24 goals for college students in 2024
INTRODUCTION
January is approaching soon. You see that everyone around you is making different resolutions and you want to set some new goals for 2024 too. But you’re unsure of exactly what you want to achieve. Or maybe you need new year’s resolution ideas. Don’t worry! In this post, you’ll find 23 goals for college students in 2024.
College is all about new experiences – an exciting time filled with new friends, fun experiences and challenges. And you want to make the best use of it.
Well, look no further. If you’re a college student, this post will provide you with 23 awesome and, at the same time, achievable and actionable goals. If you strive to accomplish all of them, you will undergo a phenomenal upgrade in 2024.
The goals are divided into four categories (click the category you want to visit):
But every goal has plenty of other benefits, besides the main category it falls under.
For example, did you know that learning a new language improves your ability to multitask and boosts your confidence while improving your memory and advancing your career?
So what are you waiting for? Read below to see the 24 goals for college students in 2024!
WHY SETTING GOALS IS IMPORTANT FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
1. You Can Improve Yourself And Be The Best YOU
College is an incredibly exciting time. Yes, you have to attend classes, study and work hard, and fulfill social and work expectations and that requires proper time management skills. But more than anything, college is a time of self-discovery. College life offers you fantastic opportunities to help you grow and evolve as a person.
It’s a life-changing and magical time in your life, and it is crucial that you make the best use of it. And setting clear goals in college can help you do just that. You can grow intellectually, socially, and psychologically while in college.
2. You can follow your passions and learn from your failures
College is all about personal development, which includes actively going after the things that matter to you. Nowadays, people have become far too comfortable with following the crowd or just going after what’s “cool.”
College students don’t take the time to think about what they actually want to achieve. Yes, if you set clear goals and maybe fail to meet them, you’ll have to face your disappointment. But isn’t short-term disappointment better than being clueless in the long run?
When you set clear goals, you can also learn a lot from your failures. And then, you can take the necessary steps to overcome them. Isn’t this much more rewarding than just sleepwalking your way through life?
3. You can focus on things that truly matter to you
When you’re a student in a university or college, there are so many things happening around you. As a result, you can lose focus of what you want. That’s why it’s essential to be aware of the direction in which you’re going and whether it aligns with your future dreams and goals.
After all, a dream will only remain a dream until you do something about it.
And not everyone will have a clear roadmap to their goals just yet. And that’s okay. This is the best time to explore and gain clarity about that. But you do need to set smaller goals that will help give you that clarity.
You can set professional goals or academic goals, long-term goals or short-term goals. Doing so while in college will also pave the way for a brighter future. In addition, goal setting allows you to be more productive.
24 goals for college students in 2024
1. Research the courses you plan on taking
When choosing college courses, it’s important not to follow the crowd blindly. By setting this goal, you are ensuring that you look at future opportunities for yourself and what interests you.
You might be tempted to take the same courses as your friends. Especially if you’re an introvert or a shy person, you might want to avoid taking courses that none of your friends are taking. Because that means you’ll have to socialize and get to know new people. And it can certainly be tempting to take a course you’re not really into if it means you can simply avoid doing all of that.
Well, you could do that for a few courses. But you don’t want to trade short-term comfort for long-term pain, where you’re stuck with subjects you don’t enjoy at all. Besides, if you take courses that actually interest you, you’ll make new friends who share the same interests as you. Think about all the exciting topics you can talk about with them!
Provides more satisfaction
In fact, research shows that students who chose university courses for self-realization and personal growth were more satisfied with their academics than others.
So if you’re already sure of what career you want to pursue, choose courses that align with that. If you’re unsure about what you want to do, talk to professors, your seniors in college, and even career counselors if needed before making a decision. It’s okay to make any decision as long as it’s informed and not just based on what everyone else is doing.
2. Learn a new language
This is an excellent goal for college students in 2024. Learning a new language has several benefits, including advancing your career and boosting your confidence. Research has shown that people who speak more than one language have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, multitasking, and better listening skills
Better career prospects
With the increasingly competitive job market, learning a new language also provides a significant career boost. Having a language on your resume immediately makes you stand out from the competition. For example, if you’re fluent in German and want to work at a Germany-based company, you already have an advantage over other applicants.
