goal in 2023 essay

120 Achievable Goals For 2023 (New Year Personal Goals Examples)

Setting achievable yearly goals for 2023 can be a helpful way to start the year off right. Just think, if you could achieve anything in the new year, what would that be?

As we journey through life, we all desire to better ourselves. We continually practice goal-setting to become better people.

People often feel most inspired to begin improvement in the new year by setting New Year’s resolutions.

Others are ready to get started as soon as they get up in the morning. Regardless of how you move forward, here’s a list of goal ideas for your New Year’s Resolutions. Check out our new guide to Personal Goals for 2024 .

120 Personal Goals for 2023

Lets start with 10 Personal Health Goals

1. learn something new every day.

There’s a world of information and resources available to us at the click of a button. Be curious and pursue any kind of knowledge that interests you.

Through learning, we grow, and through growth, we’re more likely to succeed. Research has also shown that lifelong learning keeps our brain functioning at its best. Learning should definitely be near the top of your personal goals for 2023.

2. Have a regular exercise routine

An important part of success in life is having enough energy to do the things you need to do. Regular exercise can boost your mood and prevent many conditions that inevitably sap your energy.

Feeling your best is an important part of doing your best. It’s recommended that we get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise.

You could achieve that objective by doing 15 minutes of vigorous exercise five times a week. Energize yourself to be more able to achieve your personal 2023 goals in the new year.

3. Become a good listener

The best listeners usually end up having good relationships in life. They’re able to be effective in communicating with people.

When you listen to someone, you show them you care, and as a result, they appreciate you more. Learn more about active listening to improve your listening skills. You never know if something can help you with your personal goals.

4. Drink adequate water

According to Healthline, drinking water influences our energy levels and maximizes our physical performance. Make it a goal to drink an adequate amount of water daily. Water Reminder is a good app that can remind you to drink water throughout the day.

5. Eat Better

Fast foods can make us feel emotionally low, while foods like fruits and vegetables can make us emotionally well. Work on eating your best moving forward.

6. Sleep better

With a full night’s rest, you can be energized to start your day. Energized to accomplish your personal goals. Here are some tips to sleep better at night.

7. Be in nature

There are many benefits to being in nature. It can help calm you and maybe even help you find more perspective in life. Try your best to get in nature more.

8. Speak up more

In life, you’re going to have to speak up for yourself from time to time. We don’t always have someone there to defend us. Speaking up also makes you more visible to people, some of whom could give you a great opportunity.

Related: Speak Up For Yourself – 5 Tips To Speak Up More

9. Start waking up early

It’s often said the wealthy get up early. Whether that’s true or not, it’s still wise to do it.

Waking up early gives you more time to yourself and more time to be productive while others are still sleeping. Studies have found sleeping and waking up early improves our memory power and concentration. More memory power, more concentration, and more success with your personal goals.

Related: 11 Wake up Early Quotes: Winning Starts in the Morning!

10. Let the past go

When you dwell on the past, you spend less time on the present and potentially miss a good opportunity. Sometimes it can be useful to talk to a professional when you’re struggling to let go. Here’s where you can find counselors in your area.

Related: How To Let Go of the Past: 21 Powerful Tips

11. Travel more

It’s good to get in different places and get around different people to challenge you and your ideas of life. Perhaps every few months or so, you could travel to somewhere you’ve never been. Research has proven that travel can make us happier.

12. Tap into your creativity

Creating can be an outlet to release any strong emotions you have, as well as give yourself a feeling of personal fulfillment. Learn about the importance of experiencing flow.

Related: 9 Benefits of Doodling (Video Tutorial for Beginners)

13. Be compassionate

It’s first important to be compassionate to yourself. Self-compassion helps you to better handle life’s difficulties. Secondly, practicing compassion towards others helps us to be more helpful to people. Knowing that everyone is going through something can help you be less quick to be angry.

Related: How To Be Sensitive To Other People’s Feelings

14. Develop perseverance

The ability to push through challenges and difficult circumstances is what helps us to achieve our personal goals. Learn more about perseverance and develop it into one of your personal strengths.

