What are examples of SMART goals for college students?
Do you wonder, what goals should I be setting while I’m a student?
We all have goals – there are always things that we wish for and want to happen.
As a college student, it’s savvy to prioritize your goals.
From getting good grades to maintaining a social life, there can be so many things you’d like to achieve. You have to look beyond the classroom when looking for smart goals examples for students.
But, for your goals to be achievable especially when you’re hard-pressed for time, you need to make sure they’re also S.M.A.R.T.
These goals are definitely worth having, and you’ll definitely feel great when they happen.
Get ahead. Be a winner. Stand out from the crowd.
It’s well and good to have goals, but you need to make sure you can achieve your goals. So, what you need is a proven way to get the results you want.
Make a SMART start to goal setting, and take the needed actions over a specified time period. This way you’ll ensure your goals can be reached. You may know that SMART typically stands for:
- S: Specific
- M: Measurable
- A: Achievable
- R: Relevant
- T: Time-bound
Let’s take a look at how setting a SMART list of goals for savvy college students works. Here are 5 examples of SMART goals for college students, and exactly how to achieve them.
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Top 5 Super SMART Goals College Students Should Have
SMART College Student Goal #1:
“I want to be healthier and lose weight to look better”
Specific: I want to lose 15 lbs. this semester
Measurable:
- I’ll look up places like eBay and Craigslist, and buy a good quality used bicycle within 3 weeks.
- I will look online for simple and healthy meal recipes that I’ll use within a week.
- I’ll find an accountability partner to exercise with 3 times a week today.
- I will make a list of the healthiest foods for good nutrition by Friday.
- I’ll make an appointment today with the on-campus nutritionist.
Achievable:
- I’ll cycle the 6 km regularly between home and campus.
- I’ll always take the stairs and stop using the elevator.
- I will walk to class taking “the long way” every day.
- I’ll meal prep my own simple and healthy meals every weekend.
- I’ll have fast food only once a week (down from my usual 3 fast-food meals a week).
👉🏽 RELATED POST: 21 Healthy Habits for College Students
Relevant: It’s smart to look after my own health. Being fitter means:
- I’ll be better able to successfully manage my busy college lifestyle.
- I’ll reduce my risk of falling ill by boosting my immune system.
- I will improve my mental health and reduce stress.
- I’ll develop positive long-term habits that will keep me fit and healthy.
- Then, I will look better and have a better quality of life.
- I’ll look better, which will be an asset in my job search.
- I will become a more confident person.
Time-bound: I’ll lose 7 lbs in the first 4 weeks, and lose 8 lbs in the following 4 weeks. I’ll maintain my ideal weight from then.
This will work since I’ll be continuing my active lifestyle and healthy eating habits.
SMART College Student Goal #2:
“I want to build up an emergency fund”
Specific: I want to build up an emergency fund of $1,000.
Measurable:
- I’ll take a close look at my finances today – my monthly income and expenses.
- Then, I will write down the areas where I can cut my spending and start saving.
- I’ll think of new side hustles to make more money part-time.
Achievable: Every Saturday I’ll record the amount of savings I make, and how much extra money I make from my side hustle.
Relevant: I really need to have an emergency fund, because there can be unexpected expenses like broken phones and auto repairs.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: 4 Financial Tips for College Students To Save
Time-bound: I’ll have saved up my $1,000 emergency fund in 18 months’ time, as I have calculated that I can afford to put aside $56 each month for the purpose.
Once you’ve crushed your worthy goal of creating an emergency fund, you can use the same saving and side hustle skills to save for other goals like investing or taking a vacation (when that’s safe again). That’s how you have more money as a college student. 🙂
SMART College Student Goal #3:
“I want to get better grades in my courses”
Specific: I want to score at least an A- in each of my courses (I currently have an average grade of B).
Measurable:
- Over the next week, I will make appointments with my course instructors.
- I’ll ask them for advice on how I could earn an A- or a higher grade in each course.
- I will note down their advice and feedback, and start taking steps to do better in my studies.
- Reach out to fellow students to form a study group that meets every other week and shares notes for exams.
Achievable:
- On the day after tomorrow, I’ll create a weekly time schedule for term time.
- This schedule will detail my class times, part-time work hours, self-study times, breaks, and leisure times.
- I’ll allocate enough time each week to studying each course.
- I will add these dates and times to my digital calendar (Google Calendar or iCal).
- I’ll start using the Pomodoro technique to study.
- I’ll regularly apply improved learning strategies based on my instructors’ feedback.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How to Set Your Priorities
Relevant: I really want to reach my full potential as a student.
