Goal Setting

Set two to three goals for each of four categories: research, personal/professional, VIX, and SyBBURE community. Present your goals at the beginning of summer in your proposal presentation, on the same slide as your research timeline. Include your goals, and your progress towards achieving them, every time you present in subgroup.

Try to make your goals S(y)MART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. For example:

Goal examples from each category for you to build upon are listed below. Make sure you mold them to fit your needs and the SMART goal definitions!

Example Research Goals

  • Make improvements to manuscript

  • Make a publication-ready figure

  • Conduct statistical analysis of results

  • Learn new experimental technique

  • Run X more mice

  • Read 15 papers this term

  • Meet more regularly with PI/mentor to go over your results

Example VIX Goals

  • Learn to design a CAD model from scratch and 3D print it on an FDM printer

  • Get trained on 5 gidhub resources this summer: lasercutter, miter saw, drill press, botfactory, vinyl cutter

  • Learn how to use a project management software to monitor and manage our VIX team’s progress

  • Get better at rapid prototyping, make 5 different prototypes of our VIX product this semester

  • Get better at designing, learn to use blender to make a 3D render of our VIX project for vizualization

  • Get better at content creation and communication by doing all our team tvixtoks and editing the videos with AI tools

  • Win VIX this summer

Example Personal/Professional Goals

Personal:

  • Read a book that has nothing to do with class

  • Exercise 3 days a week

  • Get 6-8 hours of sleep per night

  • Eat vegetables 5 times a week

  • Call two friends every week

  • Meditate 30 minutes a day

  • Find what counts as relaxation for you

  • Get a plant

Professional:

  • Submit an abstract to a conference

  • Have an informational interview

  • Shadow a professional in an area of interest

  • Go to the career fair(s) on campus

  • Go to the career center physically or virtually

  • Make or update a resume

  • Make a LinkedIn profile

  • Create a list of 5-10 potential career paths (and research them!)

  • Practice public speaking

Example Community Goals

  • Lead/organize a special interest group

  • Help setup/tear down ThinkTank

  • Be a peer mentor

  • Be a Guardian of Gidhub

  • Be a techcentric showrunner

  • Help pick out (and set up) food

  • Lead your subgroup

  • Plan SyBBURE social events

  • Help update the wiki

  • Get to know 5 students better

  • Know all SyBBURE student and team member names

  • Take pictures at SyBBURE events

  • Ask questions during presentations

  • Give feedback on the program