Related: My Top 40 Perseverance Quotes When Facing Adversity

15. Put your wellness first

Whether you have a good relationship or have a lot of money, it’s difficult to enjoy it if you don’t feel good. Taking of your mental and physical well-being should be a top priority so you can enjoy your life to the fullest. Perhaps the four pillars of wellness you should consider with taking good care of yourself are:

• Eating well
• Exercising regularly
• Sleeping well
• Socializing

Related: 20 Ways To Make Yourself Feel Better Now

Here are 11 Financial Goals for 2023

16. saving more.

Saving should always be an objective we strive to achieve. You can check out this helpful resource on how to save money

Related: 12 Minimalist Budget Tips for Better Spending Habits

17. Limiting unnecessary expenses

A part of saving is limiting unnecessary expenses. Look into your budget to see what you can cut out that you don’t need

18. Paying off debt

Help yourself to experience more financial freedom by getting rid of your debt. Once it’s gone, you can feel more comfortable spending on anything you want.

Investing can seem scary to most people. Fortunately, there’s always information out there to help make it easier.

It could be a good financial challenge to start learning about it and contacting a financial advisor to help you get started. It’s an important part of an effective 10-year goals plan.

20. Starting a business

Sometimes it takes trial and error to decide you don’t want to waste any more time working for someone else. You can start putting together a plan to start the business you’ve been wanting to do, or that work-from-home career you’ve dreamed of.

21. Building good credit

Credit can impact whether you can get a good credit card or get a loan for a home. Working to build your credit can open up more financial opportunities for you. A few tips for building good credit include:

• Not missing payments
• Getting a secured card
• Catching up on past-due accounts

There are many other actions you can take to help get your credit up. You can read this article on how to improve your credit score fast.

22. Creating a budget

A budget will help you to make sure you’re not spending too much. You can monitor it month to month and make adjustments that you think will help you save more. Here’s a helpful article on how to budget your finances.

23. Building multiple sources of income

Multiple passive sources of income can help you to have more financial freedom in life. It can also be a good way to maintain your finances if you find yourself unable to work for a time period. Here are some passive income ideas you might find useful.

24. Create an emergency fund

An emergency fund is another way to provide yourself with financial security when you’re unable to earn money. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers some tips on building an emergency fund.

25. Buying a home

A home is a dream for many people. You can get yourself on the path to making it happen. Some of the tips for getting started include:

• Deciding how much you can afford
• Saving early
• Checking and strengthening your credit score

If you want more information, there’s a great article that provides tips for first-time home buyers. Hopefully, it’ll get you off to a good start for owning a home in 2023.

26. Saving for retirement

You may be just getting started in your career, but perhaps the earlier you start saving for retirement, the better. That way, you can live out your golden years with as much joy as possible. You can read these great tips on boosting your retirement savings.

20 Work and Career Goals for 2023

27. be more proactive and less reactive.

When you’re proactive, you make choices to influence your reality, rather than completely allowing external conditions to influence it. Practice taking more action in life.

Related: Respond, Don’t React – Be Measured in Your Response

28. Share knowledge

Helping out your co-workers by giving them some of your knowledge can make them more appreciative of you. As a result, they may be more willing to help you out in the future

29. Be a conflict resolver

While you don’t have to be the person that resolves every conflict, being someone that can help ease tensions can make you more respected. You can strive to be a calming voice that helps to make cooler heads prevail.

30. Improve your people skills

A part of what you have to learn when working with people is how to get along with them. Knowing how to be likable and easy to talk to will make people feel more comfortable cooperating with you when you need them for your success.

Most jobs are going to require you to work with others. Try to establish friendly relationships with your colleagues as well. People are more likely to help out those they’re friendly with than those they don’t have any relationship with at all.

31. Practice time management

The better you manage your time, the more work you can get done. With more work done, there can potentially be less need for working overtime.

Time management is a particularly good work goal if you’ve found yourself working from home lately. Be more mindful of avoiding distractions when it’s time to get things done.

Set blocks of time where you’ll focus on your scheduled tasks and not look at any social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc.) or other non-work-related material. Being more diligent with your time will help you get your job done more efficiently, and perhaps impress your boss enough to promote you eventually.

Related: Time Management – 5 Ways To Manage Time Wisely

32. Build work experience

Remember that all of your jobs in life are a chance to gain new experiences that could prepare you for future career opportunities. Take on different tasks offered by your company to add to your work experience. Learn more about how to gain experience to get a new job.