Nowadays, more and more job seekers are looking for someone who is bilingual or multilingual. With increasing globalization, employers want someone who can interact with the team and customers overseas without bearing the cost of training them.
Understand other cultures more deeply
Besides that, you can also study different countries and cultures more deeply if you speak that language. Think about that international trip you’re planning with your friends. How cool would it be if you could interact with the local people in their language? That’ll help you score brownie points in your friend circle for sure! So this can definitely be a long-term goal for college students.
3. Focus on gaining knowledge
This goal is another one that every college student should have in 2024. This is because if you’re studying just to get good grades, you might do well in college and maybe even manage to score good marks. But if you don’t take the time to understand the course material fully, your grades and everything else will be pretty useless.
Understand, don’t memorize!
When your focus is getting good grades, you’ll memorize things instead of taking the time to understand them. But while applying for jobs, interviewers test your knowledge. Employers generally use grades only as the initial screening criteria. But whether or not you ultimately secure the job depends on how well you do in interviews.
Develop real world knowledge and critical thinking skills
Your real-world understanding of the subject and critical thinking skills are all tested by your potential employers. And if you haven’t studied/understood the subjects properly, you’ll be a complete mess in interviews. You develop all these skills only when you focus on learning and gaining as much knowledge as possible.
When your main aim is to gain knowledge, you automatically take class notes, go through them, and look up what you haven’t understood from other sources. There are plenty of free resources which you can use to expand your knowledge and gain expertise in a subject. And once you do that, you will automatically secure good grades.
That’s why it’s crucial to be aware of what you are studying and why you are studying it. So make it your new year’s resolution to understand the subjects properly.
4. Complete certifications
Completing certifications is an excellent way of gaining knowledge and having credentials to show to the world. So, this is a popular goal for college students. With the whole internet at your fingertips, you only need to do a quick google search to find high-quality resources about the topics that interest you.
EdX, Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy are some of the best online platforms where you’ll find top-notch courses on almost any topic.
You only need a digital device and a stable internet connection to access thousands of courses for free.
You do need to pay a small fee to get an official certificate. But if you cannot afford to pay it, most of these platforms also offer financial aid.
Helps you while getting a job
Suppose you’re sure of what career path you want to pursue; having certifications in related subjects boosts your credibility while getting a job. Look online or consult your professors or peers to check which certificates will be the most valuable in the field that you want to pursue.
Having certifications in subjects unrelated to your degree or curriculum also come in handy while applying for jobs because they demonstrate to the potential employer that you possess the qualities of hard work and intellectual curiosity and go over and beyond what is expected from you. All these are significant signals for the hiring manager.
This makes it a great professional short-term goal one can have in college.
Obtain clarity about your career goals
And if like most of us, you’re unsure of what career you’d like to take up after college, this is a great way to obtain that clarity. Is there any subject that you thought was fascinating but never got to learn about it? This is your opportunity to learn about that!
You should always try to learn more and gain more knowledge of different fields, irrespective of whether those subjects are directly related to your college education. Remember that knowledge never goes to waste. Besides, this is a great way to explore different subjects and discover what interests you. You could unexpectedly end up liking a subject you didn’t get an opportunity to learn in college. And if there’s something that you’re genuinely interested in, you could learn about it in-depth as well.
If you’re learning for fun or exploration, you don’t need to pay for a certificate if you cannot afford it. All you need to do is sign up on any online learning website, and you’re good to go!
5. Get an internship
If you’re unsure of what you want to do career-wise, internships are an excellent way to gain clarity about that. This is one of the top goals college students have, and here’s why getting an internship is important.
You can test different career paths and job positions by doing various internships. You’ll find out what you like and don’t like about a job. Doing this will help you make a more informed decision about your full-time career.
They are also an excellent way to build your resume. You can write about your achievements and the skills you learned on your CV to make it stand out. Along with this, internships are a great way to expand your network. Many internships have the potential to turn into full-time jobs. So make sure you do at least a few internships while in college.
It doesn’t matter if the internship is paid or unpaid. The exposure and hands-on experience you’ll get will be far more
valuable. Of course, who doesn’t want a good-paying internship? But the point here is not to overlook some great opportunities simply because they don’t pay well. Try to focus more on learning than on the stipend.
And internships are usually for a short duration, so you can always look for something else if it doesn’t feel like the right fit for you. So there’s really not much to lose by having this as your new year’s goal.
