If you are a student, you probably have some personal goals that you want to achieve, such as getting good grades, learning new skills, or passing an exam. But how do you know if you are making progress towards your goals? And how does tracking your progress affect your well-being and motivation?.
In this blog post, we will explore some of the scientific reasons for reviewing your monthly and weekly study progress, and share some tips on how to do it effectively.
Why Review Your Progress?
According to research, making progress towards your personal goals can improve your well-being, satisfaction, and happiness1. However, this only works if your goals are in line with your inner needs and motives. If you are committed to a goal for external reasons, such as pleasing your parents or teachers, you won’t see the same emotional benefits when you make progress1.
Another reason to review your progress is that it can help you achieve your goals more easily. When you set a goal that is autonomous, meaning that it comes from your own motivation rather than being imposed by someone else, you are more likely to succeed1. Reviewing your progress can help you stay focused on your autonomous goals and remind you why they are important to you.
Additionally, reviewing your progress can help you adjust your strategies and overcome challenges. By looking at what worked and what didn’t work in the past, you can learn from your mistakes and improve your performance. You can also identify any gaps in your knowledge or skills and seek feedback or assistance when needed.
How to Review Your Progress?
One of the most popular methods for setting and reviewing goals is the SMART framework. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound2. A SMART goal is more than a vague wish; it is a concrete action plan that you can track and evaluate.
For example, instead of saying “I want to learn French”, a SMART goal would be “I want to pass the B1 level exam in French by the end of this year”. This goal is specific (what), measurable (how), achievable (possible), relevant (why), and time-bound (when).
To review your progress using the SMART framework, you need to break down your goal into smaller sub-goals and check them off regularly. For instance, if your goal is to pass the B1 level exam in French by the end of this year, you could set monthly sub-goals such as:
- January: Review the basics of French grammar and vocabulary
- February: Complete a beginner’s course on Duolingo
- March: Watch 10 episodes of a French TV show with subtitles
- April: Read a short novel in French
- May: Write a 500-word essay in French on a topic of your choice
- June: Join a conversation club or find a language partner online
- July: Take a mock exam and identify your strengths and weaknesses
- August: Review the topics that you need to improve on
- September: Take another mock exam and measure your improvement
- October: Register for the official exam and prepare for it
- November: Take the official exam and celebrate!
You can use our super student study planner to track your monthly sub-goals. At the end of each month, you should review your progress and ask yourself some questions such as:
- Did I achieve my sub-goal for this month? Why or why not?
- What did I learn from this month’s activities?
- What challenges did I face and how did I overcome them?
- What feedback did I receive and how did I use it?
- What can I do better next month?
You can also review your progress weekly by setting smaller tasks for each week that align with your monthly sub-goal. For example, if your sub-goal for January is to review the basics of French grammar and vocabulary, you could set weekly tasks such as:
- Week 1: Review the present tense of regular verbs
- Week 2: Review the present tense of irregular verbs
- Week 3: Review the gender and number of nouns and adjectives
- Week 4: Review the basic prepositions and conjunctions
At the end of each week, you should review your progress and ask yourself similar questions as above. You should also reward yourself for completing your tasks and celebrate your achievements.
Conclusion
Reviewing your monthly and weekly study progress can have many benefits for your well-being and motivation. It can help you make progress towards your personal goals that are aligned with your inner needs and motives. It can also help you stay focused on your autonomous goals and remind you why they are important to you. Moreover, it can help you adjust your strategies and overcome challenges by learning from your past performance.
To review your progress effectively, you can use the SMART framework to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. You can then break down your goals into smaller sub-goals and tasks that you can track and evaluate regularly. You should also reward yourself for completing your tasks and celebrate your achievements.
We hope this blog post has inspired you to review your monthly and weekly study progress more often. Remember that reviewing your progress is not only good for your learning outcomes but also for your emotional well-being.