New Year, New Goals (January Resources)

Happy New Year! A brand-new year is upon us and there’s no better time to set new goals!

What goals is your student considering? Ask your student what they hope to achieve this year and how they want to do so. And don’t stop there! What goals do YOU want to achieve as well? Do they align with your student’s? Are there goals on your student’s list that you can help support them in achieving?

No matter the goal, or if you and your student are new or returning for another semester, UCF students and their supporters (that’s YOU!) have access to various resources and communities across campus. Whether your student is interested in engaging in a healthy lifestyle, taking on leadership roles, engaging in sports, pursuing academic excellence, bonding with fellow students over music or pop culture interests, pursuing career development opportunities, or something else, UCF has ways they can do all these things!

Take a minute to imagine your student expanding their ability to possibly study abroad, lead a student organization, taking care of themselves, becoming financially literate… just like you, UCF supports students to reach for the stars and meet their goals whatever those might be.

However, sometimes it can be hard to find the right resources to match a goal. Don’t worry – that’s why we’re here!

Read more below on preparing you and your student’s new start on Spring 2023 semester.

It is important to set goals that are realistic to achieve. Sometimes, working towards a goal that is way too hard to accomplish can hurt your progress and illicit feelings of discouragement or doubt. Instead, break your attainable goals into “mini” goals that are measurable, so you can monitor your progress and adjust strategies as necessary. 

When goal setting, it is useful to think “SMART.” SMART goals are: 

  • S – Specific
  • M – Measurable
  • A – Attainable
  • R – Relevant
  • T – Time-bound 

Examples of SMART goals related to your student might be: 

  • “Interview three people in my expected professional field by the end of spring semester” 
  • “Attend a tutoring session through the UCF Tutoring Center at least once a week for the duration of the spring semester” 
  • “Join two Registered Student Organizations before February 2023: one related to my expected professional field, and one related to my personal passions or social interests.” 
  • “Earn my degree by December 2023” 

Examples of SMART goals related to you might be: 

  • “Connect with my student at least once a week during the Spring semester, whether it’s via text message, phone call, social media” 
  • “Create a relationship with another person who is supporting a student at UCF by the end of the Spring semester” 
  • “Reach out to UCF’s Pegasus Parent Program at least once during the Spring semester with a question that can aid me in supporting my student” 

All of these goals are specific in nature, can be measured, are achievable, relevant to your current life, and have due dates. 

Want more on goal setting? Here is an additional resource: Goal Setting Exercises 

Writing down your goals and displaying them where you’ll see them often, such as at your desk, refrigerator, or even above your front door, can help to remind you of what you’re trying to achieve. Here are some tools that can also be helpful to stay on track with your goals. 

Journaling 

Computer Software 

Phone Apps 

We all know that unhealthy sleeping or eating habits can make people sluggish, tired, and sick. Students can often lean into forming these not-so-great habits due to the stress of exams, involvement commitments, work, and the everyday pressures they might feel of being a college student. Starting a new semester can offer them a time to “hit refresh” and begin to form more healthy habits that set them up for success long-term. 

Encourage them to make it a priority to eat well and get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night so that they can stay on track with not only their classes and commitments, but any life goals they’ve set along the way. Remember, no one can perform at their best with an enervated body. 

Here are some UCF Resources that can be helpful for students in forming these habits: 

  • UCF Wellness Coaching
  • Recreation and Wellness Cener
    • The RWC offers students access to numerous fitness facilities, intramural sports, group classes and much more
  • Cooking Demos 
    • A trained Nutrition Coordinator teaches students how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diets and reduce food waste
    • Students will get to see the process, taste the dish, and take home a recipe card so they can try making it themselves later
  • Biofeedback: Relaxation Training Program
    • A one-on-one counselor-assisted training program which educates students to implement relaxation techniques in a six-session time period
  • The best spots to take a study break on campus
  • Knights Helping Knights Pantry
    • Access to the Knights Helping Knights Pantry is accessible to all UCF students with a valid UCF ID card upon entry
    • Note: students are limited to five food items per day
  • Free Breathe2Relax App
    • Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool that provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing
    • Breathe2Relax (iTunes)
    • Breathe2Relax (Google Play) 

We understand that a healthy relationship between students and their support systems leads to a positive college experience, so we aim to assist parents and families in their endeavors support their students in a way that enables everyone to succeed.  

What can parents or supporters can do for their students? Here are some suggestions. 

  • Listen patiently and be available when they need you
    • As a supporter, it is important to just take a minute and really listen to what they are saying. Although your student’s problem may seem like a small issue to you, be there, listen, and then ask if they want advice.
  • Plan a future home visit together
    • Some students visit their home too often and might lose chances to get involved in college life, while some don’t visit home at all during the semester and get feelings of homesickness. There’s no magic number of home visits that solves any of these issues, but instead it’s about having a conversation with your student. Talk to them about how your family wants to handle home visits. It is helpful to set a plan with your student ahead of the semester so that all parties can plan ahead.
  • Connect with career planning resources
    • Students might not have a specific career plan yet. However, by knowing available career-related and professional development resources on campus, you can give impactful advice or recommendations that can alter your student’s career path.
  • Support student’s financial needs
    • Be proactive about financial assistance and promoting financial literacy with your student. Keep students informed about scholarships and on-campus jobs by centralizing opportunities in one easily accessible place. Introducing them to those concepts early on will have enormous long-term impact!
  • Believe in your student
    • Your student is on their own and has launched their journey as a full-grown adult. They will experience some obstacles, successes, failures, and accomplishments. Give them a chance to overcome adversities and encourage them to make the right choices.
  • It is time to take care of yourself
    • Many supporters of college students experience what is commonly known as “empty nest syndrome” after a student has left the house. To help process this, we actually recommend doing similar things to what we tell students to do when they begin at UCF:
      • Make social connections
      • Use your free time to reconnect with friends (old or new!) 
      • Set goals for the future and make small steps each day to achieve them 
      • Connect with other parents or supporters of college students