6. Start thinking about your career goals
This is an excellent academic goal for college students in 2024. Notice how this doesn’t say work towards your goals or have a fixed career goal.
Not everyone has their life goals planned out while in college.
I’ve been in the same shoes, and it’s perfectly okay to be confused about what you want to do next. You might feel the pressure to choose a career early on. Or, if you’re surrounded by your classmates or friends who have their lives planned out, you might feel that you’re lagging in life.
So firstly it’s necessary to understand that there’s nothing wrong with you!
And this goal simply means that you should try out different things that come your way to make an informed decision afterward. When you take up a course or get involved in an activity or a club, think about:
Is this something that excites and interests you? Is this something you’ll want to do in the long run?
Getting involved in different activities and asking yourself these questions is how you’ll come closer to choosing a career that’s right for you.
As long as you’re aware and mindful of the pros and cons of the things you like and don’t like while doing something, feel free to experiment with different things.
7. Maintain good grades
This is a wonderful short-term goal for college students. If you focus on gaining knowledge, this goal would be more of a consequence of that rather than being a separate goal in itself.
Regardless, I wanted to include it because many students have the misconception that grades don’t matter at all. And that’s not entirely true. Yes, we have all read about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs – these massively successful people who dropped out of college.
But guess what this graph on LinkedIn shows? It is from a study carried out by Stanford University Graduate School of Business. This study looks at the educational achievement of Unicorn founders. A Unicorn is simply any startup that reaches a valuation of $1 billion.
And as you can see clearly from here, successful founders who are dropouts are outliers and not the norm. Reread the sentence if you need to! So no matter what people say, having a degree is important.
In the point about the importance of gaining knowledge, I talked about how good grades won’t necessarily land you a job. However, not having good grades decreases your chances of getting selected by a good company. Many employers won’t even take your interview if you fail to meet the basic criteria in terms of courses or marks. This goal will help you stay on track with respect to your academics.
It’s not ideal and certainly not fair – but that’s how it works in most places.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be focusing on other activities in college. Trust me; I’m all for self-development before everything else.
But if you think you’ll be the next Bill Gates by not studying or quitting college, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but the chances of that are meager. So consider having this as your academic goal in 2024.
FINANCIAL GOALS
8. Learn to budget
Budgeting is a skill that is very useful (and needed) in life. So it would be best if you learned it while in college. This is definitely a SMART goal you consider setting while in college.
What’s a budget?
A budget is simply a spending plan that takes into account both current and future income and expenses. Having a budget keeps your spending in check. And it also helps you limit unnecessary costs.
Let’s face it – education is expensive! You have to pay for tuition, books, living expenses, food… the list goes on and on and on. You might be dependent on your parents, or you might be paying your own fees, or you might have received a scholarship. *Good for you!!
But irrespective of who is bearing the expenses, the fact remains that the money you have is limited. At the same time, your wants are unlimited. So it becomes crucial to manage your money properly. Learning to budget is a must for any college student.
College is an opportunity for you to manage various financial accounts and be responsible for debit/credit cards. You don’t want to end up in debt after college because of your overspending.
If you budget well…
On the flip side, if your budget properly, you can use the money to go for a vacation after college, fund your business idea, or live in a better place.
All this is possible only if you cut down on unnecessary expenses. Limiting your costs can be difficult initially, especially if you are used to buying that Starbucks frappe or taking an Uber wherever you go. But over time, you’ll get used to it.
And it helps when you have a bigger goal to look forward to. So make this your goal in 2024 and watch your finances improve over time 🙂 With whatever money you have, you should also start saving and investing ASAP.
Read the next point for why investing early is so important.
9. Start investing
You might be thinking, “I don’t even have enough money. How is this going to help me?”
Well, there’s good news for you. You don’t need lots of money to get handsome returns. The beauty of the power of compounding is that time plays a significant role in your returns.
That’s right! So you just need to start early and invest in the right places, and time will take care of the rest. This means that if you’re a college student, you’re at an advantage because you have time by your side!! Seems crazy, right?
The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is NOW.
This tip is the most important one when talking about the power of compounding. It plays a crucial role in the power of compounding and the growth rate of your wealth.
