essays about educational goals

Goal Strategist

Educational Goals Essay Samples and Overcoming Challenges

Crafting an essay on your educational goals can be a turning point in your academic journey. It’s your chance to showcase your aspirations and the roadmap to achieving them. Whether you’re applying for a scholarship, a college, or simply setting personal milestones, articulating your educational objectives is key.

You’ll find that a well-thought-out educational goals essay not only impresses admissions committees but also clarifies your own vision. Let’s dive into examples that can illuminate your path and inspire a compelling narrative for your academic future.

The Importance of Setting Educational Goals

When you begin to articulate your educational goals, you’re carving out a clear path for your future. Setting these goals is not just about fulfilling a requirement; it’s about establishing a foundation for your educational journey. By defining what you want to achieve, you create a sense of purpose that guides your academic decisions and keeps you motivated during challenging times.

Think of your educational goals as a roadmap. Without this direction, you might find yourself wandering aimlessly through your academic career. With goals, you have destinations in mind and can plan your route accordingly. As you progress, every milestone you achieve brings a sense of accomplishment and steels your resolve to tackle the next challenge.

It’s no secret that education opens doors to opportunity. But it’s the specificity of your goals that allows you to unlock the right doors for your aspirations. Whether it’s gaining expertise in a particular field, enhancing your skills for a desired profession, or expanding your knowledge base, your goals help tailor your educational experience to align with your vision.

Furthermore, setting educational goals lets you measure your progress. This is crucial for staying on track and making adjustments as needed. It’s also a way to communicate your aspirations to others. When applying for scholarships or college admissions, clear educational goals show that you’re not just a dreamer – you’re a doer with a plan.

Ultimately, having a well-defined set of educational goals empowers you to take control of your learning. It’s about making informed choices that resonate with your personal and professional ambitions. Remember, the act of setting goals is a dynamic process. As you grow and learn, it’s perfectly fine to refine or even overhaul your goals to stay aligned with your evolving interests and the ever-changing job landscape.

Understanding Your Passions and Interests

Identifying your passions and interests is key to crafting educational goals that resonate with your core values. Knowing what excites you and what you’re curious about provides a compass that guides your educational journey. To start, reflect on classes, topics, or activities that spark your enthusiasm. Are there subjects that you find yourself drawn to or projects that energize you?

When drafting your educational goals essay, consider incorporating examples that demonstrate how your interests align with your long-term aspirations. Perhaps you have a fascination with renewable energy that has prompted you to pursue a degree in environmental science, or maybe your interest in languages is steering you toward international relations.

Assessing your strengths is also crucial in understanding what educational pathway to follow. If you’re naturally good with numbers, a career in finance might be right up your alley. On the other hand, if you’ve always excelled at writing and communicating, roles in journalism or public relations might be more fitting.

Here are some strategies to align your passions with your educational goals:

• Engage in self-reflection : Regularly take time to think about what activities make you feel most alive.
• Explore various fields : Don’t hesitate to enroll in different courses or attend workshops to broaden your perspective.
• Seek advice : Connect with mentors or professionals in areas you’re interested in to gain insight and guidance.

Remember, your educational objectives should be a reflection of what truly matters to you – they will be the ones propelling you forward through the rigorous demands of academic life. By intertwining your goals with your passions and interests, not only do you set the stage for a fulfilling education, but you also pave the way for a career that’s aligned with your personal definition of success.

Setting Short-Term Goals

When you’re mapping out your educational journey, it is essential to include short-term goals. These targets provide immediate motivation and serve as stepping stones toward your broader aspirations. Short-term goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant , and Time-bound (SMART). Here are some strategies to consider:

• Identify skills you need to develop within the next few months
• Enroll in workshops or courses that enhance your expertise
• Seek mentorship or guidance to strengthen your professional network
• Tackle smaller projects that contribute to larger assignments or objectives

Your educational goals essay should highlight how these short-term goals are not just checkboxes on your to-do list but crucial components of your educational strategy. For example, if one of your long-term goals is to become an engineer, a short-term goal might be to master a specific type of software used in the field.

Prioritizing Your Efforts

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, prioritize your goals. Consider which short-term goals will have the most significant impact on your long-term vision. Devise a Prioritization Matrix to determine which tasks to tackle first. Here’s a simple categorization:

• Urgent and Important : Tasks you must do immediately
• Important but Not Urgent : Tasks that contribute to long-term successes
• Urgent but Not Important : Tasks that require your attention but may not have considerable long-term benefits
• Neither Urgent nor Important : Tasks that you could potentially eliminate or delegate

Tracking Progress

Measure your progress consistently. Keep a journal, use an app, or maintain a spreadsheet where you can track your successes and areas for improvement. Feedback from peers and mentors can also be invaluable in refining your approach. Reflecting on your progress helps ensure that you’re on route to meeting your long-term educational goals. It’s not just about ticking off goals; it’s about personal growth and adapting your strategies as needed.

Your educational goals are unique to you. By setting concrete short-term goals and consistently assessing your progress, you’re building a solid foundation for not only meeting but exceeding your educational aspirations. Remember, every big achievement starts with the decision to try, and even the most ambitious dreams are realized one step at a time.

Setting Long-Term Goals

When plotting out your educational journey, long-term goals are your ultimate endgame. These are broad objectives that typically look beyond the upcoming year and sprawl across several years or even a decade. Imagine them as the pillars supporting your career trajectory, laying the groundwork for the professional you aspire to become.

Long-term goals in education aren’t just about the credentials or titles. They’re deeply personal ambitions that resonate with your values and passions. Whether this involves pursuing a PhD, becoming an industry expert, or launching a startup, these goals keep you anchored and motivated through the ups and downs of your educational endeavors. Here’s how to define your long-term goals:

• Reflect on what you’re passionate about and how you want to impact the world.
• Research the education and experience necessary to enter your desired field.
• Think about where you see yourself in 10 or 15 years.
• Break down these visions into attainable long-term goals.

Harnessing the Power of Visualization

Visualizing your long-term goals can be remarkably effective. By creating a vivid mental picture of where you want to be, your goals become more tangible. Visualization also acts as a practice run for your brain, gradually cementing the belief that these outcomes are not just possible but likely.

To leverage visualization:

• Find a quiet place to concentrate without interruptions.
• Imagine achieving your biggest educational and professional aspirations.
• Emotionally connect with this envisioned future, experiencing the satisfaction and pride that comes with accomplishment.

Remember, setting long-term goals isn’t a one-off task. You should revisit and refine these goals periodically to ensure they remain aligned with your evolving interests and the changing landscape of your chosen field. As life unfolds, your insights will deepen, and the goals you set today may evolve to reflect the person you’re growing into tomorrow.

Aligning Your Goals with Your Desired Career Path

Once you’ve set your long-term vision, it’s crucial that your educational goals align tightly with your desired career path. Doing this ensures that every academic effort you make is a stepping stone towards your ultimate professional aspirations. But how do you make that alignment as strong as possible?

Start with Research . Scour through job descriptions, connect with industry professionals, and gain deep insights into the skills and qualifications that your dream job requires. Armed with this knowledge, tailor your educational pursuits to cover these areas.

Break down your long-term career ambitions into more immediate objectives. If you’re aiming for a career in software development, for instance, your short-term goals might include mastering a specific programming language or completing relevant coursework.

Prioritize Relevant Experiences . Alongside classroom learning, seek internships, volunteer work, or part-time positions in your field. These practical experiences not only enhance your resume but also help to solidify your understanding of the industry.

Monitor Industry Trends. Stay up-to-date with movements within your chosen field. If you’re in digital marketing, for example, your education should keep pace with evolving SEO practices, social media algorithms, and content creation tools.

Don’t forget the role of Soft Skills . In almost every career path, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills are paramount. Find ways through extracurricular activities or courses to develop these skills alongside your specialized knowledge.

As you move through your educational journey, remain flexible. Your career path might shift as you uncover new interests or as the industry evolves. Regularly assess and adjust your goals to maintain alignment with your career trajectory, ensuring that with each step, you’re inching closer to your professional dream.

Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles

When pursuing your educational goals, you’ll inevitably face challenges and obstacles that may seem daunting at first. But remember, overcoming these hurdles is a crucial part of your journey towards career success.

Identify potential barriers early in your path. These might include financial constraints, time management issues, or limited access to resources. Develop a proactive plan to tackle these issues head-on. For instance, you might explore scholarships, part-time work, or alternative funding options if finances are a concern.

Time management often becomes a critical skill when you’re juggling school with other responsibilities. Here’s what you can do:

• Prioritize tasks by urgency and importance
• Create a structured schedule
• Practice saying no to non-essential activities

Sometimes, obstacles are not external but rooted in personal doubts or a lack of confidence. Believe in your capabilities and remember that setbacks can be transformed into growth opportunities. Seek support systems: mentors, peers, or educational counselors who can offer guidance and perspective.

Keep abreast with technological advancements and learn how to leverage them in overcoming educational obstacles. Online courses, educational software, and virtual study groups can bridge the gap between you and your goals.

Staying informed of industry trends ensures you remain relevant and can pivot when faced with industry shifts. Frequently audit your skills and knowledge to close any gaps and take advantage of internships to gain hands-on experience.

Your educational goals essay should reflect resilience and adaptability. Showcasing challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them not only lays out a realistic roadmap but also demonstrates your determination and strategic thinking. Keep your narrative authentic and your solutions actionable to illustrate a forward-moving trajectory in the pursuit of your education and career.

Crafting an educational goals essay that reflects your aspirations and plans is a powerful step toward achieving success. Remember, it’s your resilience and adaptability that will shine through as you navigate potential barriers and leverage the latest industry trends. Your ability to manage time effectively, believe in yourself, and build a solid support system will not only enrich your essay but also your educational journey. Stay proactive, stay informed, and let your essay be the roadmap that guides you to your goals.

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My Educational Goal

This essay about educational goals explores a student’s desire for broad, interdisciplinary knowledge and real-world experiences that transcend traditional academic boundaries. It highlights the importance of experiential learning, practical skills, and personal well-being. The writer emphasizes their readiness to overcome challenges and their commitment to continuous personal growth and contribution to society. The narrative conveys an unyielding quest for knowledge and wisdom, aiming to shape a future defined by intellectual curiosity and impactful achievements.

How it works

As I sit down to reflect on my educational goals, I find myself enveloped in a whirlwind of dreams, uncertainties, and the exciting potential of paths yet taken. Creating a trajectory that aligns with my deepest ambitions requires not just self-reflection but also the courage to traverse the vast landscape of opportunities ahead. My educational journey is not a mere destination on a map; it is an evolving quest for self-discovery, enlightenment, and personal growth—a journey where each twist and challenge molds my intellect and soul.

Central to my educational voyage is a profound thirst for knowledge that spans across disciplines, urging me to explore the depths of human achievement. From the enigmatic fields of quantum physics to the rich narratives of cultural history, my aim is to dig deeper, solve mysteries, and understand the core of our existence. More than acquiring knowledge, I seek wisdom that comes from real-world experiences, the synthesis of ideas, and the diverse interactions that enrich our collective human experience.

Moreover, my educational pursuit stretches beyond the confines of academic institutions and into the world at large. I am a staunch believer in the power of experiential learning, which involves interacting with different cultures, embracing various perspectives, and experiencing life firsthand. Whether it’s navigating the challenging landscapes of foreign territories, soaking in the culture of a bustling foreign city, or lending support to communities, I aim to gather insights, build empathy, and expand my perspective beyond the conventional classroom setting.

Additionally, I am eager to develop practical skills that are crucial for success in today’s complex world. From enhancing my communication abilities to honing my analytical thinking, I am dedicated to acquiring the tools needed to excel in a rapidly changing environment. Alongside striving for academic and professional success, I prioritize my overall well-being, focusing on self-reflection, self-care, and fostering relationships that nurture my spirit and inspire others.

As I navigate the uncharted territories of my educational path, I am fully aware of the potential challenges and hurdles I may face. The road to enlightenment includes risks, detours, and unexpected hurdles. However, it is through overcoming these obstacles that resilience is built, and character is shaped. Armed with determination and an unyielding spirit, I am ready to face these challenges, learn from each experience, and come out stronger, more knowledgeable, and more resilient.