Getting good grades is a top priority for me, as doing better will jumpstart my career when I graduate. With better grades, I can so incense my odds of getting into grad school.
In a highly competitive job market, I’ll likely get better job offers sooner, and be better prepared for my new job.
Time-bound: By the next major exams, I’ll be scoring more A- or higher grades in my courses.
In a year’s time, as a SMART and savvy college student, I’ll have my A- or better grades in my results.
SMART College Student Goal #4:
“I want to upgrade my phone or computer (or a vacation when it’s safe)”
Specific: I’d like to save $500 to upgrade my phone or computer (or a vacation when it’s safe).
Measurable:
- I’ll take a close look at my current monthly budget, including income, expenses, and savings.
- I’ll write down the ways I can potentially save more money (like reducing monthly subscriptions).
- I will make a list of items I can sell online or trade in to cut the cost of my upgrade.
- I will look up online jobs for college students I can apply for.
Achievable: Every Saturday, I’ll record the amount of savings I make, and how much extra money I’ll make from my side hustle.
Relevant: My current computer is slow and struggling with the programs required for my courses. A faster computer will help me save time on my school work, as well as earn extra money from a side job.
If saving for a future trip: I would love to go away on a vacation with my friends during the next summer break. It would help me to unwind after my exams and a stressful 2020 year.
This will help me sustain my efforts towards doing better in my courses.
Time-bound: I’ll have saved up $500 in 9 months – I’ve calculated that I can put aside $56 every month for the purpose.
Are you clueless about what goals you should set in college? Here are 5 examples of SMART goals for college students, including saving an emergency fund. #lifehack #millennial #studentlife
SMART College Student Goal #5:
“I want to improve my job interview skills”
Specific: I want to become confident and effective at job interviews.
Measurable:
- Tomorrow I’ll begin searching for tips on interview skills.
- I’ll look for books and online info, and visit the career center to learn more about job interview skills.
- I will go through the tips and take notes on interview skills like anticipating possible questions and preparing well-considered answers to them.
- I’ll look into other skills like CV writing.
Achievable:
- I’ll practice my speaking skills by asking questions and volunteering answers in class.
- I’ll also practice answering possible interview questions, video record myself and playback to take note of my strengths and weaknesses.
- Getting a friend to ask me sample interview questions will help me fine-tune my answers.
- I’ll work on improving my weak areas.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How to Train Your Subconcious Mind for Success
Relevant: Becoming a better speaker, listener and questioner will boost my self-confidence.
In a competitive job market, strong interview skills will be a huge plus in my job search.
Time-bound: In 2 months’ time, I’ll become more confident and effective at job interviews.
As a SMART and savvy grad, I’ll present myself in the best possible light, and will secure a good job offer sooner. This will all help to my get my dream job after graduation.
Get Your SMART Goals Worksheet
Ready to set these S.M.A.R.T. Goals examples to help you succeed in college?
Whether you’re pushing for better grades, or to save up a new computer (or spring break holiday), you need to make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Sign up below to get your FREE SMART Goals Worksheet, form-fillable, and printable and includes more examples to help you.
Sign up below for your FREE SMART Goals Worksheet + get weekly tips to help you slay your goals.
From these smart goal examples for students, you can see that setting your goals the SMART way makes your goals more than just wishes or dreams. SMART goal setting sharpens your focus, as you need to be clear about these things:
- What exactly do you want to achieve? (Specific)
- What exactly do you need to do, by when? (Measurable)
- Is this achievable, can you get it done? (Achievable)
- Why and how are your goals important to you? (Relevant)
- When can you reasonably expect to crush your goals? (Time-bound)
How to Achieve Your SMART College Goals
Get crystal clear about why and how your goals are important to you.
Clarity is KEY to motivating yourself to stick to your SMART and savvy goals till you crush them.
How do you stay on track? There are different ways to stay the course. Some examples are:
- Vision: Create a vision board or vision screen – look for attractive pictures, whether hard copy or online.
Display in prominent places the pictures of your goals e.g. photos of the places you plan to vacation at. Make the pictures a part of your phone or computer home screen. - Reminders: Give yourself reminders – you can use phone apps or a digital/hard copy organizer to post reminders for yourself.
- Rewards: Reward yourself for the milestones achieved – always give yourself treats or other rewards to sustain your momentum towards reaching your goals.
Treat yourself to a special meal or a present to celebrate your SMART milestones.
Now, if you need something even stronger to keep yourself powering towards your set goals . . .
Scare yourself!
Yes. Scare yourself into staying the course – this is the ultimate way!
Imagine not cutting it at job interviews. Think about having to write and send countless cover letters over many long months, trying to get a job after graduation.