The earlier you invest, the more interest you’ll earn on that investment, and the more interest on interest you’ll make, and so on. The more time your investment has to compound, the greater your potential returns will be.
So it doesn’t matter if you’re able to invest only a small amount today. It’s better to start early and slowly increase the amount you’re investing, than to wait for a few years.
It doesn’t matter if you’re able to set 1000$ or 10$ aside. The earlier you start, the more wealth you’ll have down the line. So make sure you set the financial goal of investing in 2024!
10. Take up a part-time job
Having a part-time job is an excellent first step towards financial independence. Yes, you might not earn a lot, but it is a start. You can start making your own money, limiting your borrowing from your parents.
A job is different from an internship because this job may or may not be directly relevant to your studies. But you will still learn a lot about different things and how things work in the real world. It will help immensely with personal development as well.
Learn how things work in the real world
Take the simple example of working at a café. By doing a part-time job there, you will learn the importance of punctuality, time management, and how to interact with customers. While all these things sound very easy on paper, actually doing them will be an eye-opening experience!
It is also an excellent way to expand your networking opportunities. You never know where you will end up in the future, and having work-related contacts is always helpful. All this makes it an excellent goal for college students.
And the best thing about part-time jobs is that they offer a lot of flexibility. You can easily find jobs that don’t require you to have any credentials or experience. As long as you are willing to learn and work hard, you should be able to secure a part-time job without much hassle. Start doing any job you can get your hands on, as long as it does not interfere with your studies.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
11. Participate in an activity that will force you to step outside your comfort zone
As a college student, you should set this goal because engaging in different experiences outside the classroom is very important. As I mentioned earlier, college is all about personal development. And you only grow when you step outside your comfort zone.
This quote is one of my favorite quotes of all time:
College is scary enough without stepping outside your comfort zone. As a completely introverted person with social anxiety, I can relate to this more than anyone else!
It can be very tempting to stay in your dorm room after weekend classes. But many exciting things are happening on campus every day. And you don’t want to leave college thinking, “I shouldn’t have missed out on so many things.” To prevent feeling this way, make it your goal to participate in at least one such activity.
It can be understandably a bit scary reaching out to others or participating in new activities for the first time. But remember that you’re not alone; everyone else is also trying to fit in!
Don’t overthink it!
It’s very easy to overthink these things, so the best thing you can do is stop thinking and start doing. Set small goals and work your way upwards. When you get some free time, join any club that interests you spontaneously, without thinking too much about it.
And if it doesn’t work for you, you can always try something else. So just relax and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
And now, with online classes, socializing with others is as easy as it will get. Sign up for whatever activities interest you and actively participate in the meetings over zoom or skype. That’ll make participating in offline activities that much easier!
12. Participate in extracurricular activities
This goal involves being a member of any club, student government, sports team, learning a new language and a lot more! You can participate in anything that excites you or that you are passionate about. It also gives you the chance to explore your passions to discover things you may be interested in beyond academics.
Extracurricular activities are a great way of making friends with similar interests as you. Who knows, you might even end up making great, long-lasting friendships. And since you’re doing something that you really like, you’ll always end up having fun!
Increase your self-confidence and learn various other skills
If you get started early and like what you’re doing, you can also get a chance to secure leadership positions a few years down the line. You’ll improve your social and interpersonal skills. As a result, you’ll look and feel more confident.
The more you achieve success through activities you’re passionate about, the more your self-confidence will improve. In addition, you’ll learn skills such as time management, participating in group discussions, and communication skills, which are not taught to you in the classroom.
Help you build your resume
Besides all this, they’re a great way to build your resume. Participation in extracurriculars showcases the employers that you possess the skills mentioned above. It also shows your willingness to take action and get involved in things you care about.
When you participate in extracurricular activities, you go above and beyond what is expected from you. This will definitely help you stand out anywhere you go and is also a great way to improve yourself as a person. It is a great example of a goal for college students to help you with overall development.
13. Be in a position of leadership
College is a time to push yourself and test your limits. So why not use this time to take on a leadership role?
Being in a position of leadership is a great way to challenge yourself and learn valuable skills. Some leadership positions you can take up are a position in a student government, being a resident advisor, the head of an organizing committee for an event or Ted talk, a leadership position in an organization or club that you’ve been involved with, etc.
