The best part about attending a university with over 30,000 undergraduates is the astonishing amount of diversity on our campus. As we go about our daily routines simply walking from one lecture hall to the next, or waiting in line at the bookstore, we unconsciously come in contact with a multitude of people from various backgrounds. As we continue to grow as young adults throughout our college careers and beyond, it is valuable to acknowledge these differences by exercising tolerance and understanding in regards to culture, race, religion, etc.
Last Sunday marked the beginning of a Jewish Holiday called Rosh Hashanah, or more commonly known as the Jewish New Year in English. Since the U of A is often referred to as the “Jew of A” due to it’s large population of Jewish students, I figured I would embrace this play on words (pun?) by relating this celebration of a “new year” to our still somewhat new school year.
Similar to the American New Year, Rosh Hashanah is a time to make resolutions and plan for better upcoming year. Along with the intentions of self-improvement, Rosh Hashanah also focuses largely on introspection. Reflecting back on the mistakes of the past year, making amends, and seeking reconciliation with others is an important aspect of this holy day for the Jewish people. Today, Rosh Hashanah is interpreted and observed differently from person to person, though always keeping in mind its core values and importance.
With a new school year still pretty fresh on our plates as September comes to an end, I think the ideals of Rosh Hashanah can be very applicable in regards to planning for a more successful upcoming year than the last. With self-improvement comes goal setting in order to stay focused, motivate yourself, and keep your priorities straight. We have compiled a list of six ways to help you set goals in college that will ultimately prepare you for a successful year to come.
1. Think about your end goals. Ask yourself what kind of goals do you want to achieve during your time in school? These goals can be large or small.
2. Be specific with your goals. Being as specific as possible while setting your goals can help make your goals as attainable as possible so you will be more likely to achieve them.
3. Be realistic with your goals. Spend some time thinking about what makes sense for you as a learner, as a student, and as a person. Set reasonable goals that focus on helping you make progress and improve in ways that seem reachable.
4. Think about a realistic time line. Setting goals within a time frame will help you set deadlines for your self. Set goals for a week, a month, a semester, each year, and graduation. Every goal you set for yourself should have some kind of time frame attached, otherwise you end up putting off what you need to do.
5. Think about your personal and intellectual strengths. If you set yourself up to do things that are too challenging, you can end up setting yourself up for failure rather than success. Use your strengths to find ways to overcome these weaknesses based on your own personal intellectual strengths.
6. Translate your strengths into details. Using your strengths is the best way to get from idea to reality! Being specific in your planning will help you get there!