Imagine not having an emergency fund, and desperately having to borrow money to fix your car.
Do you want these unpleasant situations to happen? No?
You know the SMART and savvy things you need to do to avoid the real nightmares.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: Examples of SMART Goals and How to Make Them
Summary:
- Step 1: Write up your SMART goals.
- Step 2: Keep yourself rewarded and motivated. Stay savvy.
- Step 3: Stay the course and walk the talk.
- Step 4: Relish crushing your goals. Rejoice!
Start making and carrying out SMART goals as a way to succeed.
All the best and good luck!
Make all your SMART goals come true 🙂
What SMART goal example for students will you set in college?
More About Guest Contributor
Jo enjoys sharing helpful ideas and money saving/making tips with her readers. Her passion is looking into the many areas of life and coming up with how to have a better life and have extra money in the pocket. Helping all folks to reach their full potential and their goals give her a great feeling.
Last Updated on March 3, 2025
Tiffany says
Such a great post. These ideas are on point. Thanks for sharing ♥️ ♥️ By any chance you are interested on doing collaborations, you can check out the collaborations portal of Phlanx.com and connect with amazing brands!
Xoxo,
Tiffany
Jo Anna says
Thanks very much Tiffany! I appreciate your helpful tip on the collaborations portal 🙂
Mikel says
So you totally sound like an advertising or marketing student! I’m so happy someone can appreciate S.M.A.R.T objectives and goals. Its so useful in my career and in life goals!
Jo Anna says
Thanks so much for your kind words! You’re so right. When S.M.A.R.T goals are used properly, they can be powerful in helping us to attain our goals, no matter how challenging they are.
Tracy @ Cleland Clan says
I’ll definitely be sharing this with my college-age son! It’s so important to know what you’re working towards and what you need to do to achieve those goals. For me, measurable was always the hardest part.
Jo Anna says
Thanks for stopping by 🙂 These examples of S.M.A.R.T goals have been specially chosen to help college students prioritize well during this stage of their lives as they’ve so many things competing for their attention. I’m glad they’ll benefit your son.
Maria says
Such a good read! This should be a must for young adults!
Jo Anna says
Many thanks Maria! Young adults can have a great head start with some SMART goals 🙂
Sophia Inza says
Love the acronym! Will be sharing this post with my sisters who are in college. This mindset is so helpful!
Jo Anna says
Thanks Sophia! I hope your sisters who are in college find this post useful. I wish you all many successes and good luck!
Leah says
I love this!! Going to share it with my niece since she graduates this spring it will come in handy for her! Thanks for sharing
Jo Anna says
Hi Leah,
Thanks for reading and sharing my post 🙂 Wishing you and your niece success in reaching all your goals!
Ahtsham Rana says
This is a really wonderful guide, I’m a university student myself and these are actually the goals I think about as well(and do work to achieve them too).
Your tips are very useful, I’ll definitely keep them in mind.
Jo Anna says
Hi Ahtsham, thanks! Glad you are finding this post helpful 🙂 May all your SMART goals come true soon!
Emily says
These are some great tips! I especially love the goal of taking a trip after big exams! I always tried to do this while I was in school.
Jo Anna says
Thanks Emily! I’m glad you like these tips 🙂 Going on a well-earned trip after major exams is a lovely reward. It need not be costly to get away and enjoy being in new places.
Shannon | Shannie Chic says
Wish I would have had this when I was in college. As someone with some hindsight I can say these are great tips and goals. Especially the savings fund!
Jo Anna says
Thanks very much Shannon 🙂 Yes, having a savings fund is a good goal to prioritize. It provides a financial safety net that gives a real sense of security. Adding to this fund is a good habit to develop.
Marjie Mare says
In my daily job, I have to make smart goals for my patients. Now I appreciate how you incorporate those goals into our personal lives.
Jo Anna says
Thanks very much Marjie! My hope is to make the SMART goals more relevant and more real, so that they motivate college students and readers to set their own goals and work towards making them a reality 🙂
Maria says
These are some great tips for my upcoming college student daughter.
Jo Anna says
Hi Maria, thanks! I’m glad you found the ideas helpful 🙂 I wish your daughter a great start to college life, and success in attaining her goals.
Latte Lindsay says
I could definitely do with following this advice myself, although college was a long time ago for me! Great advice 🙂
Jo Anna says
Hello Latte, thanks very much! When we set SMART goals and motivate ourselves to take logical, concrete steps towards reaching them, we are sure to achieve more 🙂
Deepa says
This is is such a handy list for teenagers and college going kids. My daughter will be going to college soon. Will save it for her.
