11 Long-Term Goals for High School Students: Preparation Tips

Long-term goals are the guiding lights that help students see the way to move forward and also the motivation to help them through challenging times. However, not all goals are equal. Having challenging and specific long-term goals is estimated to be 90% more effective at motivating students than non-specific goals. This article will provide the information to help high school students find the perfect long-term goals that fit their personality.

• Improve GPA
• Enroll in a favorite college
• Enroll in a vocational/technical program
• Identify interested career areas
• Get in-demand career certifications
• Get community support
• Build healthy relationships
• Understand laws and policies to make decisions
• Get driver license
• Prepare a personal finance plan
• Prepare housing plan

The Importance of Long Term Goals for High School Students

Long term goals for high school students play a pivotal role in their development. Goal setting for high school students enables them to take on more proactive roles in their studies and become more successful in life as well as in academia.

• Make the targets clear for students: Students will have tangible goals to work towards.
• Direct students to goal-relevant tasks: With long-term growth goals, students will focus on specific tasks that drive them to success.
• Set goals that align with one’s own benchmark and values: Students can choose goals that
• Create a dissonance between current and desired states: Having a clear goal motivates students to resolve this dissonance.

Education Goals for High School Students

Education goals are academic goals that propel students to do better in class.

• 1. Improve GPA: Students could set an ideal GPA to strive towards by the end of the school year.
• 2. Enroll in a favorite college: Students should do basic research into their home country’s current college environments and set up a favorite college.
• 3. Enroll in a vocational/technical program: Vocational or technical programs prepare students for their future trades or jobs. Traditionally, parents generally did not hold favorable attitudes toward vocational programs. However, modern programs now include training for in-demand occupations, such as graphic design or healthcare, making them an indispensable source of technical skills for students.

Career Goals for High School Students

Identifying career goals early in life makes the transition to adulthood much smoother for students.

• 4. Identify interested career areas: Students should first understand that careers are much broader than jobs. A career is a long-term path of development that includes multiple jobs, and it enables the students to unleash their strengths and potential. To choose an interesting career area, students can first list out the skills they have used throughout group projects or extra-curricular activities and then match those skills with the required skills in a career area. Some in-demand areas are IT, hospitality and tourism, human services, etc.
• 5. Get in-demand career certifications: An in-demand career certification is proof of the student’s skills and dedication to a certain career or to the skills required in said career. Some easy career certifications include language certification, software certification, or project management certification.

Independent Living Goals for High School Students

These are goals that help to keep students on track to become independent and helpful citizens of society. Achieving these goals allows them to become responsible and reliable adults.

• 6. Get community support: Students can volunteer to assist local community members in their free time. This will gain them the trust as well as the support of other members down the line.
• 7. Build healthy relationships: Nurturing healthy relationships with peers and family members is key to a healthy life. Students can strive towards this goal by learning to trust their peers and opening up to them.
• 8. Understand laws and policies to make decisions: Local laws and policies affect students’ quality of life and safety. Understanding these rules can help them utilize their rights to make better decisions.
• 9. Get a driver’s license: When they are old enough, having a driver’s license enables students to travel freely within their home city. A driver’s license is also a requisite for some jobs as well.
• 10. Prepare personal finance plan: A personal finance plan helps students to control their spending and improve their quality of life. With good financial goals, students can comfortably spend on hobbies and amenities while still preparing for future expenses.
• 11. Prepare a housing plan: Even though most students will probably not have the financial independence to purchase their own home after graduation, it is important to plan out how they will live in the future. This goal will also be particularly helpful for students who have to move out to live in another city for their studies.

How High School Students Achieve Their Long-Term Goals

Students can achieve long-term goals with the help of the techniques described below.

• Identify the goals: With so many goals to work with, students should assess their goals and ensure they follow the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time) framework.
• Create action plans: The next step should focus on creating action plans for each of the goal groups.
• • Education goals: Focus on higher education and future scholarship plans.
  • Career goals: Highlight what students can do even when they are still at school.
  • Independent living goals: Focus on developing the student’s ideal self.
• Identify barriers and solutions: Students can step back to assess potential barriers and devise solutions. This will prevent anxiety due to unpreparedness.
• Reflect the goal’s outcome: As they reach the end of their defined period, students can assess the outcome through questions such as “Did you reach your goal?”, ”Did you reward yourself during the process? How?”, etc.

Teachers’ Strategies to Support Students with Long-term Goals

Teachers can help high school students set goals through the TARGET strategy, which enhances students’ academic performance.

• Task design (T): Educators should aim at creating tasks that fit the students’ level, enabling them to complete the tasks with proper guidance. This will boost their confidence and satisfaction, motivating them intrinsically.
• Authority distribution (A): Teachers are not the only authority figures in the class. Students can be empowered to become leaders and take responsibility for their own learning process.
• Recognition of pupils (R): Educators may deliver sincere and frank feedback to pupils after they complete a task. This simple act makes the students feel appreciated and that their hard work is paid off. However, it would be wise to do this in private to avoid embarrassing the student.
• Grouping arrangements (G): Educators should try mixing students of various skill levels during group assignments, which enables students to learn from one another. Learning with good students will help struggling ones catch up better.
• Evaluation practices (E): Educators can remind students that goals are for their own growth and development. Some words of encouragement will considerably reduce peer pressure, helping students to have a more objective view on their progress.
• Time allocation (T): The pace of the class should be discussed with the students to make sure that no one falls behind. When a student needs extra time to accommodate new pacing, it will be a great idea to make some exceptions.

Achieve Long-Term Goals with ISHCMC IB Programme

The IB programme of ISHCMC is the perfect choice to let high school students set out their long-term goals and strive towards them. Encouraging students to go beyond their academic achievements, the IB programme nurtures them to become independent and confident learners, traits that will be particularly useful in colleges.

At the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to showcase all their skills and interests through a personal project, which they develop from scratch under the guidance of experienced educators.

This opportunity empowers students to fully unlock their potential and put their passion into a dazzling display. It is also a challenging experience that truly tests their organizational skills.

Contact our admission office now for more information on our IB programme!