a stretch. But not too much of a stretch. You can always adjust upward as the term progresses, and that is a much greater reward and motivator than adjusting downward!

What does “Relevant” mean, in terms of your GPA goal? Here, relevance is tied into the requirements of others as well as yourself. What GPA do you need to meet your academic probation requirements? What do you need as a prerequisite for admission to your desired program? What goal is relevant to you? It could be moving from a B+ average to an A. It could be that this year you have some nonacademic health or family challenges, and maintaining a solid B is a relevant undertaking, so as not to slip backward. Here you also take the longer view: How does this term’s grades affect your overall program GPA? This is relevant if you are an undergrad planning on admission to Medicine, Law, or Grad School.

Now what if what is Relevant is  higher than you feel you can Achieve? THIS IS ALMOST ALWAYS NOT A TRUE SELF-ASSESSMENT. This is where you strategically analyze exactly where your challenges are going to be, what resources and aids are available, and how soon you can access them. You have a team: your instructors, campus advisors, campus programs that address specific learning and academic skills, and, on an individual basis, tutors and learning strategists (that would be me).

That leaves Timeliness. Yes, the grades and the GPA final calculation come at the end of the term. Unlike  many other goals, however, where timeliness refers to a specific date of completion, Timeliness with respect to your GPA SMART goal means what specifically do you need to get done by what dates in order to push the probability of gaining your goal. What date is each assignment, quiz, or lab due? How much lead time do you need to prepare? This is time management, project management on a course-by-course basis.

That’s it for setting a SMART GPA goal for the term. Next week we’ll fine tune on more specific goals—let me know your challenge areas this term in the form below. And connect with me to work on setting your SMART goals for your challenge areas [email protected]

The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS PLEASE DIAL 911.