Having a leadership position has many advantages, besides boosting your CV. It can help you improve your leadership and interpersonal skills.
You also develop the skills of critical thinking, planning, conflict resolution at a deeper level than you would if you were just a member.
What you can learn from leadership positions
- Taking up projects teaches you time management, planning and responsibility.
- Meetings will help to improve your communication skills.
- You’ll often have to work with diverse groups of individuals, which will allow you to gain more self-confidence.
- You’ll also learn to appreciate the member’s differences and similarities.
- You’ll learn the art of building relationships within teams and achieving tasks effectively.
All these are valuable skills that are useful not just during but also long after your college years.
Make an impact on organizations meaningful to you
If you take up a leadership role in a club or organization that you’ve been involved with, you can make decisions and bring about positive changes in these places. You can understand the community in a better way and make it a more fulfilling and nourishing place for others.
Explore your passions and goals
Having a leadership position allows you to explore your passions in a better way. Learning leadership skills helps you get in-tune with your own personality. You learn more about yourself and about your own dreams and goals.
And finally, leadership roles can add more personality to a résumé and improve the quality of your applications. So make this your new year’s resolution and work towards achieving the goal. Your future self will thank you!
14. Start journaling
College is a time to learn and grow. And it is a time for self-discovery. Maintaining a simple journal or a bullet journal can be immensely helpful in doing this. Keep reading below to see why this a habit that every college student should take up in 2024.
Understand yourself in a better way
Your journal is a safe place for you to express yourself. It can help you understand your thoughts and emotions better. As a result, you can effectively identify your triggers. You’ll also be able to develop a deeper understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and learn what you want from life. It helps you introspect and to assess if you’re life is going in the direction you want it to go. Here’s how you can set up a bullet journal quickly and easily.
Journaling is great for self improvement. You can also your journal to actively practice positive self-talk, which boosts your confidence and sell esteem. All this is helpful for maintaining good mental health.
You can have a self-care page that will ensure that you’re making yourself a priority. You can also understand your mental health better with a mental health tracker page.
Improve your time management
You’ll be able to manage your time much better with the help of a journal. Pages like time blocking spread, study timetable are a great way to make the best utilization of your time. And when you feel more in control, you automatically reduce your stress and anxiety and feel more confident.
Set SMART Goals
You can (and should) use your journal to plan your week and set goals, and specifically, SMART goals. Different research has shown that the physical act of writing down a goal can make it feel more real and can motivate you to achieve it. Just by setting these goals, you’ll be ahead of the majority and they’re a great way to set yourself up for success.
Not only this, research shows that students who completed learning journal, where they related learned concepts to real-world applications and life experiences, performed better in exams. Students have also self-reported that expressive writing led to a higher grade point average. Journaling has also been shown to improve critical thinking. Thus, it is very helpful for students.
So, as you can see, journaling has many benefits and regular journaling is a goal that every college student should consider setting in 2024!
15. Read personal development books
Personal development books can help you become the best, happiest, most successful version of yourself. And since college is the time to learn and grow, it’s also the perfect time to take up the habit of reading these books.
This is a great goal for college students because the right self-help book can change your attitude and in turn, your life forever. This is because you can read, practice, and make improvements in your life all on your own, without asking anyone else for help.
Undertake the journey of self-exploration
You can get plenty of useful strategies and tips and techniques from these books that can be implemented in your life.
Reading personal development books is also a great way to gain a better perspective about the world and about yourself. So why not undertake the journey of self-exploration with the help of these books while in college. Doing so will make your life so much easier every step of the way in the long run. It will especially help you while taking difficult decisions.
When you read inspiring books, you feel positive and motivated. There’s a reason why so many successful people start their day by reading at least a few pages of these books. They help you develop a positive attitude towards the world.
In addition, you can learn various essential life lessons and skills, including how to be more productive and manage your time better.
Set realistic goals
You can set a goal to read one book every single month for the next 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months as your new year’s resolution. But if you don’t like to read for pleasure, it’s okay to start off with fiction. Maybe you find Harry Potter interesting – then read it. And once you get into the habit of reading, you can work towards reading non-fiction books.
Alternatively, you can set a goal of reading 5 pages of a personal development book every day – that will add up over time too. Remember the purpose of setting these goals is to better yourself. So there’s no point in setting unrealistic goals which you’ll never follow.
