If you’re about to begin your English learning journey with the goal of attending an English-speaking university in the future, setting goals is a great way to ensure your success. Goal-setting will help you to define what you want to accomplish in your English courses and decide what steps you need to take to reach those goals.

At ASC English, our staff is highly experienced in giving English learners the knowledge and skills they need to attend university in the United States. They prepare students to succeed in applying and getting accepted to higher education institutions. In addition, many students at ASC English choose to pursue opportunities with our partner schools, which include several American universities in the Boston area and beyond. 

Below, discover some tips for setting goals during your English studies that support your future plans of attending an English-speaking institution.

Set a Vision for Your Future After English Courses

While you might already know that you’d like to attend university after your English language learning journey, creating a vision statement for your future will help you to create goals that support your vision. You can write out a vision statement describing what your ideal future looks like. Maybe your vision is to become a doctor, so you’re taking English courses in order to get accepted into a United States medical school, or maybe you’re interested in studying politics and need English skills in order to succeed. Whatever your vision is for the future, outlining it clearly will help you to create achievable goals to help you get there. 

Think about where your English language learning journey is taking you.

Create SMART Goals

When you have your vision statement ready, you can begin to create goals that support your vision. When setting goals, it’s important to make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). Rather than a general statement, a Specific goal is one that says exactly what needs to be accomplished to achieve a goal. Instead of setting a goal like “improving your English skills to attend college,” try creating a more specific goal like “to pass the TOEFL in order to gain acceptance to a specific university.” A Measurable goal is one that allows you to track your progress. For example, a Measurable goal might be improving your TOEFL reading score from a 15 to a 22. 

An Achievable goal is a realistic goal. If you’re beginning English for university studies in November, but your goal is to improve your TOEFL score by December, for example, this might not be Achievable. Lastly, your goal should be Relevant to your general vision, and Time-Bound, providing you with a deadline to achieve it. If your goal is to apply to a certain university, make sure you’re aware of the application deadline and other relevant requirements.

Make sure to set SMART goals as an English student.

Find Classmates to Hold You Accountable

An important component of goal setting is accountability. Having a friend, instructor, or classmate who is familiar with the goals you have set for yourself may help you to stay on track with their support. As a student at ASC English, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with your classmates and receive personalized attention from instructors. This way, you can work toward achieving your goals in a supportive, community environment. Especially when your classmates have goals similar to yours, you’ll get motivation from being around other students who are hoping to improve their English skills to gain acceptance to an English-speaking university.

Are you ready to enroll in English courses?

Contact ASC English for more information today!