VGCC Library Services: ACA 115: Success & Study Skills: SMART & Academic Goals

SMART Goals

Specific

Have a clear vision of your desired process and end result. Know exactly what you want to accomplish.

Measurable

How will you know when your goal is accomplished? Use numbers and precise ways of measuring whenever possible. Measurement will give you specific feedback and hold you accountable.

Attainable

Don't make your goal too hard or too easy. Goals should push you but it is important that they remain achievable.

Realistic

Make sure your goal is doable in the time frame chosen. Outline steps you can take to accomplish it. Understand the steps the goal will require and make sure that you can reach them.

Time Sensitive

Set a completion date for your goal as well as for specific steps of your goal. This helps you to remain accountable and motivated.

SMART goals keep you focused
SMART is an acronym to help you convert your ideas and good intentions into meaningful goals that can be accomplished.
Make Your SMART Goals WISE Goals
"Goals help people to cut through the clutter of a crowded mind and keep their thoughts on the things that matter most. They help them focus. To be effective, you can't just set random goals the way many people do..."
New Beginnings: Goal-Setting that Works
An article on using SMART Goals to achieve results.
Get SMART with plans to make goals achievable
Provides examples of SMART goals and how to determine what is a SMART goal.

SMART Goals Video - Films on Demand

Academic Goals : Print Materials

Book of Majors 2016 by College Board Staff
Call Number: L 901 .C6787 2016
ISBN: 9781457304248
Publication Date: 2015-07-07
Covers over 1,100 college majors in the U.S and shows which colleges and universities offer which majors with which degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate. Available at Main Campus. 2013 Edition available at Franklin and South Campuses.
How to Succeed in College (While Really Trying) by Jon B. Gould
ISBN: 9780226304663
Publication Date: 2012-05-18
A college professor talks students through tips and strategies for being successful in college. Available online. Click title to access.
The Community College Advantage by Diane Melville
Call Number: LB 2328.15 .U6 M46 2013
ISBN: 9781402279829
Publication Date: 2013-05-07
Whether you're looking to transfer to a four-year school or you want an edge in the job market, community college could be your key to success. The question is: How can you make community college work to your advantage? Available at Main, South, and Franklin Campuses.
The Community College Career Track by Thomas Snyder
Call Number: LB 2328 .S61 2012
ISBN: 9781118271698
Publication Date: 2012-09-25
Get a good education without massive debt, and enter a field that's actually hiring In coming years, millions of great jobs will be opening up in growth areas like advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, health care, information technology, and sustainable energy. These jobs can pay as well as, or much better than, the average income for four-year college graduates. They generally offer high levels of day-to-day satisfaction. And the path to all of them begins in the community colleges. Available at Main and South Campuses
The Secrets of College Success by Lynn F. Jacobs; Jeremy S. Hyman
ISBN: 9781118575123
Publication Date: 2013-04-15
Combines easy-to-follow tips with insider information to help students navigate and succeed in college: pick courses and choose a major, manage your time and stress level, develop college-level study skills, get good grades, interact effectively with the professor, and more. Available online. Click title for access.