16. Volunteer
By volunteering, you have a chance to positively impact and improve the lives of others. It is a great way to make a tangible difference to a cause that you’re passionate about.
When you help your community by taking positive, impactful action, you automatically feel good about yourself. Is it any wonder then that volunteering has a positive effect on not just your mental health but on your physical health as well?
Good for your mental and physical health
Many bodies of research support a positive link between volunteering and mental health.
A 2018 study on volunteerism and health found that participants experienced an 8.5% increase in mental health and a 4.3% decrease in depression after volunteering regularly. The same study found that participants experienced a 9% increase in physical health.
Volunteering teaches you similar skills that you might learn doing internships or joining a club, but you also get to make an impact on others’ lives.
There are several places you can volunteer including animal shelters, nursing homes,
You can set a goal to volunteer a certain number of hours either per week or month.
Helps you in your career
Not only this, but volunteering is great for your career as well.
A study by the Corporation for National and Community Service has shown that volunteering is associated with a 27% higher odds of employment. Employers are 82% more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience and 85% more likely to overlook resume flaws when the candidate’s resume includes volunteer experience. Surprising, right?!
Make sure you choose a cause that you truly care about. Because the more passionate and involved you are, the more satisfied you will be.
Many college students have volunteering on their list of goals. Now you know that by setting this goal, you are not just improving others’ lives but benefitting a lot from it as well.
17. Socialize more
This might be obvious to some people. But being *ahem a deep introvert, I had to make it one of my college goals to put myself out there. It is so tempting to be best friends with your books or laptop. Or to lock yourself in your room during your free time.
But that’s not how the real world works. You need to socialize and build connections sooner or later in life. Ouch. Hurts doesn’t it?
Your social network can help you build a foundation for your career. Ever heard of referrals? It’s when someone you know recommends you for a particular position at their company. When you have a good network, you can get a job by putting in very less effort than you’d have to otherwise. So think of the long-term benefits you’ll get by setting this goal.
Other than the career aspect. you need to socialize to develop deep and long-lasting relationships. This is something that everyone craves. No matter how introverted you are, you need at least one person with whom you can share everything. And how do you find this person? By talking and getting to know multiple people, of course!
Doing things such as volunteering, participating in extracurriculars is a great way to socialize with others in college.
Just be yourself!
Do you feel like you suck at talking to people? Don’t worry! Like any skill, socializing can be improved with practice. The more you engage in social activities in college, the better your social skills will be.
If you feel anxious, take it one step at a time and allow yourself to make mistakes. Remember you’re only human! And you’re not there to impress anyone, but to show your true self to people.
18. Work on your soft skills
Soft skills are used in every aspect of your life. And here’s why developing soft skills should be on every college student’s goal list in 2024.
What are soft skills?
They are transferable skills and be used in every other situation, big or small. Soft skills affect the way the outside world perceives you and developing them can help you develop a powerful personality, Soft skills include communication, adaptability, teamwork, responsibility and awareness, conflict resolution, dependability integrity, work ethic problem solving, etc.
According to a 2019 LinkedIn survey, employers said their top five valued soft skills were persuasion, collaboration, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and most importantly, creativity.
Soft skills by their very nature are difficult to measure but they are extremely important. In fact, according to a recent survey of Fortune 500 CEOs from the Stanford Research Institute International and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation, 75% of long-term job success is believed to depend on people skills, while only 25% depends on technical knowledge (or hard skills).
Better academics
It is especially important for college students to develop these skills because they have been linked with improved academic achievement. So developing them while in college will yield you academic benefits while helping you better your professional careers.
As a freshly graduated student, you will likely face a lot of hurdles and obstacles when you’re getting started with your professional journey. But these soft skills can help you overcome these barriers, adapt to the new job quickly and simply in your new workplace.
Practice makes perfect!
But you can’t develop these skills overnight. So it’s prudent to set this as your long term goal because you can learn them only by practicing them every day.
That’s why it’s so important to participate in extracurriculars, take on leadership positions, volunteer, as all these things improve your soft skills. They will help you in college and also in building a lucrative professional career.
