Identifying academic goals is a helpful tool for academic planning. With each course you take and experience that you complete, you will learn more about yourself – what you find fascinating, your skills, your values, etc. Evaluate each of your experiences, reflect on the impact each has on your goals, and review and revise your academic goals periodically.
Though you may not have answers to all of the following questions, reflect on each question and make notes about your thoughts in preparation for our March advising meeting.
- Considering the goals you identified at the beginning of your first semester, how have your perspective and priorities changed now that you’re most of the way through your first year at St. Olaf?
- What are your academic goals, i.e. what specifically would you like to get out of your St. Olaf education in terms of knowledge, skills and experience?
- Do you have an idea yet of how the knowledge, skills and experience you will gain will serve you in life after St. Olaf? relate to a career choice?
- How does each of the courses you’ve taken this year, including your current classes, fit into your academic goals?
- Have you identified a major course of study? If so, why have you chosen that particular discipline(s)? Which courses within that major(s) are of particular interest to you?
- If you’re still exploring majors, which areas of study are you considering? What specifically interests you in each of these departments? Which majors have you ruled out and why?
- Which courses in departments outside of your major are of interest to you? How would these courses complement your major course of study?