33. Gain new skills

Similar to building your work experience, gaining new skills will also develop your professional resume. Go to workshops or other events your company offers to build your professional skillset. You could also try online classes through skillshare.

34.  Appreciate your own work

Don’t let comparing your work to others get you down. Appreciate the progress you’re making in your own professional journey and trust you’ll get to the position you want to have someday.

Related: How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

35. Keep a proper work-life balance

It’s good to be a hard worker, but not to the point where you make little time for your personal life. Your work shouldn’t take up all of your time, especially in your 20s and 30s.

It’s important to make time for loved ones and your passions. These are important parts of having personal happiness and a life we can look back on with satisfaction.

Strive to avoid having to work late or put in extra hours by being diligent in completing your tasks. Establish boundaries when it comes to responding to work e-mails.

Set a specific time in your days when you’ll no longer answer them and focus on your personal life. When you make time for experiencing joy in your personal life, it can put you in a good mood to put in your best effort at work come Monday morning

Find a balance between putting in hard work while also making time for having fun. Here are more tips for a good work-life balance.

36. Show up early

You can make it one of your goals for 2023 to try showing up for work early on a regular basis. I like to think the earlier we get started with our work, the more productive we can be throughout the day.

As you do that, observe how much you get done in your day. You might find these early starts help you to accomplish a lot more than you thought you could.

37. Speaking up at meetings

Making this one of your 2023 goals can potentially open up work opportunities for you. If you work in an office setting and there are regular group meetings, try seeing if you can contribute some insight occasionally.

You never know if the insights you provide could impress the management enough to give you a promotion. Even if that doesn’t happen, you can use it as a way to increase your self-confidence by choosing to be comfortable speaking your thoughts out loud to your colleagues. Here’s some insight on speaking up at meetings.

38. Volunteering for leadership roles

If you’re like me, you’re one of the people that never offered to volunteer for leadership roles. It can be somewhat of a scary thing to put yourself in that position of being in charge of something.

Despite that, this goal is arguably one of the best work goals for 2023 you can set. bTaking on leadership roles can be a great way to exercise your confidence.

It gives you a chance to practice taking command of situations. You develop your decision-making abilities by being the one that has to make those final decisions.

You can learn to trust what you conclude is best for a situation and become comfortable directing people in a way you see is best. Growing these types of skills can be good preparation if you should ever decide to run your own business or start some kind of group you want to lead.

Related: 9 Sensitive Leadership Traits That Make an HSP the Best Leader

39. Putting in extra effort

There are workers who show up right when it’s time to work, and then leave as soon as it’s their time clock out. While the work we do isn’t always what we enjoy, making it a habit to put in extra effort can be another way you can impress the management.

Even if it doesn’t impress the management, it does help you develop your work ethic. Whether it’s at that job or another job, it’s important to develop a good work ethic to help you work your way to the career you eventually want to have.

40. Being a problem solver

Sometimes situations come up at work that isn’t planned for. These are opportunities where you can exercise your problem-solving skills.

When you’re able to figure out solutions for yourself, it gives management more confidence in you as a worker. That can open the door to getting more freedom to be in full control of your work. Inc has a great article on being a problem solver.

41. Be grateful for your job

Have things about your job you’re grateful for to avoid having a bad attitude at work. A bad attitude will make your colleagues less likely to offer you help when you need it. Gratitude also helps boost your happiness.

42. Improve your networking abilities

Networking is a way you can gain valuable information in your industry and build professional contacts. Those contacts could potentially open the door to career opportunities. Here are some great tips on how to network better.

43. Intern with a large company

Interning with a large company can be a good way to build on your experience and have something that looks good on your resume. Here are a few big companies that offer internships you can potentially apply for.

44. Become an expert in your field

Being an expert in your field can open the door to opportunities for more income, such as doing media interviews or offering seminars. It may seem like a daunting task, but it is possible to be an authority in your industry. You can check out these tips on becoming a recognized expert in your industry.

45. Ask for a pay raise if you want one

If you feel like you’ve worked long enough and provided enough value, you should feel comfortable asking for a raise. If you’re unsure what to ask for, look into the market pay rates for someone in your position. Here’s a good article on how to ask your employer for a pay raise.

