Short-term and long-term goals for your child’s education are essential to mull over. Goals aid in keeping a person on track and achieving milestones for a successful future. It is vital to have both short-term and long-term goals, but our focus today is on goals your child can achieve soon. Short-term goals will help your student narrow down what must be done to achieve the long-term goals they desire. Smaller objectives will pave the way for the bigger target making the long-term goal easily attainable with their short-term dedication.
A goal that your child wants to complete in a short time frame consists of an objective that can be attained within a year. Partaking in meaningful activity, such as working toward a goal, brings forth a positive lifestyle. The productivity from short-term goals tends to eliminate nasty procrastination habits that we all come to know at some point in our life.
Here are a few short-term goals to consider discussing with your child:
1. Grades
You can ask your child what class they hope to improve and how they might plan to achieve the grade they are seeking. What are study techniques that can be put in place to help with their goal of good grades? Is there a schedule that might be beneficial to follow? Is a limit on screen time necessary, and what would be the best route for this to occur? There should be a daily task to accomplish this goal.
2. Making Connections
Positive relationships are critical to have for any child. These relationships can be with other students and even with a mentor. There are plenty of mentorship programs where your child can connect with an academic coach to help guide them along their academic journey. Discuss with your child what types of relationships they would feel comfortable and happy to obtain this year. Would they like to start planning a study group to grow their academic and personal bond with other students? Would they want to have a mentor to aid in achieving their short-term goals and understand what to expect or what needs to be accomplished for their long-term goal?
3. Obtain a New Skill Once a Month
Skills often determine if we are eligible for future opportunities. Discovering new talents or hobbies can help a child build their skillset. Discuss their interests and their long-term goals, which will aid in determining what skill can be worked on. Working toward obtaining a new skill can be done in many ways that vary for any child’s age. If attention to detail is a skill your middle-schooler should have for their dream career, then painting, playing an instrument, or creative writing on the weekends can be an excellent activity to enhance this skill. However, if your high-schooler needs to have a detail-oriented skill, then proofreading, event planning, leading projects, and breaking down instructions for a clear understanding will improve their keen eye for detail.
Jessica Weger is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Arizona Global Campus. Providing care for the disabled has been a lifelong journey that made Jessica strive to bring aid and awareness with her writing. She has two little boys that keep her on her toes while bringing out the fun in life. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” is true, but she also believes that sometimes it takes a village to be the best we can be. Jessica has a creative writing background with a published collection of poetry and desires to be the glue in piecing together stories that make a difference.