In the broader narrative of my educational journey, I envision a future where the pursuit of knowledge is paramount, where curiosity is limitless, and where striving for excellence is continuous. In this vision, I am not merely defined by the credentials I accumulate but by the depth of my curiosity, the scope of my compassion, and the significance of my contributions to society.

In summary, my educational objective is not just a point to reach but a journey to cherish—a journey marked by relentless curiosity, personal development, and a ceaseless quest for excellence. It is a journey driven by passion, directed by purpose, and enriched by the diverse experiences that shape who I am and who I wish to become. As I set forth on this adventure of exploration, I do so with optimism, dedication, and a steadfast belief in the transformative power of education.

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How to write a winning scholarship essay about your academic goals

Have you ever opened up a scholarship application only to find that you have to write yet ANOTHER scholarship essay, this time about your academic goals? We get it. There’s a lot of writing involved when you’re applying! Well, we’re here to guide you through your academic goals essay, with scholarship essay tips and a template. We’ve even got a surprise for you at the end that will save you time on your scholarship applications.

1) Start brainstorming and writing as early as possible.

2) understand your current goals of where you are now, and your future goals of where you want to be., 3) stay positive., 4) keep it personal., 5) spell check., 6) be proud of your academic goals essay., what are you studying right now, what do you enjoy, what are you not-so-crazy about in your current studies, what do you want to achieve in college, what things outside of pure academics, might complement your academic goals, how will your academic goals help you achieve other goals, what has inspired these goals, how will you hold yourself accountable with your academic goals, bonus: let your academic goals influence your college class planning, it’s here your academic goals essay brainstorm template, extra bonus: apply for scholarships more easily, with going merry .

6 tips for scholarship essay success

Writing any scholarship essay takes time, thought, and energy. The earlier you start, the better!

Your goals today may change tomorrow. Think about where you are now in your high school career – what are you studying that you love? What would you like to change? What do you aim to accomplish in college? Ask yourself these questions and write down those goals.

No one is perfect – we all have our hardships and our downfalls. But think positively when it comes to your academic goals. If you didn’t do so hot in one subject, try not to include that exact phrasing in the essay, but think about how you can turn that around into a positive.

Similar to personal statements , share your story – a moment that brought you to where you are today. Especially for local scholarships, the providers want to feel like they’re supporting real people to achieve their academic dreams. So make sure you share enough personal details about where you are and where you want to be.

Using a tool like Grammarly helps check your spelling and grammar as you’re writing. Ask a friend, family member, or expert to review your academic goals essay before you submit it with your scholarship application. This will help your writing for college appear polished and professional.

You did it! You wrote it! That’s your work, and now it’s up to the scholarship providers to review and accept your application.

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Points to consider while writing your academic goals scholarship essay:

Think about your current studies in high school. If you’re a high school junior, think about what classes you’re currently taking, and what you plan to take next year as a senior. If you’re a high school senior, reflect on your last two semesters of classes. What’s your curriculum look like? You might be taking an English class, Math, a focused class, such as Sociology, maybe a World Religions course, Geography, Government and an elective such as music, art, or physical education.

We all know a high school teacher who made going to class enjoyable because of their personality – OR – we just really loved the subject (No one? Just us? Okay…it was Mr. Nixon’s Law class that made research and debating against classmates fun for us).

Capitalize on the enjoyable aspects of that class in your academic goals essay. Explain how your teacher made the class engaging in a way that helped you retain information while also enjoying the class. Consider what the ideal academic class would look like in college. Would you aim to take a similar course in college where the professor promotes engaged learning? Or would you prefer to sit in a lecture hall where you can listen, digest detailed information, write down notes, and ask questions as needed? Think about your learning style as you organize your academic goals essay.

Going back to the point of staying positive, think through a subject that you’re currently not too thrilled about, and get creative with how you can turn that into an academic goal.

Ex: Statistics was one of the most challenging subjects of my junior year curriculum. However, I know I’ll need to have sufficient knowledge of the subject to major in Psychology in college. My goal is to find a study buddy – a colleague, a tutor, someone skilled in the subject, to improve my understanding of the subject so I can later help patients understand research study statistics in the future.

It might be a 3.5 GPA. Or you might want to walk across the stage on graduation day with summa cum laude cords. Maybe you want to become president of the student government association on campus.

The great thing about college is that you’re furthering your education, and you’re growing as a person! You’re learning about yourself, how you work, how you interact, and there are so many opportunities to get involved on campus. Think about how these fits in with your academic goals by naming any organizations, department clubs, and honor societies that catch your eye.

How might your near-term academic goals help you in your future (e.g. career after college)–or how might they help others (e.g. your friends, family, future customers/patients)? Think long-term: what will your current academic goals help you achieve further down the line? Whom might that impact?

Ex: Taking 18 credits helped us knock out our required wellness course during the second semester of our freshman year of college. By sophomore year, we could focus on classes related to our major and enjoy time after class. We later graduated a semester early thanks to study habits and credits. We spent time at the on-campus career center, working through mock interviews. Then, we later landed a job soon after graduation, working for a company and helping them bring on new customers.

All of this happened as a result of creating academic goals to plan classes early and work through those credits.

Everyone finds inspiration from different outlets. Whether it’s your parents, a teacher, your guidance counselor, classmates, siblings, or even an athlete, briefly describe who inspired these goals. Heck, you might have inspired yourself to make these goals! If it wasn’t someone who inspired you, discuss what inspired you to set these goals in your academic goals essay.

Writing down goals for ourselves is great. It makes our goals seem more concrete once we talk or write about them. Now, it’s time to make those goals happen! Toward the end of your academic goals essay, you might want to explicitly state your plan for holding yourself accountable to these goals — this will seem impressive to a scholarship provider who wants to make sure their award money is going to someone who’s serious about their future.

How might you stay accountable? Maybe your best friend can text you every Wednesday to check in with you mid-week on your progress. Or maybe that’s too much, and you’ll just set a reminder on your phone to check in with yourself once a week. Or maybe you’re a real planner– and you’ve created clear milestones for the next couple years, and you’ll check in regularly to make sure you’re hitting them. Whatever it is, bringing your lofty academic goal down to concrete steps is likely to make your academic goals essay stronger. 

Don’t just think of your scholarship essay on academic goals as a chore that you complete and then never look at again. Once you’ve written it, let it help serve as your beacon as you decide what majors or classes to take, or what student organizations to join.

Then you can plan your semesters accordingly. For example:

• Jot down your goals for your class schedule, what you plan to do with your time before, after, and in between classes.
• Consider what time of day you would be most effective in taking the classes necessary to meet your academic goals. Are you a night owl or a morning person? Do you need lots of time between classes to really digest the material?
• How many classes (or credits) do you plan to take? You can take a full load of classes, usually up to 18 credits per semester depending on the school, without going over your tuition limit, to help give you a lighter load your junior and senior years. Or, you can take the standard 12 – 16 credits per semester to avoid overloading your schedule and leaving room for socializing and other activities. This may also affect your graduation year. So if part of your academic goals (or your plan for reducing tuition ) requires you to graduate early — you’ll also want to plan this out!

Ready to start brainstorming to write your essay?

Print this sheet – OR – if you want to fill out this sheet digitally, make a copy to save and edit on your device by going to File > Download > Microsoft Word, OpenDocument Format, etc.

Also, check out this helpful list of the 10 most common scholarship essay topics!

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Educational Goals Essay Examples

Educational Goal

My goal for pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership is to increase my knowledge of research and theory methods as it relates to education. I especially want to perfect my research skills as I feel that the significance of gaining research expertise is vital to becoming an enduring learner as I get ready for a career in Education. I realize the significance of this degree for gaining credibility with my future associates and individuals that I will be serving in this field. I grew in a family of Educators. Having a career in education has always been my goal, in fact, 10 years ago, the night before my grandfather passed away, among all other things, he shared his wish to see me as an educator. From that day, my resolve grew even stronger. Being the breadwinner of our family, I had pushed the timeline till now. My mother is my inspiration as she received her doctoral degree at the age of 63, and I am certain that I can be successful in my goal. I have a particular interest in the…

Educational Goals Research Paper

My Educational Goals While Attending Colorado Christian University I am currently attending Colorado Christian University to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Entrepreneurship. This degree was chosen for the purpose of fulfilling the calling that God has placed on my life, to begin a ministry for the homeless. This ministry will help build them up naturally and spiritually, to help them with food, clothing, and shelter, as well as to help them to do for…

Compare And Contrast Career And Educational Goals

My educational and career goals aren’t distinct from one another. My career goal is to become a computer science and learn how to how to make computers do new things and accomplish tasks more efficiently. My educational goal is similar to my career goal because not only will I be engaged in figuring out how to create programs in computers run software more efficiently but I will also be gaining a greater understanding of new things. Technically speaking I want my educational goal to be…

My Classroom: My Educational Goals And Philosophy Statement

In my philosophy of teaching, the major goals for my classroom are effective classroom management, considering and incorporating diversity, and creating a motivating environment. I am in early childhood education, and one day hope to teach second grade. Approaching classroom management is extremely important to me because I am generally a quiet, non-confrontational person, and this is an area of teaching with which I could potentially have the most trouble if I am not appropriately prepared. My…

Future Educational Goals

As my high school career comes to an end, I am constantly thinking about my future and what I aspire to accomplish in my lifetime. In the upcoming years I am going to attend college to study art within the marketing/communications field. Art has made a significant impact on my life, therefore I wish to cultivate my knowledge and skills through a higher education. Also, I plan to learn a foreign language to broaden the scope of opportunities available to me as well as immerse myself into another…

Educational Career Goals

My educational career goals are to remain in a path that I am constantly interested so I won’t be changing majors in college, as well as somehow always being involved outside of school with these subjects of interest. In order to achieve the goal of being constantly interested in my career I need to find a job in a specific field that uses bioscience to aid others including humans and animals because that interests me. I also need to find a specific subject or field that is constantly growing…

Educational Goals Essay

white, suburb) I appreciated it as it was. It was not until much later in my life that I realized a college degree was a privilege I had, rather than a given. Once this self-efficacy was established, I was forced to redesign the reasoning behind my educational pursuit, to become the architect of my education. I was reoriented toward this higher goal that promised some vague success to be saved for the future. This transformation from necessity to wonder spurred my desire for a vocation, not a…

Education is the key to success. This slogan is said multiple times throughout our lifetimes, and the reason for that being is that it is found to be true. I believe education to be the most important thing in my life and plan on continuing my education in a postsecondary institution. My ultimate educational career goal is to pursue a degree in Nursing, in order to achieve my life goal in providing optimal care to those in need. Ever since I was eight years old, I knew that nursing is what I…

My Educational Goal

My educational goal is to major in business entrepreneurship and get my Associate’s degree at South Mountain Community College, then transfer to Arizona State University to get my Bachelor’s degree. My career goal is to have a job that is based on business and start my career there. My involvement in school has been limited due to responsibilities at home. This year I joined FBLA, the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club at Cesar Chavez High School. I am proud to be the Secretary for…

My educational goal long term is to complete my Master’s degree in Health Information Management. Defining goals is the single matter that keeps me focused or shall I say my eye on the trophy. Beginning my academic journey of short-term goals by earning a Career Diploma from Penn Foster Career School in Medical Coding and Billing; then moving on to pursue and obtaining my Associate of Science Degree in Health Information Technology with Kaplan University. At that stage, I immediately re-enrolled…

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Home Essay Samples Education

Essay Samples on Education Goals

My academic goals: nurturing dreams, pursuing excellenc.

Academic pursuits form the foundation of knowledge, growth, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. In this essay, I open the doors to my aspirations, offering a heartfelt exploration of my academic goals. Through a combination of focused objectives, unwavering dedication, and a thirst for...

• Education Goals

What Are Your Academic Goals: Charting a Course for Excellence

The realm of education is a canvas of possibilities, a space where aspirations, knowledge, and growth intertwine. In this essay, I provide an intimate insight into my academic goals, offering a glimpse into the dreams that fuel my educational journey. Through a combination of focused...

Professional Goals for Graduate School

Graduate school represents a pivotal juncture in one's academic and professional journey, offering a platform to refine skills, acquire specialized knowledge, and embark on a trajectory of achievement. In this essay, we delve into the realm of professional goals for graduate school, exploring how these...

My Goals in Life as a College Student

The college journey is an exciting chapter in life that holds immense potential for personal growth, academic excellence, and shaping future trajectories. In this essay, I delve into the aspirations and ambitions that define my goals in life as a college student, highlighting how these...