46. Stop procrastinating

Procrastination affects us in many negative ways, one of which includes adding more stress to our life. Do your best to start getting tasks done as soon as possible.

47. Read body language better

People say a lot by not only the words they speak but the way they carry themselves. Learn more about body language to better understand people.

48. Make shared decisions

You can have more unity in your relationships with people when you give them an equal say in the decisions made between you two. Practice sharing in the decision-making with your partner or family.

49. Forgive

Everyone makes mistakes. The sooner you forgive someone for those mistakes, the quicker you can move forward and try to make it better.

50. Be there for people

Whether it’s your family or your friends, when you choose to be there in the good times and the bad, that helps build a solid relationship. Prove to people how reliable you are.

51. Put them first

Prioritize the people closest to you in your life. Find ways for them to be first in getting your time and attention when possible.

52. Vacation together frequently

Spending vacations with family, friends, or your romantic partner can be just what you need to relax and reset your relationships. Find time to take off from work and be with your loved ones.

53. Care for their well-being

Do what you can to help the people you care about live better by suggesting things they can do for their well-being. You could also participate in exercise activities with them to keep them encouraged and motivated.

54. Establish a close circle

We all need people in our life who are there for us. If you don’t have that now, try going out more and finding those people who can be your close friends.

Harvard proved in a study that having close relationships is strongly linked with the longevity of life and overall satisfaction. Whether it’s a close friend, partner, or family, do your best to have good relationships you can enjoy.

55. Keep in touch with your relatives

It’s easy to get so caught up in our own lives that we forget to keep up with our family. Pick up the phone to check on your relatives at least once a week.

56. Make your significant other feel appreciated

We all can be guilty of taking our partners for granted every now and then. Try your best to always make your partner feel consistently appreciated. Thank them for what they bring to your life, and go out of your way to do things for them.

Related: Gratitude List For Spouse – 25 Things To Thank Your Spouse For

57. Communicate your issues with someone

We hold things inside more than we should often. It gets bottled up, and then it all spills over onto someone. That leaves a mess that could take a long time to clean.

It’s better to speak about your issues with someone in the moment. That way, it can be resolved quickly, and there can be fewer problems.

58. Make time to be alone

Your relationship with yourself is just as important as your relationship with others. Take time to be alone and enjoy quality time with yourself.

Related: Why Spending Time Alone Is Important

59. Lower your stress in life

Where you can, find ways to minimize the amount of stress you deal with in life. You’ll never eliminate all of it, but you can lower your stress levels enough to better manage.

 Related: 45 Inner Peace Quotes That Will Give You Peace of Mind

60. Re-evaluate your life

From time to time, you have to check in with yourself and see if you’re happy with where you’re going. If you’re not, then you can decide how to adjust your objectives to find more personal fulfillment.

Related: Discovering Your Life Purpose – 3 Key Questions To Ask

61. Raise your standards

It’s good to always strive to achieve the best things you can in life. Never settle for less , and raise your standards to a high level.

62. Fulfilling a lifelong dream

Most people have some kind of dream. Perhaps there’s somewhere in the world you’ve always wanted to travel to, or maybe there’s something you want to say you did in life at least once. Dreams can be fun to pursue and very fulfilling once you’ve reached that point of accomplishing them.

63. Love yourself

Having a love for yourself means doing what you can to always be supportive and nurturing of yourself. Loving yourself can help to put you in the best space to be more loving to others.

Related: 10 Reasons To Love Yourself and Examples of How

64. Be more present

Continually practice focusing on the here and now. The things in your past are gone, and the future is yet to be determined.

Related: Living in the Moment – 15 Ways to Be Present in 2021

65. Developing your inner-calm

A true sign of growth is learning not to be so negatively reactive when bad things happen in life. Develop your inner calm through meditation.

Related: 15 Tranquil Thoughts To Achieve Inner Peace in 2021

66. Accepting your flaws

No one is perfect. Continually try to be accepting of your flaws. Remind yourself of all of your positive qualities.

Related: 3 Ways To Accept The Things You Cannot Change

67. Believing in yourself more

If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s unlikely you’ll accomplish much in life. You’ve made it this far, so that’s got to say something about who you are as a person. Believe you can make it even further and reach new levels of success.

