Setting Goals for Your College Experienceand BeyondHow do you define success? Is success about money, friendship, or power? Is it aboutachieving excellence in college and beyond or about finding a sense of purpose in yourlife? For most people, success is a combination of all these factors and more. Althoughluck or “who you know” may play a role in success, first and foremost it will be theresult of intentional steps you take.So, in your quest for success, where do you begin? First, it is important toestablish goals: goals for today, this week, this year, and beyond. Although somestudents prefer to “go with the flow” and let life happen to them, those students aremore likely to flounder and less likely to achieve success in college or in a career. So,instead of “going with the flow” and simply reacting to what college and life present,think instead about how you can take more control over the decisions and choices youmake now that lay the foundation for the achievement of future life goals. Even thoughit is easy to make vague plans for the future, you need to determine which short-termsteps are necessary if those plans are to become a reality.As you plan your college experience and life goals, think about your personalstrengths. For instance, do you like to talk, deal with conflict, and stand up for