Educational Goals: Charting the Path to Personal and Academic Excellence

Setting clear and achievable educational goals is an essential foundation for personal growth and academic success. In this essay, we delve into the significance of educational goals, particularly in the context of college, where they serve as a roadmap for academic achievement, personal development, and...

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Academic and Education Goals to Be a Robotic Engineer

Robotic engineer is a roll that people have a vague concept of what they are, what they do. Robotic engineering is the most little known branch in engineering, in most cases not even represented with the other types of engineer. Robotic engineering is a combination...

• Academic Achievements
• Career Goals

The Assessment of Education Goals and Academic Performance

Abstract This paper will speak to assessment being an important too; used to measure academic performance and the overall effectiveness of instruction. There are two governmental levels that use assessment, and while similar they have very different purposes. The two governmental levels that use assessment...

• Academic Performance

Establishing Education Goals and Career Goals in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, corporate industries are booming remarkably and competition is building across many markets. Local as well as foreign investors are greatly increasing their investment to capture the global market. Therefore, highly skilled and intellectual manpower is needed in these industries. Currently, I am working...

Education Goals In Children And Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a leading role in the development and learning of children (Brierley, 2003). It is known to be responsible for the functioning of higher cognitions where the behavioral measures for these systems undergoes considerable maturation during childhood (Tsujimoto, 2008). According to...

Best topics on Education Goals

1. My Academic Goals: Nurturing Dreams, Pursuing Excellenc

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• Importance of Education
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Career Goals Essay For Scholarships (With Examples)

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• Career Goals Essay
• Internal Applicants Only
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Find a Job You Really Want In

Scholarship programs often want you to write a career goals essay to see that you have a clear plan for how you’ll apply your education to a specific career path. This helps show a scholarship committee why you’re seeking funds for the next step on the path toward your success.

Answering “what are your career goals” effectively can help increase your odds of impressing landing a scholarship opportunity. If you’re a prospective student applying for scholarships, this article will provide tips on how to write a career goals essay, along with essays on career goals examples to help you get an idea of what scholarship committees are looking for.

Key Takeaways:

When you’re writing a career goals essay, make sure to write about the goals that are relevant to the scholarship.

Be honest and use your own voice to stand out in your scholarship essay.

Go into detail about how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.

What is a career goals essay?

Why scholarship essays ask about career goals, example career goals essay prompts, career goals essay examples, tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals, what to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed, career goals essay for a scholarship faq.

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A career goals essay is a personal written explanation that discusses your background, why you’re interested in participating in the program, and what career you’d like this degree to lead into. A scholarship essay functions to explain why you want to achieve your professional goals and how you intend to get there.

In almost every application process, a portion asks the candidate to answer an essay question. When applying to an educational program, like an MBA, the essay prompt usually relates to your career goals .

Scholarship essays ask about career goals to assess your enthusiasm for the program, learn more about how the scholarship will help you, and ensure that you’ve considered how the program will help you achieve your goals for the future:

Assess your enthusiasm. Passion is important for scholarship administrators, and if you’re able to articulate your enthusiasm for a specific career path , it will show that you’re determined to meet the requirements to reach that goal. The most specific and well-thought-out your essay is, the easier it will be for a reader to understand your devotion and commitment to the program and the field it will allow you to enter.

Learn how the scholarship will help you. Having a firm grasp of your career goals is great, but it’s equally important that you express exactly how the specific program relates to those goals. This shows that you’ve researched the merits of the program and understand exactly how it fits into your professional goals.

Show you’ve considered your future. This goes along with the first two points — show that you know how to set goals and consider the path toward achieving those goals, and you’ll have an easier time convincing the reader that you’ll know how to set goals while participating in the program. They’ll see that you know how to prioritize education because you have a clear vision for navigating your career path.

While some scholarships might come right out and simply ask, “What are your career goals?” most will rework the question into something different that still accomplishes the same goal.

Below are some examples of career goals essay prompts that a scholarship program could pose to its applicants:

Discuss your career goals. Many scholarships prefer the most direct approach when giving an essay prompt to their applicants. This type of question gives the candidate a lot of wiggle room to discuss their passions, motivations, and career goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? This question is often used as a prompt for a career goals essay because it gives the applicant a timeline to describe their aspirations. It forces them to be realistic about where their career will be and how they will accomplish this within the next ten years.

How will this scholarship contribute to your professional success? A scholarship committee wants to be sure that the money they’re giving will contribute to a student’s overall professional success. This question asks about the applicant’s game plan in the long-term and evaluates how this program is going to assist in their future.

What is your dream job ? Since a dream job is often categorized as a person’s career goals, this is a common question phrasing in scholarship essays. Asking about a candidate’s dream job answers whether this program aligns with the student’s long-term career goals.

What matters most to you and why? Sometimes, a scholarship essay prompt won’t ask about your career or future at all. Instead, they’ll ask a question like this that assesses your motivations , values, and character.

Use these examples of career goals essays for scholarships to help write your own. Pay special attention to how they’re organized, rather than the content, to inspire your own career goals essay:

Career goals essay example 1 – Discuss your career goals

When I was six years old, I was riding bikes with my older sister around our neighborhood. She had just taught me how to ride, and I was excited to have to freedom to explore with her. When she was rounding a particularly difficult bend to see around, a car happened to be coming along at the same time. It struck her. That bike ride changed our lives forever. Over the next year, I went with my sister every Tuesday and Thursday to her physical therapist ’s appointments to help her regain walking strength. Watching her physical therapist patiently assist my sister back to becoming herself awoken something in me. A passion for helping others in the same way eventually turned into a career goal of becoming a physical therapist myself. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After graduating in 2019, I knew that the next step for me was to attend a graduate program in physical therapy. I was accepted to Lassell University Master of Science in Rehabilitation Services. This presented me with my latest goal along my career path, and I’m eagerly waiting to start. This scholarship would help me afford the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Lassell University class of 2023, allowing me to continue working towards my ultimate career goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others to become themselves again.

Career goals essay example 2 – Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will have been successfully running my own construction business for about five years. I’m currently a second-year student at the University of Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. I decided to get my MBA because I knew it would be a positive asset toward my long-term career goal of owning a construction business. In my high school years, I worked as a construction apprentice for a local business. I loved many aspects of the business, such as building something from nothing. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this work into my long-term career, but I didn’t want to work as an apprentice . This led me to pursue business. In ten years and with the help of this scholarship, I will have graduated with my MBA almost a decade prior . After graduation, I plan to take a business administration internship with a carpentry business to help myself get a footing in the field. After about two years of this, I will have started my own construction business.

Career goals essay example 3 – What matters most to you and why?

The people I surround myself with matter most to me. Whether it be my relatives, friends, or professional acquaintances, I always care the most about the happiness of the people around me. Making the people around me happy matters the most to me because I truly because we find our happiness through others. I believe that this drive to make a positive impression on the people around me is what drove me towards a career as a nurse . I always thought of hospitals as places where people need someone to support them and make their day a little happier. I wanted to be one of those who spend their careers positively impacting people in need. This scholarship will enable me to finally afford nursing school and go after my dream job full force.

Career goals essay example 4 – What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how will earning this degree contribute to achieving those goals? Please provide a minimum of 200 words.

My short-term career goals involve working directly with underprivileged young people to increase the literacy rate in my community. As a student of an underfunded and understaffed school, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact early literacy education makes on long-term achievement. It broke my heart to see my peers embarrassed at their struggle with reading at an advanced age, and this shame added another dimension to their lack of opportunity. Being a literacy educator for young people would allow me to serve this community directly to show them not only the necessity of strong written communication skills, but the joy of reading for pleasure. This program focuses specifically on early literacy, and would provide me a direct route to a career in serving the community I hope to serve. As for long-term career goals, I hope to one day create a program where socioeconomically parents can bring their children for literacy education, not only to increase their ability to navigate the world of language, but also to instill confidence and joy in the written word. What drew me to this program was that it also has administrative, legal, and business dimensions that would set me on the path toward achieving this goal.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for writing a career goals scholarship essay:

Write about goals relevant to the scholarship. Although you may have many different kinds of goals for your personal and professional future, a scholarship essay only discusses objectives that are relevant to the program you’re applying for.

Be honest. Applying for a scholarship is stressful because the applicant’s education is usually reliant on receiving these funds in one way or another. Even though it’s tempting to exaggerate your skills or pretend you’re more passionate about something than you are to make yourself a more competitive applicant, it’s a bad move.

Use your own, unique voice. The essay portion of a scholarship application is your chance to stand out by using your voice. Nobody else, regardless of their academic or professional achievements, is you. Make this clear in your career goals scholarship essay by keeping your unique written voice engrained in the words you produce.

Be specific. A big reason that scholarship committees ask applicants to write a career goals essay is to determine how prepared they are in planning their long-term professional goals. They aren’t interested in providing a scholarship to students who aren’t going to follow through with their career plans.

Explain long and short-term goals . Even if the essay prompt asks you to describe where you see yourself in ten years, you still need to tell them the steps leading towards this picture of success.

Include the short-term goals that add up to your larger career objectives in your essay response. Explain how accomplishing the smaller goals gives you an advantage when tackling long-term ones.

Explain how the program and scholarship will help you. Before writing your career goals essay, consider how this program and scholarship will help you in your career. The answer to this question is essential.

Follow the essay formatting guidelines. This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget this step when your essay is finally flowing and when you’re scrambling to get it submitted on time.

Check, double-check , and triple-check the essay guidelines for content, word count, and formatting requirements. If you miss any of these steps, your essay may be immediately disqualified no matter how good it or the rest of your application is.

Many times career goals essays are written by students who have already completed at least some college or are applying to a post-graduate program and need more money to continue.

There’s a good chance that your career goals have changed since you started or graduated college. For example, say you wanted to be an engineer , so you got your undergraduate degree in engineering but realized you didn’t like it after working in the industry for a few years.

You decided that nursing would be more up your alley, and now you’re applying for a scholarship for a nursing program. While this isn’t unusual, it can make it more difficult to write a career goals essay since your past work doesn’t necessarily match your future goals.

In this case, you’ll simply need to explain why you changed your career path and why this next one is the best choice for you. Share your decision-making process to show that you haven’t taken the switch lightly, and talk about what you’ve already done to try to pursue this path.

How do you write a career goal for a scholarship essay?

You write a career goal for a scholarship essay by sharing your passion, explaining both your long- and short-term goals, and relating your goals to the scholarship.

Explain why you want to pursue the career you’re pursuing, where you hope to be in the future and how you plan to get there, and how the scholarship will help you do this.

How do you describe your career goals in an essay?

You describe your career goals in an essay by explaining what you want to do in your career, why you decided on this career path, and what you’ve done so far to make that a reality.

You can usually work these factors into any prompt you receive, so think through them before you start writing so that you can use them as an outline of sorts.

What are career goals examples?

Examples of career goals include:

Working as a grant writer for a nonprofit organization.

Becoming a department manager and eventually an executive in your field.

Owning your own plumbing company.

Caring for underserved communities as a nurse practitioner .

What are some goals for success?

Some goals for success include growing in your role, building your network, and finding joy in the job. Most careers don’t just happen overnight and require you to set the right milestones that work best for you. Not everyone will have the same goals for success.

How do you start a career goals essay for a scholarship?

You can start a career goals essay for a scholarship by directly answering the prompt. Most scholarship prompts include a word count of between 200 and 500 words, so it’s essential that you immediately respond to the prompt. Attention-grabbing sentences and narratives can be helpful for setting the scene, but an efficient and direct answer will show a clarity of mind that helps enhance the quality of your answer.

BLS – Career planning for high schoolers

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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• Educational Goals Essays

Educational Goals Essays (Examples)

1000+ documents containing “educational goals” .

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Educational goals are important as.

I have done this with other goals in my life in various endeavors and it has usually worked out very well, so it appears that this is a good idea for me and one that will serve me well in working toward my educational and career goals. Since this is the case, I feel that it would be best for me to plan my educational goals carefully and therefore be fully aware of what I am doing as I move forward in both my education and my career. However, I also have come to realize that not everything can be planned out and determined, and some things just happen and cannot be controlled. Since this is the case, my educational goals are planned out and are very important to me, but they are not set in stone to the point that they could not be changed or adjusted in any way….