19. Establish an online presence and personal brand
In the dynamic landscape of 2024, cultivating a robust online presence and shaping a personal brand aligned with your academic and career goals is indispensable. This endeavor offers multifaceted benefits, including connecting with like-minded individuals, expanding your professional network, and providing an effective platform for showcasing your skills.
Unlocking LinkedIn’s Potential: An Underrated Creator’s Hub
One of the most overlooked tools for aspiring creators, and indeed anyone aspiring to professional growth, is LinkedIn. In contrast to other platforms, LinkedIn is less saturated with frequent posters, as the majority of users tend to be consumers rather than contributors. Therefore, strategically optimizing your LinkedIn profile becomes a pivotal step in this journey. Tailor your profile with relevant keywords that echo your educational journey, actively participate in niche online communities focused on college and career growth, and curate a dynamic digital portfolio to showcase your accomplishments
Embracing this goal for 2024 promises not only to enrich your current college experience but also to position you strategically for forthcoming internships, job opportunities, and networking prospects. Make the most of the evolving digital landscape to lay a solid foundation for your professional journey in 2024 and beyond.
19. Exercise regularly
With a jam-packed schedule consisting of classes, exams and extracurriculars you might feel that you don’t have any time for exercise. But it’s important to invest at least some time for exercising every day. This goal has plenty of long-term and short-term benefits for college students.
That’s right. Exercising regularly will make studies easier for you. Scientific studies have shown that regular exercise provides students with important cognitive benefits that have positive effects on their scholarly efforts.
This is because cardiovascular exercises increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain. As a result, the brain works better. This means you can reduce your learning time just by taking a few minutes each day to exercise.
Not feeling so good mentally?
Exercising reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. It also improves your mood and reduces your stress levels.
When you exercise, you’re investing in your health. Long-term benefits of exercise include a lower risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.
Long-term dividends
This is sure to pay great dividends in the long run, whether it be less spending on health care or less time waiting at the doctor’s appointment or better overall physical health. Exercise has countless other benefits and is a great habit that you should take up while in college.
Exercising helps you improve the overall quality of life. And developing the habit now will make it much easier to help you keep those healthy choices later in life. So make sure you add exercising regularly on your long-term goal list for 2024.
20. Prioritize your mental health
This is a must-have goal for college students. Because, as fun and exciting as college can be, it is also a stressful time. The pandemic has only added created more stress for college students. There is uncertainty about jobs, exams and online classes.
According to a mental health study of college students, 33 percent of students surveyed reported feeling so depressed within the previous 12 months that it was difficult to function.
Almost 55 percent reported feeling overwhelming anxiety, while 87 percent reported feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities.
Almost 9 percent seriously considered suicide over the past year.
Because of the added stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic, these numbers are likely to be higher for the past year. So it’s very important to prioritize your mental health. Your mental health comes above your classes, exams and other social obligations.
It’s okay to say no
Remember that it’s okay to say no to things. Because there are so many activities constantly going on around you, you might feel the need to be present at all or many of them. If you are in need of some alone time, it’s okay to say no to your friends for a movie or for going out.
College is a time for personal discovery and you can make the best use of it only if you feel well mentally.
If you’re dealing with mental health issues, your productivity, grades, extracurriculars will all be impacted. Besides, you risk not being able to achieve any of your other goals if you don’t make this goal a priority.
And more importantly, you’ll be in a constant state of suffering, which no one should have to go through.
Ask for help
And if you are struggling with mental health issues, it’s absolutely okay to ask for help.
Your brain can get sick just like any other part of your body so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Have a support system in place whom you can confide in and consult in time of your need. It might be your best friend, your college counselor, or even a therapist.
Reduce the risk
Doing these simple things can reduce your risk of getting mental illnesses.
- Good sleep is essential to maintain a healthy state of mind.
- Exercising regularly and eating healthy foods also have a positive impact on your mental health.
- Journaling is another useful habit you can take up for your mental health. Here are some great bullet journal spreads for college students.
It’s important to recognize the signs of poor mental health. Instead of setting humongous goals, set easy short-term goals and work towards achieving them. And if you’re feeling burnt out, take some time for yourself. Relax and do the things you enjoy doing without putting too much pressure on yourself.
Taking time for yourself is just as important as making time for your classes and activities. So make it your new year’s resolution to treat yourself kindly and to look after your mental health.
