20 Goal Ideas For College Students

I don’t know if I’m the only one but sometimes I can pull a blank when it comes to deciding what goals I should pick for college.

There are so many things that you could possibly do it’s almost hard to remember them all. Over time I’ve taken to creating a brain dump of possible goals I could pursue in college, and I think it might help some of you that are struggling to think of what direction you want to go in.

So here are 20 goal ideas for college students:

1.Do community service: This is great for your resume and building character and its way easier than most would expect! All you need to find an organization that you believe in (a simple google search should give you some good ideas) and look if their accepting volunteers.

If you don’t have anywhere in mind you can use an app like volunteermatch.org. Don’t forget to log your volunteer hours at school to get credit for them or some sort of proof of your hours!

2.Find a mentor: this will help you hone in even more on what you might want to do postgrad. This person can be a professor, someone in your field, or even someone from highschool. My mentor history professor who I met my freshman year and I was really fascinated about her career.

Finding a mentor doesn’t have to be a formal proposal to find someone you admire and maintain the relationship by following up frequently and asking for suggestions.

3. Create a podcast: if you’re in college there probably a topic you’re passionate about, why not start a podcast about it? It is actually easier than you would expect.

I was able to teach my self Audacity (free podcast editing software) with just youtube tutorials. I use my iPhone voice app to record in a quiet room and then I airdrop the clips to my computer and import them into audacity.

4. Create a short film: Tap into your artsy side and gather up some friends and tell a story. If you want even more incentive check out Campus Movie Fest and see if they host programs near you or you could even try to reach out to them.

5. Study abroad: You don’t have to wait until you’ve graduated to travel. If your like me and you have a lot do in the school year you can try a summer program! There are plenty of study abroad options that aren’t just a semester abroad but programs like faculty-led trips, semester at sea, and many others are just a few things you could do.

6. Get CPR certified: it only takes a few hours and you could save a life. Look out for classes that your school might be sponsoring or you could check event bright and see if there are free CPR classes in your area.

7. Get published on a blog or online magazine: there are tons of blogs that are looking for interesting content and you could write about something you’re passionate about. I wrote for Hercampus for two years and they have chapters all over the country.

8. Create a new event on your campus: Always wanted to be a part of something but it’s not at your school? Why not be the first to do it!

Campuses are always looking for new things to entice students. In my freshman year, so many students started new events one of my favorites included “screen on the green” a monthly outdoor movie night!

9. Do research: research opportunities are everywhere and in almost every study! Just put out feelers to your professor and you never know what might happen. All you need is a broad research topic and a meeting with your advisor to go over your options.

10. Write a book: there’s no rule that says you can’t do it now! There are tons of amazing novels that have been published by a college student and there are plenty of groups and forums for student writers.

You have so many options: fiction vs nonfiction, short story vs novel, novel vs ebook. You just have to pick and start writing. I made my ebook using Canva and it was super simple!

Check out my Ebook!

Find out how I got a 750 credit score as a sophomore

11. Run a 5k : why not get in the best shape of your life in college? It will give you a solid goal to work towards and usually tied to a good cause so it’s a win-win situation. Convince some friends to do it and you have a fun reason to start running.

12. Take a class in something you have no idea about: if you’re paying thousands of dollars for education you might as well. You never know when that knowledge might become useful. Here’s a list of free online courses I’ve loved.

13. Graduate early: college is fun and all but it’s also expensive, so if you’re looking to accelerate your career or you think you might be able to make the most of It by doing three years or even a semester less, go for it!

14. Be apart of a national competition: Join a national club and put your all into to make it to the national stage. It will fuel your inner narcissist and give you a great sense of accomplishment.

15. Revive an old tradition or club at your school: At any college, there are things dying out because the class who graduated didn’t have a good shift of power, so if you’re not down to create a new club from scratch why not try reviving an old one?

16. Speak at an event: Public speaking is a great skill and it can be a worthwhile goal to put yourself out there in front of your peers and professor and speak about something you’re passionate about

17. Start a nonprofit or business: help solve a problem! there’s usually a lot of resources for students to pursue this route because people are looking to you to help solve some of the world’s issues.

I recommend finding an issue and then connecting people who are also passionate about it to volunteer and get a better understanding of unique ways to approach the issue.

18. Learn social media marketing: even if you have no intention of going into business, life in the digital age requires a strong social media presence, it will help you get jobs and even meet new friends. Learning how to maintain your personal brand with social media marketing is an increasingly valuable skill. Check out my list of courses to find a free social media marketing class.

19. Be an executive member of a club: usually, you’ll want to be apart of at least one exec body in college to show your leadership skills, but it is a good idea to pick one of two organizations that you’re passionate about and work on leaving a legacy in those clubs.

20. Learn another language: languages are offered at almost every university and it can usually be a great minor or just something to pursue. It’s usually hard to learn on your own and with the support of language faculty, you could leave college being bilingual! To help build my skills, I personally love watching youtube videos like Butterfly Spanish.