Educational Goals Why You Have

This can be accomplished through working with large financial institutions to gain experience. At which point, I can apply these concepts to a customized financial planning business that I will be starting in the down the road. What are your plans to utilize your three areas of concentrations after graduation? Like what was stated earlier, the areas of concentration will help me to have greater insights about: the markets and the world of investing. The reason why, is because I can be able to deliver a total financial solution to different individuals from various backgrounds. I can take this knowledge and begin using these ideas to work on Wall Street. This will give me the experience that I need to be able to eventually start my own financial planning business. As I will be focused on every single aspect of investing to include: equity securities, fixed income, annuities, insurance, futures, currency,….

Educational Goals First Statement as

While there have been some complains about these new methods (Moran, 2001) they come mostly from teachers that have practiced one way for years and are not comfortable of changing the way they work (Moran, 2001). Fortunately, as educational entities make training more available to teacher's, this negative opinion of diverse education, where the student and teacher become partner, will dissipate and allow for new discoveries and educational freedoms. Mumford (1998), Sternberg & Lubart (1995) and Seger (1994) all note students of the modern classroom must learn to "defy the crowd" as Sternberg & Lubart claim, to avoid conformity and instead attract nonconformity in a manner that promotes success and achievement in and out of the classroom. Far too often children are taught that teachers are the sole authority in the classroom (Moran, 2001), and this may cause students to rebel rather than create an environment where students are encouraged….

Costello, P. Thinking skills and early childhood education. London: David Fulton Pres

Lipman, M. (2003), Thinking in education, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Moran, Richard. (2001), Authority and estrangement: As essay on self-knowledge.

Educational Goals Statement -- College

Past experience suggests that if well trained business leaders are important during times of economic opportunity, they are only that much more important in times of recent economic crisis. Because my most natural interests and talents seem to be in business-related concepts, the most useful contribution that I can make as a professional might be playing a small role in helping improve the economic circumstances that account for perpetual poverty and deprivation in my country and other countries. I am confident that with enough dedication, man can solve the major social, economic, and political challenges to peace and prosperity for all instead of for only a relatively small few. Once poverty can be reduced and education improved, economic prosperity often takes on a momentum of its own and allows many to achieve success by developing and dedicating their talents and abilities to something productive. I understand that it will also be….

Educational Goals Consist of Transferring

On the other hand, I believe that if one's commitment to one's educational efforts and career goals derive from a heartfelt desire to help special-needs children overcome their disabilities, it is beneficial if a personal connection to special-needs children provides some of that motivation. My academic and vocational interests in early childhood development predated the knowledge of my cousin's condition, but my involvement in his life since his diagnosis has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, already. While all childhood ailments and learning disabilities are equally deserving of attention and efforts to help children overcome their challenges, one aspect of autism in particular strikes me very hard. Specifically, my cousin [insert name] is a loving, intelligent child with potential to achieve a productive life. His intelligence is apparent in many ways, which makes his disability especially heartbreaking to me. Whereas many learning disabilities limit a child's intellectual….

Career and Educational Goals Postbaccalaureate

This writer has past volunteer work experience at senior centers, convalescent homes and assisted living centers has provided this writers with experiential knowledge gained through providing entertainment and interaction with older individuals in these facilities and this served to invoke a special empathy for these individuals coping with such challenging circumstances with which this writer has never had to cope. VI. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES Just as the world's reality has entered through the door of volunteerism on the part of this writer, it is the desire of this writer to experience the opening of eyes to the realities of the law profession and the mundane and routine responsibilities that must be dealt with effectively by lawyers and which are far removed from the lives of glamour that is portrayed as belong to those in the law profession. It is the belief of the writer of this work that first-hand experience acquisition in….

Why Homework Undermines Educational Goals

Finishing final homework assignments in the wee hours of the night after a full day of school, can be very draining for students and can undermine the entire process of learning. Many students sacrifice valuable sleep they need for their biophysical development, just so they can achieve the mere five points of their total homework grade. For many students who are busy with extracurricular activities, homework can make their day to day existence feel impossible: they get home from school late, and then start their homework even later. For so many teens, their Monday through Friday schedule is already grueling enough, the copious amounts of homework they are expected to complete is simply an unnecessary burden and doesn’t make a meaningful contribution to their overall education. Teachers should be forced to limit the amount of homework they can give to students each night. This amount should ideally be under 45….

Academic Integrity and Students

Academic Success The definition for academic success is broad and complex; nonetheless, its misuse in educational circles is rampant as it is used to denote the achievement of all wanted outcomes. A more wholesome approach to defining academic success covers 6 components: satisfaction, academic achievement, competency and skill acquisition, attainment of the objectives of learning, persistence and success in one's career (Travis T. York, 2015). Efficiently achieving academic success requires setting individual educational goals, implementing a learning style unique to the individual, utilizing all available resources as well as having academic integrity. Having long-term academic goals, such as obtaining one's Bachelor's Degree in Business and Accounting enhances one's ability to complete short-term academic goals of success. Generally, research and motivational theory show that goal-setting, if done properly, is an effective way for students to increase their motivation. Students become motivated to achieve excellence in various assessments and so it becomes a goal….

Alexandra Usher. (2012). Can Goals Motivate Students? Center on Education Policy. Washington, D.C: Graduate School of Education and Human Development - The George Washington University.

Helen Nneka Eke, Charles Obiora Omekwu Prof., & Juliet Agbo Miss. (2014). Internet Search Strategies Employed By Library and Information Science Students of University of Nigeria, For Research. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal).

Pascal H. Burger, & Michael Scholz. (2014). The learning type makes the difference -- the interrelation of Kolb's learning styles and psychological status of preclinical medical students at the University of Erlangen. GMS Z. Medizinische Ausbildung.

Rita O' Donoghue. (2006). Study Skills - Manage Your Learning. Galway: Higher Education Authority - Ireland.

Educational Reform We Understand That

Fullan, et al.'s approach is to employ "greater specificity without suffering the downside of prescription," (9) meaning that curriculum design must teach people how to do something within the proper context and that all details must be included without the complicating and ineffective method of saying that all children must be taught the same subjects in the same manner ("prescription"). The attending result, then, would be that curriculum would be designed with an inherent awareness of all learning modalities, with the flexibility to be taught to all students in any number of different manners, with ultimate flexibility - in short, massive textbooks would give way to a more interactive multi-branched approach that the teachers would actively control during the classroom much like a boat captain pilots a tricky inner-harbor channel. To allow this, curriculum design would be a collaborative process not only within the schools and districts but between the….

Fullan, M., Hill, P. & Crevola, C. (2006). Breakthrough. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. pp109.

Educational Theory and Philosophy in

Nearing the end of the 1960s, the analytic or language philosophy became the central focus point which led to the isolation of the classroom setting and the problems that came with it (Greene, 2000). Most of the educational philosophers of the time were inclined towards restricting themselves to the official aspects and problems like the sovereignty of the system without any influence from the society and the surrounding environment and the assessment of the calls and school structure conducted for its growth or for the progression of the epistemology that it embodied (Greene, 2000). All those setups that seemed to be coming across as invasive or seemed to add a personalized bias where it didn't belong were quickly identified and removed. This was one of the reasons that led to the obsession of the possible consequences that could exist due to the practicality of the philosophical theories. Inflexibility was adeptly achieved….

Aleman, a.M. (1999). Que Culpa Tengo Yo? Performing Identity and College Teaching. Educational Theory 49, no. 1: 37-52;

Arons, S. (1984). Playing Ball with the Rodriguez Court: Three Strikes and You're Out. Educational Theory 34, no. 1: 23-27.

Brameld, T. et al., (1952). Existentialism and Education. Educational Theory 2, no. 2.

Buchmann, M. (1987). Impractical Philosophizing about Teachers' Arguments. Educational Theory 37, no. 4: 361-411.

Educational Administration Supervision Educational Supervision

98). The need for ongoing research to identify optimal solutions in a given setting is also made clear by the reliance on experimental methods to measure options. The efficacy of the scientific method is well established, of course, and it is not surprising that many educators are drawn to this super-philosophy as a way of formulating effective solutions to convoluted problems. For instance, Glickman and his colleagues add that, "The use of trial and error in a laboratory setting is the key to evaluating the outcome of action. Therefore, experimentalists do not view knowledge as absolute or external to human capabilities. ather, knowledge is a result of the interaction between the scientific person and the environment" (p. 97). Conclusion The research showed that educational supervisors are faced with a complex set of challenges in their day-to-day work that demands a viable educational super-philosophy. For this purpose, the research also showed that….

Brubacher, J.S. (1939). Modern philosophies of education. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Ediger, M. (1995, Spring). Demonstration teaching in the schools. Education, 115(3), 371-375.

Garubo, R.C. & Rothstein, S.W. (1998). Supportive supervision in schools. Westport, CT:

Greenwood Press.

Educational Path While Other Children

In my personal studies, I have proven my ability to solve difficult math problems, as well as understand economic trends and international and domestic economic reports. In 2006, I entered the United States in order to study business at community college. After adjusting to life in the United States and learning of the opportunities available to me, I set my sights on the best -- the University of Michigan. I am convinced that the opportunity to study economics at the University of Michigan will give me the best preparation for a career in financial analysis. The University of Michigan is highly regarded for its tradition in teaching economics and business to students around the world. I hope to nurture my economic and financial interests and abilities at your school in order to become a greater asset to….

While other children watched cartoons and read picture books, I was consumed by the world of finance and economic development. Spending hours watching documentaries about national competitiveness, in addition to the influence of my father, who worked in the financial world for many years, primed me for a career as a financial analyst. I know that only the University of Michigan is the institution that can prepare me for such a career, as its reputation as a school with excellent business, finance, and economic departments is well-known. As a motivated, goal-oriented individual, I believe I can contribute to the academic discussions on this campus through my prior knowledge, unique background, and willingness to learn.

A native of Korea, I made myself a pledge as a child to become a reputable professional in a respectable field. Choosing to undertake a course of study in financial analysis was no easy task, but an examination of my talents and abilities convinced me that it was the best choice for me. As the field of economic analysis requires professionals to have a vast understanding of economics, mathematics, and international relations, my experience in business and economics will aid me in completing my goal to become a financial analyst. In my personal studies, I have proven my ability to solve difficult math problems, as well as understand economic trends and international and domestic economic reports. In 2006, I entered the United States in order to study business at community college. After adjusting to life in the United States and learning of the opportunities available to me, I set my sights on the best -- the University of Michigan.

I am convinced that the opportunity to study economics at the University of Michigan will give me the best preparation for a career in financial analysis. The University of Michigan is highly regarded for its tradition in teaching economics and business to students around the world. I hope to nurture my economic and financial interests and abilities at your school in order to become a greater asset to society.

Educational Mission the Unc Health Care System

Educational Mission The UNC Health Care System runs a teaching hospital that publishes its mission statement, statement of core values, and nursing philosophy on the organization's Web site at . The mission is stated briefly as: "to be a leader in providing compassionate, quality care focusing on the unique needs of patients and their families." Key words in the mission statement include "compassionate," "quality care" and "unique needs." The core values of the UNC Health Care System's nurses include five main elements. Those elements include "My patient," "My team," "My Hospital," "My Community," and "My Profession." Phrasing these five main values in terms of "my" helps the nurse to feel like an integral part of the organization. Furthermore, the nursing philosophy of the UNC Health Care System is outlined as being a reflection of the vision and values of the organization as a whole. The main principles of the nursing….

East Carolina University College of Nursing (2012). Philosophy of the college of nursing. Retrieved online:  http://www.nursing.ecu.edu/philosophy.htm 

UNC Health Care System (2007). Nursing mission, core values, philosophy. Retrieved online:  http://www.unchealthcare.org/site/Nursing/nurseleadership/visionvalues

Educational Groups -- a Literature

Many of these activities commonly focus on happy and positive feelings and thoughts, at the expense of allowing an examination of more painful issues. This is especially problematic for disenfranchised and failing students, who, through this type of structure, receive direct and indirect messages from the group structure to not deal with the depths of their pain, anger, frustration, sadness, hurt, anxiety, or fear." (Bemak, 2005, p.1) The need for a culturally diverse approach must not be lost, either in the approach of education of counselors and educators, despite the need to build teams and effective groups. Controversially, Bemak entertains the suggestion that an ethnic and gender match between students and guidance counselors might be a needed additional support for students from at-risk groups, although he finally rejects the idea as impractical. (Bemak, 2005, p.5) the article is provoking and challenging to accepted norms, suggesting that the need to build….