You can also make this cute self care page for yourself 🙂
21. Eat healthy food
With the busy and fast-paced life that college students lead, it’s easy to eat whatever junk food comes your way. That’s why it’s so important for college students to have this as one of their goals.
What we eat affects our brain!
Eating fatty, high-caloric foods robs the body of much-needed nutrition. On the other hand, a healthy meal that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can lead to a healthier mind and body,
Yes, what we eat affects our mood and also our brain’s capacity. Fast foods can make us feel emotionally low, while healthy foods like can make us emotionally well.
Research has shown that students are able to learn better when they’re well-nourished, and eating healthy meals has been linked to higher grades, better memory and alertness, and faster information processing.
Just like with exercise, healthy eating is a habit that should be consciously adopted. And what better time to start than right now, while in college? Incorporating the habit of eating nutritious food from an early age will also reduce the risk of chronic diseases in the future.
Try to prepare meals for the entire week on the weekends, or whenever you have a freer schedule, so it’s easier for you to grab healthy snacks and meals throughout the week.
As a college student, the benefits of setting short-term daily or weekly goals of healthy eating will surely compound over time.
22. Get enough sleep every day
Getting enough sleep is integral for college students. Yet, this is goal that is overlooked by many. Getting sufficient sleep helps you stay focused, improves concentration, and boosts your academic performance.
Getting sufficient sleep is especially important while you’re in college.
Important for college students
Research has found that the GPAS of students receiving 9+ hours of sleep per night were significantly higher (3.24) than those of students receiving 6 or fewer hours of sleep per night. On the other hand, not getting enough sleep puts you at risk of developing mental health problems as well as physical diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
In spite of sleep being so important, 50% of college students report daytime sleepiness, and 70% report insufficient sleep! Sleep quality and quantity are both important.
There are two main reasons why students don’t get enough sleep.
1. Night-time procrastination
Night-time procrastination is a very real problem especially among college students, This is where students stay up to do things for leisure and entertainment that they don’t have time for during the day, But it comes at the expense of sleep.
2. For studying
Pulling all-nighters before exams has become such a common practice that students forget the negative effects a lack of sleep can have. Reduced sleep decreases your concentration and memory span and has been linked to lower grades in college students.
In fact, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the best way to maximize performance on final exams is to both study and get a good night of sleep.
Some of the best practices to follow to ensure that you get enough sleep are:
- Not drinking coffee after evening
- Not looking at a screen a few hours before bed
- Exercising earlier in the day
- Having a regular sleep schedule
23. Limit your screen time
We live in a digital world where phones, laptops, televisions, and countless other gadgets surround us.
Ever felt like you cannot focus even for a short time? Overuse of digital devices can be one of the reasons why.
Excess screen time is shown to have many adverse effects, such as increased stress, poor sleep quality, high blood pressure, and decreased attention span, among others.
It’s important to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary screen time. While you certainly can’t avoid working on your laptop, attending online lectures, or replying to important emails, you can reduce unnecessary screen time. You can do so by decreasing the time you spend watching videos or scrolling through social media out of habit. You can avoid this mindless scrolling by setting app limits.
Screen time in itself isn’t totally bad, but you do need to be careful about how you use it. In fact, certain apps and websites can help you be more productive and contribute in reducing your screen time. Here are 50 useful websites that can help you save a lot of time.
You can increase your focus and attention span by reducing your screen time. it also improves your posture and reduces eye strain. Thus, limiting your screen time can improve your physical as well as mental well-being.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These are the 24 goals you should set in 2024 to make your college life better.
College is meant to be a time of self-discovery. This chapter of your life will build the foundation for the years to come. Not necessarily because you’ll achieve a lot of things, but because you’ll learn a lot of different things!
Make it your new year’s resolutions to follow these goals – whether they are short term goals or long term goals.
These academic, financial, self-development and health goals will guide you in making better decisions in different aspects of your life and your future self will thank you for following them!
It’s also an excellent idea to reflect on 2022 before the year ends.
So work hard, party harder and as Dory says:
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Love this post! Thanks for providing such detailed and well-researched information.
Thanks, Emma!
One of the most detailed and well-researched posts I’ve read in a long time! Very rare to see such high quality content on the internet nowadays. Good job.
Hi, Harry! Thanks a lot :)) Have a great day.