Goal-Setting for the School Year

Freshman Year · Education · Required Lesson

Goal-Setting for the School Year

25–30 minutes Medium Required

Destination

By the end of this conversation, the mentee should be able to write one specific goal for the school year and break it into smaller steps.

Stop 1 of 4

Talk

Goal: Get a sense of how the mentee currently relates to goals—hopeful, skeptical, overwhelmed—before introducing a framework.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish. The difference between the two is a few specific, doable steps.”

Choose three to five questions

1. Have you ever set a goal for yourself—school-related or not? What happened?
2. What usually gets in the way when you try to stick with something?
3. Is there something you want to accomplish this school year, even if it feels far off?
4. Do goals feel motivating to you, or more stressful?
5. When you’ve succeeded at something before, what helped you get there?
Mentor Tip: Many students have a history of goals that fizzled out—not from lack of effort, but from goals that were too vague or too big to actually act on. This lesson is about building a small, workable system, not about willpower.

Stop 2 of 4

Learn

Why most goals don’t stick

Goals like “do better in school” or “get good grades” fail not because the person isn’t trying hard enough, but because they’re too vague to act on. There’s no clear next step—so nothing actually changes.

Route 21 Big Idea:
A goal you can’t picture yourself acting on tomorrow is too vague. The clearer the goal, the easier it is to actually start.

The SMART framework

Make Your Goal SMART
Specific — exactly what will you do? “Improve in math” vs. “raise my Algebra grade from a C to a B”
Measurable — how will you know it worked? A grade, a number, a completed task
Achievable — is it realistic given your actual time and resources?
Relevant — does it actually matter to you, not just to someone else?
Time-bound — when will you check on it—end of the semester, end of the year?

Vague vs. SMART goals

Vague“Do better in school this year.”
SMART“Raise my Algebra grade to a B by the end of the semester by turning in every homework assignment and going to tutoring once a week.”

Break it into milestones

A year-long goal can feel far away and easy to lose track of. Breaking it into smaller checkpoints keeps it real and lets you catch problems early instead of realizing too late that you’re off track.

1Set the big goal for the year
2Break it into semester or quarter checkpoints
3Pick one small action to start this week
4Set a date to check progress and adjust if needed

Stop 3 of 4

Try

Write your SMART goal

Pick one real goal for the school year and build it out together using the framework.

My goal___________
How I’ll measure it___________
First small step this week___________
When I’ll check progress___________
Why does this goal actually matter to you—not to a parent, teacher, or anyone else?

Choose Your Route

Pick the video that best fits your time and interest today. You only need to watch one.

Level 1 · Quick Stop

Setting SMART Goals

Approximately 3–5 minutes

A brief, clear explainer walking through how to build a SMART goal step by step.

Watch the Quick Stop
Talk afterward: Does your goal from today hit all five parts of SMART?

Level 2 · Scenic Route

SMART Goals for Kids and Teens

Approximately 8–10 minutes

A closer look at why goals often fall apart partway through, and how to build ones that actually hold up.

Take the Scenic Route
Talk afterward: Which reason for goals falling apart sounded most familiar to you?

Level 3 · Open Road

15 SMART Goals Examples for Students

Approximately 10–15 minutes

A wide range of real example goals across academics, habits and personal growth—useful for sparking ideas.

Explore the Open Road
Talk afterward: Did any example in the video give you an idea for a goal of your own?
Mentor Reminder: Let the mentee choose the route whenever possible. The real goal written above matters more than the video.

Stop 4 of 4

Grow

Reflection

What’s your one goal for this school year, in one sentence?
What’s the very first step, and when will you take it?
Who could help keep you accountable to this goal?
What questions do you still have?

Revisit it regularly

A goal isn’t “set it and forget it.” Check back in every few weeks—not to judge yourself, but to notice what’s working and adjust what isn’t.

How can your mentor help?

How can Route 21 help?

Would a simple goal-tracking sheet or regular check-in reminder be useful to you?
Mentor Wrap-Up:
Did the mentee leave with one real, specific goal—not a vague hope? Did they identify a genuine first step and a way to check progress, not just an intention?