It is nearly impossible to succeed at anything accidentally. Success requires intention and thoughtful planning. These are the primary tenets of goal-setting, and it is the creation of goals and objectives that are most likely to lead to success in school and in life.
Good goals are attainable and measurable. Setting goals too high can lead to a sense of failure even when many good things are achieved, and when a goal cannot be measured, success may be difficult to determine.
It is important for students to have goals and objectives in order to achieve success, and it is also important for them to examine the goals of the institution they are attending. These goals should line up and point all students in the direction of their chosen career. Good curricular goals may also be helpful in informing students on the development of their own goals.
The goals of a curriculum should be focused on the success of the students who will be using it rather than the progress of the university, because the curriculum defines the college experience for each student. It is the way that the faculty and students interact and the path that students use to grow and change.
Curricular goals need to be based on a philosophy of education that leads to career success for the students. As such, they should be based on processes that have proven outcomes through activities that help students to maximize their learning potential. For example, lecture-based classroom activities have a very low rate of success when it comes to retention of information, and should not be the only vehicle for content delivery in an academic system. Conversely, immersive learning techniques have a very high retention rate, so their inclusion would forward the curriculum goals that specifically involve student learning.
The outcome of curricular goals is dependent on many factors, including the investment the students are willing to make in their own success. Creating an environment that engages students and provides guidance in the setting of their own goals and objectives can set the difference between students who graduate with good grades and students who graduate ready to engage in successful careers.