Educational Tech Annotated Bib Astleitner

Chapter 3 stresses the importance both fundamentally and ethically of representing information truthfully and honestly through visual and experiential means that are meaningful to the learner and respect the fact that the individual mind is rather limited and therefore needs human centered externals to help it learn and retain information. Chapter 4 stresses the importance of individuality in the development of technologies that teach and interact with people. The overall work is important as it stresses the fact that technologies, as a creation of man must be developed and manipulated to reflect the humanity of their purpose. The fallibility of the mind is stressed as is its limitations and the possibility of the development of greater tools to impart knowledge is the most important factor in the development of learning tools. Norman, D. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday/Currency. [chapters 1, 2, 3, 4] In this work Norman….

Wittrock, M.C. (1992). Generative learning processes of the brain. Educational Psychologist, 27(4), 531-541.

Wittrock present a functional model of learning that pays close attention to four processes of learning; attention, motivation, knowledge or preconceptions and generation. The author's point-of-view is clearly one of biological i.e. neurological brain function and develops a schema in which knowledge or learning takes place, as interactive and fluid in the mind. Understanding each of these four aspects can give the educational developer an idea of the need to bring learners all the way in to a learning environment through attention, motivation and base knowledge to elicit generative principles of cognition, i.e. The assimilation of novel material, that will add to their base knowledge of understanding. Wittrock's model in fact stresses that in creation of interactive or even static instruction if one key aspect is lacking, the whole of the system is resistant to learning. This is important in that it makes clear that development of technologies that instruct must produce attention and elicit motivation as well as build from some existing knowledge base to be effective for any user to generate a set of new knowledge. Even the most simple instructions often build on a set of base knowledge, that is frequently taken for granted and many instructional environments lack the sort of stimulation that garners attention and motivates the learner.

Total 17 papers including 3 books. I'll send you the articles in PDF files except three books Saffer, D. (2007). Designing for Interaction. Berkeley: New Riders. Norman, D. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Doubleday/Currency. Norman, D. (1993). Things that make us smart. New York: Doubleday/Currency. I think you can find these easiliy in libraries.

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I. Introduction A. Hook: Begin with a captivating statement or question that highlights the significance of philosophical thoughts, historical foundations, and social science theories in education. B. Thesis Statement: State the main argument or claim of the essay, asserting the importance of these components in shaping educational practices. II. Philosophical Thoughts in Education A. The Role of Philosophy in Education: Discuss the influence of philosophical perspectives on theories of knowledge, learning, and the nature of education. B. Major Philosophical Views: Explore different philosophies, such as idealism, realism, and pragmatism, and their implications for educational goals and practices. C. Importance for Educators: Explain how philosophical insights help....

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Criteria for Forming Small Groups in Education When forming small groups in an educational setting, it is essential to consider various criteria to ensure that the groups are effective and contribute to the learning objectives. A well-structured group can foster collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills among students. Here are some key criteria to consider when forming small groups: 1. Learning Objectives: The primary purpose of forming groups should align with the specific learning objectives of the lesson or unit. Consider the skills and knowledge that students need to acquire and how small group work can support those goals. 2. Student Characteristics: Assess the....

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• Educational Goals Essay: Guide on Getting a Scholarship
• Apr 02, 2020
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What is an educational goals essay? This question frequently pops up in the minds of students who graduated from high school and plan to continue their education in one of the colleges or universities. From its name, one can guess that this academic paper reflects the philosophy of education and related objectives from the perspective of a college applicant.

An educational goals college essay can be a part of a shortened version of a personal statement or scholarship essay. The aim of these papers is everywhere the same. You have to persuade admissions officers that you are the most worthy candidate out of all. For a scholarship essay, the primary objective is to prove the committee that you're the best student who should be rewarded with education opportunities and fundings (but remember about being as original and persuasive as possible).

As far as writing on educational goals for college is pretty much like scholarship application, students should be aware of how to write both of them. Without the proper indication of the goal of education, you are unlikely to present yourself as a diligent and determined student.

How to Write an Educational Goals Essay?

If we collect all the scholarship entries that have ever been appreciated and rewarded with academic chances and funds, you will discover that it's not that easy to define the features of a winning paper on one's educational aims. So, you should come up with a distinctive personal style instead of copying other authors. Don't use templates - you can just give it a go by releasing all your imagination!

Educational Goals Essay Outline

Just like a traveler might get lost in the woods, each writer can get lost in their writing. You should have an action plan to fulfill the essay adequately. Without having an outline, you will barely succeed in your writing. A good educational goals essay outline will prevent you from facing the writer's block, which means being stuck in the middle of the writing process, having no ideas to dwell on. Once you have specific step-by-step instructions, you won't end up with having your ideas hurryingly swarm in your head. Just like any other essay, writing on academic goals is required to be of three parts.

Make an outline as specific and detailed as possible. Here is the example of a good one - an education or scholarship essay about aims that one may have:

• Becoming a leader in my field.
• Mastering the art of communication.
• Learning to give powerful public speeches.
• Studying organizational behavior in-depth.
• Launching my business.
• Subjects that I need to study.
• Reasons to study the required disciplines at the university.
• Benefits my degree may provide.
• Pursuing a career in politics.
• Things I plan to do to graduate with honors.
• Things I plan to do after graduation.
• The role of a university degree in my future career.

This paper is highly personal so that you may craft an outline based on your own life story - no restrictions. Still, don't talk about your objectives for too long. Up to 2-3 pages are more than enough.

Educational Goals Essay Writing Tips

A paper of this type requires an approach different from essays you write for high school. It is not another research paper with a specific structure or format like MLA or APA. You have to focus on other things to succeed. The following educational goals essay writing tips will help:

• Look through the prompt carefully. Re-read it several times not to miss any important thing.
• Define the central themes to cover in your paper based on the prompt. Put them down on a separate sheet to make it easier.
• Check the meaning of the key concepts that you may misunderstand.
• Enrich the paper with keywords or key phrases mentioned in the essay prompt. If you're getting ready with the application to be submitted online, use some free SEO tools.
• Come up with an engaging hook to catch the reader's attention from the first line.
• Check the criteria and standards established by the target college or university before starting to work on your paper. A grading rubric is what really matters in such situations.
• Add the experience related to the leadership or work in a team.
• Do not forget to include something about your community impact with real-life examples provided to make it sound convincing.

For a scholarship essay, if you wish to obtain the best results, attach an impressive cover letter describing your achievements to your educational goals assignment!

Educational Goals for Scholarship

An essay for the scholarship is separate writing where one should focus on explaining career objectives alone. It is critical to show the way you plan to make certain accomplishments through proper education. Stress how vital obtaining a degree is to you.

It is not necessary to include only purposes in such a statement. You can tell about your career goals through other elements:

• Reasons to get involved in the field of leadership.
• The extent of experience in the specific industry and degree of accomplishment.
• Obstacles and challenges you faced and may still meet on the way to achieving your target.
• Lessons learned from different situations you've been through.
• The meaning of your possible achievements and accomplishments for the future of the target field or society.

Being a leader is one of the most common goals being mentioned in the scholarship essays, so focus on it in your writing.

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Educational Goals Essay for Nursing

It makes no wonder that a lot of students want to figure out how to write an educational goals essay for nursing. All the jobs related to healthcare and medicine are promising and well-paid today. The examples of goals to pursue in such type of essay include:

• To share aspects of your life that are related to your chosen industry.
• To pursue the target degree in a certain school.
• To master the skills necessary to take care of women and children.
• To gain knowledge of the medical equipment and basic tools.
• To find out how to build effective communications between patients and registered nurses.

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50 Educational Goals Examples

An educational goal is an objective a person hopes to meet regarding their education. Every student, no matter the grade level, should establish a set of educational goals.

This is especially important for university students because they are fast approaching the point of entering the job market and embarking on a career; hopefully a long and successful career.

The timeline for accomplishing educational goals can be set for an upcoming course, the academic year, or upon graduation.

How to Set Educational Goals

Setting each educational goal should involve writing a statement that identifies the specific skills or area of knowledge a person would like to acquire.

It is important that these statements be very specific. For example, saying that you want to get an “A” in a course is too broad. More detail regarding how to write effective educational goals will be described further below.

Educational goals can also include defining strategies for achieving those objectives. Implementing the right study habits will help ensure those goals are met.

Having a goal isn’t going to help if a person doesn’t know the right steps to accomplish that goal.

Educational Goals Examples

• “…to learn at least 5 techniques for detecting a firewall breach on a company server in my computer programming course.”
• “…to be able to add at least 7 motion dynamics to a graph covered in my data visualization course…. from memory, with no help.”
• “…to study for one hour per day at university. I will be at a desk in the library at 9am each day to do this.”
• “…to find a good tutor to help me through my upcoming course in multiple regression analysis.”
• “…to memorize the APA or Chicago Manual of Style citation formats for: journal articles, books, edited chapters, and websites.”
• “…to learn 5 classroom management techniques for transitions taught in my early childhood education course.”
• “…being able to conduct at least 4 kinds of descriptive statistics for survey data without looking at the manual or asking for help.”
• “…to schedule at least 2 meetings this term with my academic advisor to discuss my career objectives after graduation.”
• “…to get involved in at least one research project conducted by one of my professors, starting at the beginning of the upcoming academic year.”
• “…I will set my mind on presenting at least one research paper at an undergraduate academic conference within the next year.”
• “…I aim to gather detailed admissions requirements for my top 3 and middle 3 graduate programs by the end of this term.”
• “…to be able to speak Spanish at a conversational level within six months by taking daily group lessons online.”
• “…I will master the art of public speaking by completing a public speaking course. I think I could do this by the end of the year.”
• “…I will learn how to code in Python and build a fully functional website by the end of the semester.”
• “…I will improve my critical thinking skills by using a critical thinking puzzles app for ten minutes per day at exactly 8pm each day.”
• “…to complete a course on financial management to improve my knowledge of personal finance and investments with the goal of getting a promotion in my firm.”
• “…I should be able to develop my leadership skills by attending leadership workshops and seminars.
• “…to improve my writing skills by checking my drafts with my teacher 2 weeks before each essay is due.”
• “…I will get into a writing habit by writing at least 500 words every day for a month.”
• “…I will learn how to play the guitar and be able to perform at least five songs by the end of the year. The first song will be Hey Jude by The Beatles .”
• “…to be able to solve complex mathematical equations by attending math tutoring sessions twice a week at my university library.”
• “…to improve my time management skills by creating and sticking to a schedule for the next six months.”
• “…I will learn how to use Adobe Photoshop and create professional-quality designs by the end of the semester. My portfolio presentation will get at least a B.”
• “…to improve my memory and focus by practicing mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes every day, directly after breakfast, for a month.”
• “…I will improve my public speaking skills by joining a local Toastmasters club and attending Tuesday meetings weekly for 3 months.”

See Also: 101 Goals for the School Year

Educational Goals for Studying

• “…to read and comprehend a chapter of a challenging book every day to improve my reading skills .”
• “…to memorize 50 new vocabulary words each week to expand my knowledge of the English language.”
• “…to attend every lecture and take detailed notes to improve my understanding of the course material.”
• “…to practice a new math problem every day to improve my problem-solving skills.
• “…to participate in a study group to gain different perspectives and insights on the course material.”
• “…to complete all of the assigned readings and assignments on time to improve my time management skills.”
• “…to attend office hours and ask questions to gain a better understanding of the course material.”
• “…to review my notes and study materials for at least an hour every day to improve my retention of information.”
• “…to actively participate in class discussions and ask questions to improve my critical thinking skills.”
• “…to create a study schedule and stick to it to improve my discipline and focus.”

