Time to pack up my room, pay about a million dollars for some books, get some pencils, and head back to school. Freshman year flew by. Literally flew, but it was unforgettable. I met some of the coolest people, dedicated myself to a bunch of new activities and, of course, learned a lot. A new year brings new challenges, new goals, and new accomplishments.
Outlining my goals for the semester is an important and impactful way to start the new school year. Though random goals may pop into my head from week to week, the ones that I outline at the beginning of the semester keep me grounded. More than that they are a way to encourage me to continue working hard even in the moments where I no longer feel like I want to give up start burning out. Personally, I like to have different types of goals. I have a lot of things going on and clumping them all into one type can be hard. I have short term goals, which tend to be more tangible, and can be accomplished within the span of the semester, or year. Then I have my long term goals.
Being in college, you tend to think about your future A LOT. Especially since it's the main reason you are in college. Though the future is constantly on the forefront of my mind I don't know exactly what I want to do but I do have basic ideas on how I want to live so my long term, more abstract goals, tend to be more directed on the way to live that future lifestyle (they're also much shorter).
If you have some extra time on your hands, not only writing out your goals, but decorating them/ making them look pretty can be fun (especially with friends). You can then post them in a place where they are constantly in your eyesight to literally keep your goals in your sight at all times.
So without further introduction…
My goals for Fall 2018 and beyond.
Academic: Get straight A's - Okay, so this one's kinda basic but it's still important. My GPA isn't as high as I'd like it to be (mostly because of the wreck that was economics last semester) so I need to get it up and it's much easier to get it up sooner rather than later.
Social: Put myself out there- So far through college I've joined organizations that I've felt comfortable with because of past experience. This year I want to try to put myself in a situation where I don't necessarily feel comfortable but have a lot to gain by being there. I already know that's going to be incredibly hard for me (I went to one debate team meeting at felt incredibly uncomfortable) I enjoy going into things confident in my ability but, the purpose of college is to learn new things and gain new skill. You only grow as much as you allow yourself to.
Financial: Find new opportunities- I did a really good job saving money this summer, and between my two jobs I was able to put a good amount away to give me some financial leeway through the school year. My goal for this year is to not spend as much on eating out and other unnecessary expenses. Though I am not working on a consistent basis I want to be able to find some other opportunities to make money whether it be through odd jobs or scholarships.
Artistic: Follow my passions (and make time for them)- I want to make a documentary, keep writing for my newspaper, write new stories, and continue working on this blog and growing it. There's so many new artistic (specifically writing) ventures that I want to take but if I am serious about them I need to budget my time and stay on top of it.
So there are my goals for the new semester! (Plus the ones below) What are yours?
Stay young, gifted, & black <3
Lauren