By Jeff Sierra, Academic Advisor
As you think about what you’ll do during your gap semester, it is important to set some goals that are attainable and can be accomplished during the 100 days before you start your first semester at Boston University.
During your gap semester and when you arrive to BU, you’ll sometimes find that you face procrastination, low motivation, personal challenges, or self-doubt. In fact, many issues can get in the way of your personal and academic progress.
When you set goals, you are investing time in yourself and in your future success. Goals are essential to your success – in the classroom and outside of it. Successful students routinely set goals and set aside time to reflect on what went well with their goals or what lessons can be learned from setbacks.
A Blueprint for Weekly Goal Setting
1. Practice weekly goal setting
Set time each week to relax in a quiet setting and consider the goals you would like to achieve over the coming week. They can be small like cleaning your room or ambitious like applying for part-time jobs in your hometown.
2. Prioritize
Write goals down as they come to you, then rewrite in order of priority. Which of your goals that are essential, which ones are important but can be done later, and which ones are less important?
3. Break down large goals into smaller, more manageable tasks
Make sure they have a timeline and can be achieved in a short amount of time. For example, your goal of “finding a part-time job” is very different from “applying to three part-time jobs downtown by the weekend.” Creating a daily “to-do” list is a great way of breaking big goals down into achievable smaller ones. Make sure to work on only one goal at a time and cross of each goal from your list as you complete it.
4. Evaluate your progress towards your goals
Get in the habit of doing this regularly and try not to be critical of yourself if you don’t see the gains you were expecting,. Try to adopt a positive and optimistic stance towards your goals, and don’t overlook the small successes. When you notice yourself thinking poorly about yourself or your goals, push yourself to use positive self-talk. Remember, this is all a process and you are doing everything you can do and making the most of the resources you have available.
5. Celebrate yourself!
No accomplishment is too small!
Successfully achieving your goals will contribute to positive self-esteem and your sense of effectiveness as a student. You can always share your goals with your academic advisor. We want to see you succeed and have a positive experience here at Boston University.