Educational Goals for High School Students

• “…to complete my college application by the end of the week. I will work on one section per day and get started first thing when I get back from school each day.”
• “…to achieve a high score on the SAT/ACT exams so I can be accepted into my desired college. To achieve this goal, I will study for 45 minutes every afternoon.”
• “…to write the required research paper two weeks before it’s due so I can have time to edit and improve it before submission.”
• “…to participate in a summer internship program. To get started on this goal, I will send five emails to five separate companies I want to intern for.” ( See more internship goals in this list. )
• “…to learn how to use Microsoft Excel and create a financial model for a real-life business. To achieve this, I will watch one YouTube video on Excel strategies per day.”
• “…to learn how to write a resume and cover letter to prepare for job applications. To get started on this goal, I will find a resume template online and start filling it out this afternoon.”
• “…to learn a new language to be able to communicate with people from different cultures. To do this, I will enrol in an after-school language learning program this week.”
• “…to attend five college fairs by the end of the month and meet with admissions representatives from each college.”
• “…to participate in March’s debate competition to improve my public speaking skills.”
• “…to attend my local career fair next month and learn about different career paths in my field of interest. My sign of success will be that I have a shortlist of 5 preferred careers.”

Educational Goals for Graduate Students

• “…to complete my dissertation by the end of the academic year to fulfill the requirements for my degree.”
• “…to publish an academic article in a peer-reviewed journal to contribute to the scholarly discourse in my field.”
• “…to attend at least three academic conferences this year to network with other professionals in my field.”
• “…to develop and present a research proposal to my department for funding to support my research.”
• “…to improve my data analysis skills through advanced statistical courses to enhance the quality of my research.”

Tips for Attaining Your Educational Goals  

1. develop good habits.

Setting goals is great and can go a long way to help you keep focused on your objectives. But, if you don’t have good study habits a lot of those goals will be difficult to reach.

With that said, take a look at the good habits below that will make you a more efficient and effective student.

• Learn how to take better notes. This is a valuable skill to master. A lot of students try to write or type nearly everything their professor says during class. This prevents you from engaging in deep cognitive processing of the information because you are too focused on writing/typing. Most of the time you should only be writing 2- or 3-word phrases.
• Attend every class. Missing class is a bad habit to get into. Many professors will supplement textbook material with other sources during lecture. If you’re not there, you will miss it completely.
• Show up early to class. Getting to class 10 minutes early will give you time to review notes from previous classes, which is a nice tune-up for your memory network. Being early also helps you get in the right mindset.
• Sit in the front. This will make you more attentive during the entire class and you will be more likely to participate in discussions or respond to the professor’s questions. It will also help your professor remember you, which will be important if you need a letter of recommendation later.
• Study daily. Distributed studying is much more efficient and effective than cramming. It will be easier to retain information, be better organized in your knowledge base, and allow you to identify gaps in your understanding that you can ask your professor about. And, you won’t have to deal with all that anxiety of studying 5 chapters the night before the mid-term.
• Study in the library. Libraires are quiet and very conducive to deep cognitive processing. Studying in the dorm is ill-advised. Dorms are noisy and friends will interrupt with temptations you don’t need. Plus, there are much more interesting people in the library. They are more serious about school and could be a better influence in your life.

Personal Note from Dave: I didn’t learn these strategies until the end of year 2 of undergraduate study. First two years GPA=2.4; Final two years GPA=3.98 ( stupid French class ).

How To Set Your Educational Goals (The SMART Format)

SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The SMART format is a great tool for setting an educational goal that can actually be met.

Here is a more detailed description:

1. Specific

The goal should be clear, concise, and specific. The biggest mistake most students make when setting their goals is that the goals are too vague. If your goal has numbers in it, then it is a good sign.  

• I will improve my vocabulary.
• I will learn at least 10 new words every week.

See More: Examples of Specific Goals

2. Measurable

The goal should be written in a way that it can be measured. It should include some identifiable markers of success; again, numbers in your statement are a good sign that the achievement is quantifiable.

• I will improve my data visualization skills.
• I will be able to apply 3 interactive elements to a graph.

See More: Examples of Measurable Goals

3. Achievable

A goal should be challenging, but not so difficult that success is unlikely. When we are young, we like to dream big. Nothing wrong with that. But don’t set yourself up for failure. Remember that big goals are usually achieved incrementally.

• I will get involved in 3 research projects this year.
• I will get involved in 1 research project this year.

4. Relevant

Make sure that you set goals that are directly connected to your major or career aspirations . Don’t let yourself get distracted by pursuing a goal that is not directly related your long-term plan. There can be many side streets on the path to success, but it is better to stay on course.

• I will go swimming every day.
• I will study at least twice a day for 45 minutes each time.

5. Time-bound

Each goal should specify a timeframe for accomplishment. Setting a very specific date for when the goal should be met is vital, especially if you have a tendency to procrastinate.

• I will apply to 3 graduate programs.
• I will apply to 3 graduate programs by the end of this term.

Examples of SMART Educational Goals 

1. getting research experience.

Educational Goal:

“I will get involved in one of my professor’s research projects beginning this academic term.”

Here is an example of setting an ambitious educational goal. A lot of undergraduate students will want to move forward after graduation and pursue a master’s or doctorate. Most of those programs will be looking for students with research experience. 

Remember: Research takes a long time. Planning, designing, collecting data, analyzing data and writing the report can take at least 1 year, perhaps more. So, if you plan to apply for graduate schools anywhere from November – February of your senior year, it means you should start getting involved in research at the very beginning of your junior year (at the latest).

2. Getting Relevant Work Experience

Educational Goal

“I will apply for 3 internships every month that are directly related to my career/graduate degree until I get one.”

Whether your goal is to start your career right after bachelor’s study or continue on to grad school, having some relevant work experience will be a big plus on your resume. The key word here is “relevant.”

Having an internship related to your future career or area of graduate study is a fantastic idea. It will give you first-hand knowledge of what the job is really like. Be forewarned, that can turn out to be a real eye-opening experience. What we imagine a job to be like and what it actually entails on a daily basis can be very different.

Having some relevant work experience looks very good on your resume. It will help you stand out from the scores of other applicants. In addition, it can also lead to another letter of recommendation that will add diversity to the ones that come from your professors.

Everyone needs to set goals for themselves. This will help you stay on track and maintain focus.

Although most of us think we know how to set goals, most of the time we are too vague and don’t include a timeline. Sometimes we set goals that are unrealistic and not directly relevant to our long-term objectives.

This is why the SMART format is recommended. It is a framework that will help you identify specific goals, set a timeline, and provide a way to assess if you have met that goal or not.

Each student should use the SMART system for each course they take. Setting goals for an entire academic year and your 3-5-year life plan is highly recommended.

Drucker, P. (1954). The practice of management . New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Lawlor, K. B., & Hornyak, M. J. (2012). SMART goals: How the application of SMART goals can contribute to achievement of student learning outcomes. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 39 , 259-267.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Reeves, M., & Fuller, J. (2018). When SMART goals are not so smart. MIT Sloan Management Review , 59 (4), 1-5.

Rubin, R. S. (2002). Will the real SMART goals please stand up. The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist , 39 (4), 26-27.

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

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Teaching Resources

Writing Effective Learning Goals

Resource overview.

Tips and resources to help you set learning goals for your course

Oftentimes when instructors are developing courses, they start by thinking about a reading list or a list of topics to lecture on. This is considered a forward-thinking process of designing a course. By contrast, Wiggins and McTighe (2005) recommend a backward design approach that encourages you to consider your outcomes (goals) for students first. A learning goal is a statement of what your students should know or be able to do as a result of successfully completing your course.

By clarifying and explicitly stating your learning goals first, you can then design assessments and learning activities that are aligned with those goals. The benefit of following backward design that you can be confident that students who succeed in the course will leave having achieved the goals that you set for them at the beginning.

Identifying Your Learning Goals

Ideally, learning goals for a course are developed through considering contextual factors, as well as the kinds of knowledge production activities (e.g. synthesis, analysis, comparison, etc.) and skills that you want your students to leave your course comfortable performing. Starting from contextual factors, and considering types of learning on a macro-level, should make it easier to identify specific course-level learning goals for your students. As you are exploring the chart below, consider the relationships among the teaching context, types of learning, and beginning draft of learning goals provided:

What’s the Big Deal about Learning Goals?

So, you might be wondering at this point: what’s the big deal about learning goals? You might even be annoyed if you see learning goals as simply an output of the corporatization of higher education. The truth is however that even if you haven’t used the words “learning goals” before to describe your classes, instructors always have in mind what it is they want their students to get out of a course. And, the best, most meaningful classes for students tend to be those in which that foundational set of goals drives every other decision that is made about the course: What assignments should I ask my students to complete? What should they read or watch? What should we do in class? How should they interact with each other? In short, learning goals can be our compass, can keep us from veering off course in ways that don’t support our students’ learning.

In a time when fancy new technologies and all the other considerations seem overwhelming, learning goals are all the more critical. If you are willing to start from your learning goals, the noise of possibilities will begin to die down, and everything that is truly essential for you to know in order to support your students’ learning will become clearer.

Writing a Learning Goal

As you develop and refine your learning goals for students, you’ll want to make sure they are specific and measurable. It’s critical that the goals that you choose are ones that can be measured–that is, that it would be possible for you to assess how well students have been able to accomplish this goal in your class.

A good way to start drafting a specific learning goal is to identify what you want students to actually  do  with the knowledge that you hope they will gain in your course. Examining  a list of verbs can really be helpful for identifying the specific things that you’d like students to be able to do with knowledge acquired.

One common way to break down these cognitive activities (what students are “doing”) is Bloom’s (revised) Taxonomy, a hierarchical framework for constructing and classifying learning goals (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The revised taxonomy includes the following levels of cognitive engagement: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. This taxonomy suggests that one isn’t ready to do more complex cognitive tasks (e.g. application, analysis) until one has a firm grasp on the lower-levels (remember, understand).

Traditionally, learning goals are written from the student’s point of view, for example:  “The student should be able to trace the carbon cycle in a given  ecosystem.” 

Click here to see more examples of learning goals.

Characteristics of Effective Learning Goals

It’s relatively easy to write a learning goal, it’s more challenging to write a really effective one! Watch the short video presentation below (~6 minutes) to learn some of the basic principles of effective learning goals.

Further Reading

Nilson, L. (2016). “Outcomes-Centered Course Design” in  Teaching at It’s Best , 4th edition. Jossey-Bass.

Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Yale University. (2017).  Bloom’s Taxonomy .

Fink, L. D. (2005). A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning .

Anderson, L. W. & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing : A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design . ASCD.

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Examples of Scholarship Essays for the “Career Goals” Question

Emily Wong is a writer at Scholarships360. She’s worked as a social media manager and a content writer at several different startups, where she covered various topics including business, tech, job recruitment, and education. Emily grew up and went to school in the Chicago suburbs, where she studied economics and journalism at Northwestern University.

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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Writing an essay is often the trickiest part of the scholarship application, not to mention the most time-consuming. However, the essay section also allows room for creativity and individuality. If you can communicate effectively, you can use the essay portion to stand out from the crowd. Let’s go over some tips for writing, as well as a couple of scholarship essay examples about career goals.

How to write a scholarship essay 

At this point, you’ve probably gained plenty of experience writing papers for school. However, it may still take a couple of tries to nail the scholarship essay. Since scholarship teams often have to get through a lot of applications, it’s important to stand out while staying concise. Here are some simple guidelines for writing scholarship essays.

See also: How to write a winning scholarship essay (with examples!)

Take five minutes to brainstorm

Before you even start your essay, take some time to gather your thoughts. Think about what you’ll want the paper to focus on. Why did you choose to pursue your career path in the first place? Where do you want to be in five years? How would this scholarship help you further your studies and work toward your goals?

Once you’ve jotted down a few ideas, choose one or two to center your essay on. Identifying the focus of your paper, it’ll make it easier to keep your thoughts organized. In turn, it’ll make it easier for the reader to follow.

Related : How to start a scholarship essay (with examples!)

Stay within the word limit

Unlike the four-page essays that you may have written in English class, scholarship essays are often only a paragraph or two. In order to respect the selection committee’s time, be wary of going too far about the specified word count. A general rule of thumb is to stay within 20 words above or below the limit. That may entail a few rounds of edits to get the wording just right.

Stay positive!

Feel free to use part of your essay to talk about your life’s challenges. After all, the selection committee often wants to give the award to a candidate who needs it. However, make sure your anecdote doesn’t devolve into a sob story. If you’re going to bring up hardships you’ve endured, try to balance it by talking about how you’ve overcome them. By demonstrating resilience, you can show readers how you would use the scholarship to succeed in your current situation.

Leave time to proofread

Especially for a short scholarship essay, proofreading can take as little as 5-10 minutes. Still, it can be tempting to just hit “submit” after your first draft. However, being too impulsive can leave your essay riddled with typos and grammatical errors.