Related: 15 Steps To Believe in Yourself and Have Success in Life

68. Fixing your flaws

We all have personality traits that aren’t the most ideal for living a happy and successful life. If you aren’t as disciplined as you need to be, or as patient as you need to be, those are good personal growth goals to set for yourself.

69. Being calm about the future

This is a particularly good goal in your 20s, but it’s useful for any time in your life. The longer you live, the more you realize the future isn’t as scary as you thought it might be. Life goes on, and you hopefully do enough of what you can in the present to make it how you want it in the future.

Related: How to Stop Worrying About the Future

70. Being comfortable in your skin

It might be safe to say that just about everyone wants to feel confident and comfortable in who they are. You can accomplish this goal by practicing being yourself and not caring so much about what other people think.

It usually gets easier as you get older. You live enough life to realize it really doesn’t matter that much what other people think. As long as you’re good with yourself, you can be comfortable in your own skin.

71. Doing activities that challenge you

We could all use a challenging activity in our life once in a while. They can show us how capable we are of doing things in life.

Think of a new activity that maybe you’re uncomfortable with or unsure you can do and see what happens. It’ll help build confidence in you to try anything in life that you desire.

72. Do your homework early

You don’t necessarily have to start on your homework after you’ve gotten home from school. We all need a little bit of a break from thinking about schoolwork. I myself usually didn’t do homework when I would first get back home.

You can take a break to relax. Once you’ve finished your break, you can get started completing your homework.

As much as I procrastinated throughout my school years, it was never fun having to rush to get a paper done a day before it was due. You can save yourself stress by making it one of your goals to do your homework early. Give yourself more time to peacefully enjoy your evening.

73. Study regularly

If you make studying regularly one of your personal habits, you can get that information piece by piece in your head until it’s time to take your test. I find the more you go over something, the more likely it will stick in your mind when it’s time to use that information.

Take time to learn more about good study habits to follow. Studying regularly can be a great academic SMART goal to set.

74. Befriend classmates

Classes can sometimes be a lot easier when you have classmates who you can study with. It’s also not always easy putting yourself out there, but people are often more willing to be conversational with strangers than you think.

You can get the dual benefit of not only having another person working to understand the school work with you, but you also develop your own social skills by befriending some of your classmates. I’m sure some of you have probably crammed for a test before.

I certainly did many times in college. While sometimes it works out, other times it doesn’t, and you’re having to do really well at the end of the semester in order to pass.

75. Talk to your teachers

In hindsight, it may have benefited me more if I had spent more time communicating with my teachers. They can offer you help with the lessons you’re struggling with.

If you discuss your future goals with them, they might know of opportunities that can help you achieve them. Find opportunities to talk with your teachers from time to time.

76. Participate in school activities

Extracurricular activities can be a good way to learn new things and make new friends. It can also be good for impressing future schools and jobs you might want to apply to.

77. Asking and answering questions in class

Asking and answering questions is another way you can build up your confidence and also do better in class. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand. Most teachers really like class participation.

78. Earning extra credit

It’s good to take on extra credit assignments to exercise your hard-working skills. Show yourself how much you can work hard by going the extra mile in your education from time to time.

79. Moving to a new place

You can begin saving up to move to a new country or city you’ve been considering. Research housing prices and other important information related to moving to a new city.

80. Going back to school

Maybe you realized that the degree you earned isn’t helping you get the career you want. Look up schools that offer the coursework you need to get the career you want.

81. Making better choices overall

Struggles in life can sometimes lead us to question the choices we made up to this point. Be inspired to make better choices moving forward.

Related: The Power of Choice to Change Your Life

82. Be an inspiration to others

Live in a way that makes people feel inspired. Become better at doing things on your own terms, handling adversity with dignity, treating people with kindness, and enjoying life as much as possible.

83. Get six-pack abs

Maybe you never imagined yourself ever having six-pack abs. Why not try to have them now? Start eating the right foods and doing the right exercise to help yourself develop six-pack abs.

84. Get your dream car

If there’s a car that you’ve always wanted to have, start saving up to get it. Work to finally give yourself the joy of cruising in that classic or fancy vehicle you’ve dreamed of.

85. Do the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done

You could go skydiving, bungee jumping, or anything you would find exciting. It can be an amazing achievement to do something more adventurous than you’ve ever done. Here’s a good list of adventurous activities you can consider.