Jo Anna says
Hi Deepa, thank you! Teenagers and college students can reach important goals by using the SMART method. When they achieve success, it will inspire them to also use SMART goals in their career and daily life 🙂
Nadalie Bardo says
I so agree with you, Jo! It’s never too early to start using SMART goals. I can only imagine how much better I’d be at goal setting had I know this all in University.
Jo Anna says
Hi Nadalie, I didn’t know about SMART goals till a few years ago! Hoping that our readers will feel the deep satisfaction of systematically setting and achieving their goals 🙂
Angela Cardamone @marathonsandmotivation.com says
Wow! This is really great…Love the goals and using S.M.A.R.T. to help achieve them!!
Jo Anna says
Many thanks Angela! Glad you love the goals and SMART ways to achieve them! I gave much thought to these examples, as I want to make goal setting more concrete for college students and readers 🙂
Clair says
These are great goals! Saving up for an emergency fund is so important…you never know when something will come up!
Jo Anna says
Thanks very much Clair 🙂
You’re right about costly surprises, and therefore the need to have an emergency fund to meet unexpected bills. There’s every reason to set up and build up this fund asap.
1stopmom says
I really like this. College can be pretty stressful so having goals written down in a way to hold yourself accountable is a good idea.
Jo Anna says
Thanks very much 1stopmom! My boy’s in college and it is stressful keeping up in his learning and meeting assignment deadlines. Once planned and written down, SMART goals give clarity to one’s purpose and hold oneself accountable. This makes goal attainment much more likely to happen.
remo says
My college days are way over but it was a nice read. Some of it caters to daily life too.
Jo Anna says
Thanks Remo. You’re right about using the SMART way to crush important goals in daily life 🙂
Mimi says
You made saving money so achievable, I definitely need to break it down like that
Nadalie Bardo says
Hey Mimi,
Love it! Setting SMART goals in college to save money is a great idea.
Heather @ US Japan Fam says
These are great tips! We could all use some more SMART goals in our lives!
Nadalie Bardo says
Hey Heather,
Agreed! Setting SMART goals is always a good idea. Especially, in college!
Jen @ JENRON DESIGNS says
This is a great way to focus in goals and achievable is so important followed by measureable.
Nadalie Bardo says
Hey Jen,
I completely agree with you! Setting smart goals makes them so much more achievable.
Bella says
SMART goals are so important, this is such a great post, Thanks for sharing this
Nadalie Bardo says
Thanks, Bella!
Anna Elle Liz says
I love that you gave such detailed examples! I think investing and saving as a college student is soo important!
Nadalie Bardo says
Hey Anna,
So happy you’re loving these SMART goal examples for college students. Investing and saving is really important. Great tip!
Clarice says
Love these examples of SMART goals that you shared. I think 1 and 2 are the most important. This are actually things that I give utmost value now that I am in my 30s but I have wished to start working on when I was still in college.
It's All You Boo says
Hey Clarice,
I’m so glad you love these SMART goal examples for college students. Agreed, being healthy and having an emergency fund are both very important to every college student. Worry not, it’s never too late to achieve those goals. Just keep pushing and best of luck on your journey to success!
Melissa Cushing says
These are all great tips for sollege students and even high school kids as the younger you start the better 😉 Thanks for sharing and bookmarking this for my oldest.
It's All You Boo says
Hey Melissa,
I’m so glad you love these SMART goal examples for college students. Agreed, the younger you start, the better. Best of luck on your eldest’s journey to college.
Prajaktasfoodlab says
That is such a fantastic post, so detailed and very good examples. I am bookmarking this for my friend.
It's All You Boo says
Hey Prajaktasfoodlab,
I’m so glad you love these SMART goal examples for college students. Thanks for sharing!
Viano says
Great tips. Recently started using this method and I can say that the results have been amazing.
It's All You Boo says
Hey Viano,
Glad you love these examples of smart goals for college students. I’m so happy it worked well for you. Thanks for reading and best of luck on your journey to success.
Karletta says
Excellent article … it’s so important to use our youth wisely. A goal like having an emergency fun is brilliant … later, when the income starts flowing in, that goal can grow into having an investment fund. The way you give is examples of how to goal set is very practical too
It's All You Boo says
Hey Karletta,
Glad you love these examples of smart goals for college students. Agreed, it’s very important to use our youth wisely. Emergency funds are definitely important for college students that can grow into an investment fund. Thank you for reading and for your wonderful insights!
Smiley says
It’s so important to set goals that are realistic…SMART really works in many areas of life. Well done!
It's All You Boo says
Hey Smiley,
Agreed, it’s very important to set goals that are realistic and SMART goals work in many areas of life. Thanks for reading!