Try to avoid unnecessary mistakes by finishing your draft at least 24 hours before the scholarship deadline. That way, you can proofread it with fresh eyes before you submit it.

If you’re struggling to close out your essay, read how to end a scholarship essay in five steps .

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How to write a 100-word “career goals” essay.

When writing a 100-word essay, you’ll have to choose your content carefully. Since space is limited, you’ll want to identify the most important details to include beforehand.

First and foremost, make sure to clearly communicate your current pursuits. Talk about your academic and extracurricular activities related to your career goals. Additionally, it’s important to be specific about what you plan to do in the future. Then, if you have extra room, you can talk about how the scholarship will help you reach your goals.

My name is Alison MacBride, and I’m a sophomore at the University of Illinois. I’m currently pursuing a major in Journalism with a minor in Natural Resource Conservation. After completing my program, I plan to combine my areas of interest to become an environmental journalist.

During high school, I volunteered at an eco-conscious farm, where I learned about how our actions affect the earth. Since then, I’ve been set on raising awareness for the environment. This scholarship would go a long way in helping me finish my degree with the skills I need to investigate and report about critical issues.

Word count: 100

How to write a 250-word “career goals” essay

For the 250-word essay, you can go into more detail. Give the readers some context by talking about how you first got interested in your chosen career. Storytelling can be especially effective in engaging your audience. Try to capture their attention by choosing one or two concrete examples and relaying them vividly.

Additionally, you can spend more time talking about the scholarship and how it’ll make a difference in your studies. Go into more detail about how and why you need the award, but remember to keep it positive! For more help, check out how to write a 250 word essay . 

I first decided that I wanted to pursue a career in environmentalism in early high school. The summer after my freshman year, I joined a volunteer program at an eco-conscious farm in my community. In addition to helping out with the operations, I learned about current environmental issues related to farming and other consumer industries.

After learning about the agricultural industry’s impact on the planet, I was inspired to make a difference. The next year, I started a monthly earth magazine at my high school in which we broke down environmental issues and offered tips on how to be more eco-friendly. When I started college, I founded an on-campus publication with the same mission.

In recent years, I’ve been troubled to see how some media outlets downplay the gravity of issues like climate change and deforestation. I’ve admired reporters who publish trustworthy and comprehensible information about environmental issues, and I aim to follow in their footsteps.

When I entered college, I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t have enough money to finish my degree. Fortunately, I’ve been able to cover most of my tuition using merit scholarships and paychecks from my part-time job on campus. Receiving this scholarship would allow me more time to focus on acing my classes and pursuing environmental advocacy work on campus.

Word count: 261

Final thoughts

Planning is essential in making your “career goals” essay clear and concise. Hopefully, these scholarship essay examples about career goals can be your guide to writing a scholarship-winning essay. Good luck!

Additional resources

Maybe you need to write a longer scholarship essay? We can help with our writing a 500 word essay guide ! Be prepared and learn how to write essays about yourself and how to craft an impressive personal statement . Learn the differences between a personal statement and a statement of purpose as the terms might come up on college websites. If you haven’t decided on a college already, check out our guide on how to choose a college . No matter where you are in your educational journey, make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you qualify for!

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Scholarship Essay Tips: Educational and Career Goals

Soheila battaglia.

While a resume lists important facts about you, an essay gives the scholarship committee a chance to see the real you: what you value, what you aspire to, how hard you have worked, and why you need a scholarship to realize your goals. A successful scholarship essay distinguishes you from other candidates. Therefore, honestly explain what your goals are, why they are your goals, and how specifically you plan to attain them, including steps that you have already taken.

Explore this article

• Form a Thesis Statement
• Craft For the Program
• Give Specific Examples

1 Brainstorm

Preparation always pays off at the end. You can prepare for your scholarship essay by brainstorming material to write about, including a list of your achievements, community involvement, leadership positions, strengths and weaknesses. You can ask yourself questions to gain specific details for the essay. For example, if you were writing your autobiography right now, what would be three things you would include? What would it mean for you to not achieve your goals? When did you fail miserably and when were you a fantastic success? What specifically do you want to be doing in ten years and why? From this material, you can select what the focus of the essay will be, and extract information from your brainstorming that supports the overall point.

2 Form a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement helps you focus and steer your content so that, rather than listing off many goals or achievements, you are selecting a few to properly explore and explain. The thesis statement should appear in the introduction of the essay and should be contained in a single, clear sentence. It serves to indicate the main categories you will be discussing and shows the reader that you have a point to make about your goals and how specifically they will benefit from the scholarship.

3 Craft For the Program

Determine the mission and identity of the particular scholarship program to which you are applying, and show how your experience has helped you to develop the skills and qualities that the selection committee is looking for. Show that you are a strong candidate in general, but also a good candidate for this particular scholarship. Catering your application to the program shows the scholarship committee that you have done your research, that you are professional and meticulous, and that you are a good fit for what they offer.

4 Give Specific Examples

Telling the reader about yourself is not as impacting as showing the reader who you are. For example, instead of writing that you are determined, you can write about the time you were rejected from a program and you appealed and worked hard and got the decision overturned. Providing specific examples makes you a more memorable candidate than those who describe themselves only through general adjectives such as "strong" and "ambitious." Ask yourself what aspects of your life reflect your commitment to the goals you are naming. You should provide evidence from your life and point of view that clearly state why you deserve to win a scholarship.

5 Proofread

Have others proofread your essay to make certain it properly addresses the prompt, meets the word count requirement, is clear and concise, and contains no spelling or grammatical errors. Make sure that the essay shows how your educational and career goals are related, who you are and what motivates you. Give yourself sufficient time before the due date to read over, edit and revise the essay.

• 1 University of Phoenix: Writing Your Scholarship Essay

About the Author

Soheila Battaglia is a published and award-winning author and filmmaker. She holds an MA in literary cultures from New York University and a BA in ethnic studies from UC Berkeley. She is a college professor of literature and composition.

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17 Educational Goals Examples & Ideas for Students in 2024

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As a student, the best way to ensure a successful 2024 is to define and set your educational goals … but knowing how to set goals is just a part of it.  First, it’s crucial to understand why goal setting is essential.

Next, you’ll need to decide the types of goals you should establish to realize success. Once you set your goals, you’ve taken the first step to achieve them.

In this article, you’ll find just what you need to make 2023 your year for setting your goals and working towards them. Ultimately, you’ll be setting yourself up for your best life.

Table of Contents

What are Educational Goals?

When you think of educational goals, as a student, you probably think of what you’d like to accomplish as it relates to where you are in your educational journey.  

If you’re early into college, you may or may not have finalized your career goals. Maybe you’re still seeking what career path you’ll choose.

On the other hand, if you’re in your senior year, chances are your goals are more apparent. After all, you’re nearing the end of your journey, about to get your degree in your chosen field. At this point, your educational goals may include a choice between gaining experience in your field and furthering your education via a Master's Degree or Doctorate.

Either way, these educational goals are declarations that refer to the abilities, skills, and qualities you intend to acquire once your academic journey or a part of your journey is complete.

Why Setting Educational Goals is Important

What makes setting educational goals important is where those goals can take you . Think of your future. If you don’t set a goal (or several) driving you to where you want to go, you may fall short or even stray onto another path.

Think about your normal daily activities. Are they bringing you closer or farther away from your goals? If you need a change in your life to reach your educational goals, learning how to set them is the key to your success.

Life isn’t easy. As you travel your educational journey, you’ll find obstacles in your path. And those obstacles may cause you to lose your way without clearly defined goals .

Focusing on a defined target will help you continue your commitment to progressing towards, and ultimately achieving your goals, even if someone tries to talk you out of them.

Goals not only motivate you, but may also ensure you stay the course when the going gets tough . Think of your goals as your map on the road to success .  Or, think of a bull-s eye on a target as being your most important goal. If your aim is sure, you make it. If not, you still come close.

How to Set Educational Goals

You may have heard of SMART goals. They work! When setting educational goals for yourself, remember to be SMART . SMART is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Specific goals are clear, defined, and easy to understand without ambiguity. Measurable means your goals are set so that you can track your progress toward them. Achievable goals are those that, while they may stretch you they are not unreachable. Relevant goals are realistic regarding your purpose, in this case, as they relate to your education. Time-bound means when you set the goal, it is not open-ended and ongoing; you need to have both a start and projected end date.

A well-written educational goal will give you a specific starting point and a defined destination. When you set your educational goals using the SMART method, you’ll set yourself up to find greater success.

Ways to find this success can include:

• Drafting a mission statement – this is a summary of what you plan to accomplish.
• Journaling – can be done with a daily planner to keep you on task with your goals.  Plus, writing down your goals and the steps to get there solidifies them, so they stay top of mind.
• Creating vision boards – also called a dream board, this represents your goals in a visual way, bringing clarity and focus in working towards your educational goals.   

17 Educational Goal Examples

The following is a list of popular and useful educational goal examples. Not all of them will appeal to you, so search and find the ones that do.

Next, define them to precisely mirror your own goals.  Some of the goals listed are short-term , while others are more long-term .

Whichever path (or paths) you choose, you’ll find your goals are not only within sight… but also within reach. After each goal, we’ve included an action plan to help you get started.

1. Raise your GPA (grade point average).

As a student, you realize the value of having a good grade point average. It can help you become eligible to receive financial aid and get into the university of your choice. Raising your GPA can be an ambiguous goal unless you phrase it more specifically.

Action Plan: First, define and then write down the steps you need to take to raise your GPA. Understand what it is currently and what it will take to raise it. You may want to speak with your teachers or professors to gain insight into how you can raise your grades in each class.

2. Improve your test-taking skills.

Learning how to take tests effectively can take you a long way toward success in your educational journey. A good start is to learn how to set yourself up for successful test-taking.

Action Plan: Write down what you intend to do before and during tests, such as mentally preparing, including adequate study, and focusing on keywords in the test questions.

3. Take better notes.

This is a worthy goal to help you learn and do well on tests. Note-taking skills can carry you far toward academic success. The benefits are two-fold: taking notes in class enables you to remember what you’ve heard, and taking notes to review will give you a better comprehension of the material.

How are you taking notes today? Are you taking down everything the professor says? If so, it’s time to think about note-taking differently.

Action Plan: Define what you need to notate. Only take notes on the main points your professor makes. Listen for clues as to the notes you need to study; a professor may indicate if the material will be on a test. Also, underline or highlight the most essential points, and notate any references if you need to look up information regarding a subject.

4. Learn to control your emotions.

This is a goal that will serve you well on your educational journey and beyond. Having the ability to control your emotions can keep you from hurting others’ feelings or embarrassing yourself.

Action Plan : You may have heard the term “emotional intelligence.” The awareness of your emotions would be the first step toward learning to control them. Look at the impact of your feelings in the past. When you feel emotions rising, take a moment to think through the problem and determine the most appropriate action to take rather than letting your initial emotions dictate your actions. For more tips in learning to control your emotions read this article from Healthline . 

5. Schedule time to read.

Readers are leaders, so it’s important to make sure you have time to read. Whether you plan to read fiction for entertainment or nonfiction in your educational field, spending time in books can help broaden your knowledge or enjoy your downtime. Finding it hard to find the time? Read our article with  15 tips to save time each day. 

Action Plan : Set your alarm for a ½ hour earlier and read first thing in the morning. Be sure to have your reading materials nearby for easy access. Anytime you leave your house, be sure to carry a book with you. Get in the habit of reading on the bus, train, or subway.

6. Develop a positive outlook.

If you see the glass half full, as in viewing your circumstances in a positive light versus seeing the glass half empty, it will help you deal better with negative situations. You’ll experience more happiness and joy throughout your educational journey and throughout life.

Action Plan: An easy step is to begin surrounding yourself with positive people. Next, celebrate every small success. Be grateful for the small victories, like each quiz you pass, each time you walk into class on time, and each time you meet one of your goals. Finally, feed your mind with positive affirmations daily.

7. Exercise on schedule.

Working out, walking, and doing aerobic activities can reduce stress and anxiety, which is helpful as you navigate your educational journey. Exercise can also help you sleep better and boost your mood. Here's an article that can help you set your health goals . 

Action Plan: Use a daily planner, either online or in hard copy, to schedule regular exercise. Then, stick to the schedule. Make it a priority as you would any appointment, knowing it is vital for both your physical and mental health as well as helping you meet your educational goals.