86. Learn about your ancestry

The people who came before us perhaps shape who we are more than we think. You could take time to a DNA test or a family tree to learn more about your roots, and discover more of who you really are.

87. See your favorite artist in concert

It would probably be a big thrill to see a musical artist whose music guided you through life. If they’re going to tour near your area anytime soon, see if you can buy a ticket to one of their shows. It might be an experience you will never forget.

88. Share your story

We all have a story to share. Stories of success, failure, triumph, and loss.

Your story could help someone else get through the current challenges they’re facing. You could write a book, give a speech about it, or simply share it with someone you think would benefit.

89. Make a list of everything you hope to do in life

While this list may give you some ideas, I’m sure there’s a lot more you can personally think of that you want to do someday. Sit down and reflect on what your deepest desires are. Make your mission to one day experience the special moments that you hope to have in life.

90. Be the happiest you’ve ever been

This last objective can mean different things to different people. The whole point of making this a 2023 goal for yourself is to encourage you to find whatever version of life equates to happiness for you.

91. Think more before you speak

Putting more thought into what you say can potentially help you avoid conflicts. When you’re careful and deliberate in your words, you’re likely to say things that hareyou’re less likely to say hurtful things.

92. Express your feelings in appropriate ways

Learning how to express your emotions in an appropriate way can make life easier for you. Practice expressing your emotions in a rational way.

93. Be more aware of your emotions

Take time to stop and think about what you’re feeling. Acknowledge what you’re feeling and accept it.

94. Be more aware of other people’s emotions

Being aware of other people’s emotions can help you interact with them better. Practice recognizing what people are feeling and interacting with them in a way that respects that.

95. Connect with people more

In these times, connecting with one another may be more important than ever. Try making connections with those around you if you can.

96. Do more meaningful things

If music is meaningful to you, enjoy it more. Find ways to do what matters to you to have a fulfilling life.

97. Overcome a fear

Overcoming fear can potentially make you feel more confident than ever. Do research on how you can overcome a particular fear you have.

98. Travel as far away as possible

Going all the way across the world could be an adventure of a lifetime for you. Maybe traveling as far away as possible from your home could help build up your confidence higher than ever.

99. Become a minimalist

Becoming a minimalist can help you make more time for things that matter in your life. Learn about ways you can declutter and simplify your life.

100. Be less bothered by others

We can let others control our emotions sometimes. Make it a goal to be less bothered by others and spend more time being happier.

101. Learn how to swim

Swimming allows you to enjoy the world in a whole new way. Knowing how to swim is also a great life skill to have as well.

102. Know more about cars

Knowing more about cars can help you take care of yourself better. You can keep yourself from having to pay for expensive repairs.

103. Write a book

Maybe there’s something you’ve always been passionate about that you want more people to know. Consider writing a book about it.

104. Give a speech

Maybe you’ve never stood up to give a speech in front of a large crowd before. Perhaps you can challenge yourself to give one and boost your confidence.

105. Love people more

In these troubling times, people need more love than ever. Practice giving love by showing kindness and being helpful to others.

106. See life as an adventure

When you see every day as a new adventure, it might help you have a more exciting outlook in life.

107. Have fewer regrets

Strive to be more responsible in your actions to avoid having things you regret.

108. Do your very best

Make it a habit to do your very best with the tasks that you do in life.

109. Practice Hygge

Practicing hygge is all about embracing relaxation, gratitude, and spending time with loved ones. Something most of us could all probably enjoy more.

110. Practice Niksen

In many societies, people are often in a state of always wanting to do something. Make this new time of life a time you try to enjoy doing nothing more.

111. Take an acting class

An acting class can be helpful in breaking out of one’s shell and developing more confidence. Look for local acting classes and enjoy yourself.

112. Practice patience

Patience is a valuable virtue that offers a multitude of benefits. It fosters a sense of calm and reduces stress, allowing individuals to approach situations more thoughtfully and with a clearer mind. Patient people tend to exhibit better decision-making skills, as they give themselves time to fully consider the consequences of their actions. This deliberation often leads to more effective problem-solving and higher-quality outcomes.