8. Eat healthy foods.

Controlling your appetite and choosing to eat a healthy diet will help you have more energy, optimal brain function, and a robust immune system. This can mean you’ll miss fewer days of class to sickness.

Action Plan: If possible, make most of your meals. Eat less fast food and pre-packaged foods. Plan your meals and snacks using a daily planner or app.

9. Attend every class.

You can essentially set yourself up for success when you’re well-armed with the knowledge you need to succeed. The best way to do that is to attend every class and be present “in the moment” to absorb that information.

Action Plan: Set an alarm daily to ensure you get up and out the door with plenty of time to make it to your class. Use a daily planner to keep up with your schedule, and be sure not to overbook yourself. Make attending classes a priority over other activities, no matter how tempting.

10. Stay in touch with close friends and family members.

Keeping in close contact with those that are closest to you can help you stay the path toward your educational goals when the going gets tough. Having a network of supportive friends and/or family members will help you stay on track.

Action Plan : Schedule calls each week. Send periodic emails and texts. Make time for video chats, especially on holidays and special occasions when you can’t be there in person.

11. Earn a degree or certification.

Your educational journey will more than likely culminate in a certificate or a degree from an institution or college. While it takes time, it is well worth earning the cert or diploma as it can help you acquire your dream job and live the life you’ve imagined.

Action Plan: Make a plan, setting a beginning and end date to meet your goal. Start small with incremental goals, making sure you pass your individual classes and stay on course. While you may need to adjust your journey on your way, never lose sight of the end goal. Making a dream board to keep your goals in view may be helpful.

12. Decrease screen time.

Limiting the time you’re focused on a screen for whatever reason can help you meet other goals, such as improving your sleep, decreasing headaches, and giving you the time and focus to tackle any obstacles or problems.

Action Plan: Intentionally limit the time you use screens, whether it’s your cell phone, tablet, computer, or television. Schedule your screen time so you can control it before it controls you.

13. Develop communication skills.

Setting a goal to increase your written and verbal communication skills can take you far in your educational and life goals. Honing your skills in interacting with others can help you become more likable and have fewer misunderstandings.

Clear communication ensures your success with your classmates and your workmates.

Action Plan : Practice your skills with others. You can do this by volunteering or working in customer service industries. Or you may find it helpful to join study groups or a Toastmasters club to learn how to speak in public and fill leadership roles.

14. Find a study buddy.

Some of the best reasons to find someone to share study time with are accountability in showing up, motivation to succeed and making learning enjoyable.

Action Plan: Ask fellow students to gauge their interest in partnering with you. You can have a study buddy from several classes or one dedicated buddy that keeps you motivated to put in study time together. Check out these 7 habits we've put together to help you and your study buddy develop your critical thinking skills. 

15. Limit gaming.

In and of itself, it is not wrong to game until it interferes with the rest of your life, like going to class or creeping into study time. To reach your educational goals, keeping a handle on how many hours a week you spend gaming is crucial. It’s too easy to lose yourself in a game and spend hours that you did not intend to spend online.

Action Plan: For a week, log the hours you spend gaming. This will give you a reasonable frame of reference to begin setting limits. Next, figure out which blocks of time are crucial to meeting your educational goals and re-take that time. It may be helpful to block off time in a daily planner to make sure you stick to the limits you’ve set.

16. Improve memory.

This may be one of the most important gifts you can give yourself on your educational journey and throughout life. When you improve your memory, you’ll stay focused on tasks, become a more efficient learner, and optimize your study time.  

Action Plan: Repetition can help when memorizing information before test time. Not just reading your material several times but reading it aloud can give you a better understanding of it and a better chance of retaining the information. Group pieces of information together that relate to each other. Try using mnemonic devices, which are sentences that help you memorize a sequence of words. An excellent example of this is how music students memorize notes with a mnemonic device like “All Cows Eat Grass” to remember notes A, C, E, and G on the Bass Clef.

17. Submit class requirements on time.

While this may require some discipline, it will undoubtedly pay off. What is interesting about this goal is that you can create individual short-term goals out of it. For instance, when you write it down for yourself, try writing it like this: I will submit my weekly class requirements on time.

Action Plan: Get a daily planner and record your class requirements. When you complete one, check it off. Not only will this give you a sense of accomplishment, but it will also keep you on track and focused on your goal.

Final Thoughts on Educational Goals

The secret to one’s success in reaching their goals lies in beginning the process of setting those goals. An excellent way to start is to write them down.  It makes them seem more real and tangible.

If you need help getting started, check out these printable SMART goal worksheets we've created to get those juices flowing and motivate you to push forward.

Once you have them on paper, you can prioritize them and make a plan on how to achieve them using the tools we’ve outlined here. And by using the educational goal examples in this article as inspiration, I’m confident you will be able to define your goals, and crush them!

And if you want more SMART goal ideas and examples for teachers , be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 15 Teacher Professional Goals Examples
• 10 SMART Goals Examples for an IEP (Individualized Education Program)
• 11 SMART Goals Examples for Special Education Teachers

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

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Writing Tips for a Career Goals Essay (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Mar 1, 2023

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For your college scholarship essay, you may be asked about your career goals. The scholarship committee wants to see how investing in your education will help your career. Do you have a definitive plan? Will a college education fit into that plan? These are the answers they want to see.

In this guide, we will provide some scholarship essay examples about career goals to jumpstart your essay writing.

Writing tips for career goals scholarship essays

Here are some quick tips for writing career goal scholarship essays:

• Write about career goals that tie into the scholarship. This doesn’t mean you have to lie about your career goals to make them fit. Find a way to relate them to the scholarship committee or other elements of the scholarship.
• Be precise about your career goals. Avoid vague statements that suggest you do not have a plan. Judges like to see determination because it shows they’re making a worthy educational investment.
• Discuss how your education will help you achieve your career goals. The scholarship will assist with your education. Show a connection between the two so they can see why you deserve this scholarship.
• If you mention multiple goals, indicate which one you feel most strongly about. Longer essays may allow you to mention a backup plan, but the committee needs to see where your focus lies.
• Avoid cliché statements. Describe how your specific talents, experiences, and degree pursuits will help you succeed.
• Point out solutions, not problems. You may mention struggles you’ve had in the past, but pinpoint how you will learn from them. Moreover, show how those struggles led to your career goals.
• Organize your thoughts in a fluid manner. This will most likely be in chronological order, starting with your degree and progressing through your career growth.
• Write, revise, rest, revise. This goes for any essay writing. Write the first draft from start to finish. Then read through it and edit any grammar or flow errors. Take a break, preferably overnight, and then re-read your content with fresh eyes.

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Example 1: Scholarship essay about career goals (100 words)

In a 100-word scholarship essay, you need to quickly make your point. There is not enough room for a lengthy intro or backstory. Use concise, comprehensive statements to deliver the most information in the fewest words.

I’m a sophomore at Texas Tech University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Companion Animal Science. After graduation, I hope to attend Texas A&M to become a veterinarian serving rescue organizations and animal shelters. I was born and raised in the south, where it is common for people to abandon animals in rural areas. Those animals then go into a rescue – emaciated, frightened, and confused. I want to work with rescues to provide affordable veterinary medicine to the animals they save. This scholarship would help me continue my education and potentially save thousands of abandoned animals in the future.

Word count: 99

Example 2: Scholarship essay about career goals (250 words)

With a 250-word scholarship essay, you have a little more room to discuss the details of your career goals. You can explain situations from your past that inspired your career pursuits. You could use one paragraph to talk about your short-term goals and another to talk about your long-term goals. Just make sure the big picture ties into the scholarship.

My name is Patrick Holden and I am a freshman at the University of Michigan, majoring in English and minoring in linguistics. I plan to become an English teacher, but this wasn’t always what I had in mind.  When thinking about my future, I always saw myself in some sort of corporate office, perhaps as an executive assistant or a loan officer at a bank. My father works in the finance office for a car dealership and my mother works at a call center. I assumed I would follow a similar, albeit boring, path in life. In my junior year of high school, everything changed. My English teacher inspired me in ways I could have never imagined. She got me to love writing, literature, etymology, and everything about the English language. She made me want to be a better student in all of my classes, and she helped me see the value of education. I decided then that I wanted to inspire other students just as she did for me. My parents are unfortunately not able to contribute much toward my college expenses. I have earned a tuition scholarship based on my ACT score, but I still need additional funding for books and supplies. English majors have particularly high book costs because we have to purchase multiple books for each class. With the help of this scholarship, I could afford to continue my degree and become an English teacher.

Word count: 240

Example 3: Scholarship essay about career goals (500 words)

With 500 words or more to play around with, you have plenty of space to talk about your career goals. Maintain the same theme throughout the scholarship essay. Each paragraph should connect to the next, and they should all work together to describe your career plan. Avoid making disconnected statements for the sake of word count. In the end, the scholarship committee should have a clear view of your educational plans and professional aspirations.

Internet marketing has gone from an optional method of advertisement to a vital step in business outreach. Even small businesses in remote towns look to the internet to attract customers and spread the word about their services. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing with an emphasis on Digital Marketing. With this training, I will be able to enter a profession that will only grow year by year. When I was younger, I found print advertisements to be fascinating. I loved reading the newspaper with my father just to see the full-page ads in between stories. When I got older though, those ads became less appealing because they were not adaptive. They seemed dated, static and ill-fit for changes in society. That’s when I discovered internet marketing. It was still in its infancy when I was in middle school, but by the time I graduated high school, it had become a staple in business development. I loved the way internet marketers had to constantly adjust to fit Google’s algorithms, new mobile devices, and new audiences. I knew this was the career for me. Originally, I planned to focus solely on business marketing because there were not many digital marketing degrees available. Over the last two years though, several schools throughout the country have developed internet marketing courses that explain fundamental methods of search engine optimization, website analytics, and more. These are the foundations I will build my career around. The best part about internet marketing is that there is always something new to learn. I can use my creative mind and exploratory nature to try new advertising methods that help businesses succeed. Every time they do well, I do well. This is the kind of job fulfillment most people can only dream of, but my educational plan and job prospects will allow me to achieve it. I have picked up some freelance jobs online to supplement my studies and help pay for my education. It is difficult to maintain a steady stream of income in freelance because I spend so much time on my school work. This scholarship could offset some of the costs and reduce my workload as a whole. While I will still work throughout the semester and full-time in the summers, having extra financial aid would greatly reduce my stress in college. I look forward to a future where I can use my marketing skills to help business owners achieve their career goals. I plan to spend the first few years after graduation working for a successful, long-standing digital marketing company. After I have enough on-the-job training to feel confident in my abilities, I will open my own internet marketing company in Chicago, where my family lives. I have a clear picture of where I will be in the next 10 years, and I know this degree is going to help me get there.

Word count: 481

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

This article is part of the research topic.

Education for the Future: Learning and Teaching for Sustainable Development in Education

Blending Pedagogy: Equipping Student Teachers to Foster Transversal Competencies in Future-oriented Education Provisionally Accepted

• 1 Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Blended teaching and learning, combining online and face-to-face instruction, and shared reflection are gaining in popularity worldwide and present evolving challenges in the field of teacher training and education. There is also a growing need to focus on transversal competencies such as critical thinking and collaboration. This study is positioned at the intersection of blended education and transversal competencies in the context of a blended ECEC teacher-training program (1000+) at the University of Helsinki. Blended education is a novel approach to training teachers, and there is a desire to explore how such an approach supports the acquisition of transversal competencies and whether the associated methods offer something essential for the development of teacher training. The aim is to explore what transversal competencies this teacher-training program supports for future teachers, and how students reflect on their learning experiences. The data consist of documents from teacher-education curricula and essays from the students on the 1000+ program. They were content-analyzed from a scoping perspective. Students' experiences of studying enhanced the achievement of generic goals in teacher education, such as to develop critical and reflective thinking, interaction competence, collaboration skills, and independent and collective expertise. We highlight the importance of teacher development in preparing for education in the future during the teacher training. Emphasizing professional development, we challenge the conventional teaching paradigm by introducing a holistic approach.

Keywords: blended teacher training, Transversal competencies, future of education, Teacher Education, early childhood education

Received: 19 Jan 2024; Accepted: 15 May 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Niemi, Kangas and Köngäs. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Dr. Laura H. Niemi, Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Uusimaa, Finland

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