Patience also enhances relationships, both personal and professional, by promoting understanding and empathy. It helps in building resilience, enabling individuals to handle life’s challenges with grace and perseverance.

Moreover, patience contributes to personal well-being and mental health, as it reduces feelings of frustration and impulsivity, leading to a more balanced and contented life.

113. Live sustainably

Embracing sustainability offers profound benefits, both for the individual and the planet. On an environmental level, sustainable practices significantly reduce carbon footprint, conserve natural resources, and protect ecosystems, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and the fight against climate change. For individuals and communities, adopting sustainable habits often leads to healthier lifestyles, as it encourages the consumption of organic, locally-sourced foods and reduces exposure to harmful chemicals.

114. Social media detox

Reducing social media usage can lead to numerous benefits, enhancing overall well-being and quality of life. It often results in improved mental health, as decreased exposure to the constant stream of curated content and comparisons can significantly reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

By spending less time online, individuals gain more time for real-world interactions and activities, fostering deeper, more meaningful relationships and engaging more fully in hobbies and interests.

115. Start a journal

Starting a journal offers a multitude of benefits, particularly in terms of mental health and personal growth. It serves as a therapeutic tool, providing a safe, private space to express thoughts, emotions, and experiences, which can be crucial for processing feelings and reducing stress. Journaling also enhances self-awareness, as it encourages reflection on one’s actions, decisions, and their impacts, leading to greater insight and self-understanding.

Starting a Manifestation Journal can also contribute to you achieving your 2023 goals.

116. Stay informed

Staying informed has significant benefits in today’s rapidly evolving world. It enables individuals to make well-rounded decisions, both in their personal lives and as active members of society. Being knowledgeable about current events, technological advancements, and cultural shifts allows for a deeper understanding of the world and its complexities.

117. Start a new hobby

Hobbies brings a range of life-enriching benefits, contributing significantly to your overall well-being and quality of life. Hobbies provide a creative outlet and a break from the routine of daily life, offering an opportunity for relaxation and stress reduction.

118. Learn to cook

Learning to cook gives you the ability to control your diet, leading to healthier eating habits since home-cooked meals are usually more nutritious and less calorie-dense. Cooking at home is also a lot cheaper than eating out.

119. Become more positive / optimistic

Adopting a more positive or optimistic outlook can have profound benefits on both your mental and physical health. Positivity is linked to reduced stress levels and a lower risk of chronic diseases, as it helps in managing the body’s response to stress and inflammation.

120. Broaden your horizons

Broadening your horizons brings a wealth of benefits, fostering personal growth and enhancing life experiences. By stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring new ideas, cultures, and perspectives, you expand your understanding of the world, which can lead to greater empathy and open-mindedness.

Why you should set new year personal goals for 2023

An article in Positive Psychology goes into great detail about the research that’s shown how goal-setting can benefit us. Among the benefits that were mentioned include:

• Motivation to develop strategies for success
• Increased performance
• Satisfaction with achieving your 2023 goals

In my own experience, I’ve found that when I’ve set goals for myself (particularly when I wrote them down), I always achieved them. As a result of achieving the goals I set, I was happier.

How to set your goals for 2023

I came across an article by Action For Happiness that provided some excellent goal-setting tips. The group is a charity that focuses on research-backed ways people can become happier. The seven tips they recommend are:

• Write it down
• Tell someone
• Break your goal down
• Plan your first step

SMART Goals

I only recently became aware of SMART goals, but it’s a good way to go about setting your objectives. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Here’s an example of each guideline to follow:

• Specific goal – Passing a math class
• Measurable goal – Getting an A on a test
• Achievable – Graduating with a 3.0 GPA
• Relevant – Getting a degree in a field you’re interested in
• Time-bound – Graduating college in 4 years

Using this method helps to give you more clarity about what you want to achieve. That allows you to know where to focus most of your time to get things done.

How to achieve your goals for 2023

As motivated as you can be, sometimes, occasionally it’s a challenge to stay committed to what you want to accomplish. Here are a few tips to help you be consistent.

1. Monitor your progress

The American Psychological Association found that when people monitor their progress often, they’re more likely to succeed at their goals. The chances of achieving your goals are increased when you physically record the progress or publicly report it.

2. Share your goals with those of high status

Ohio State University conducted research on goals and discovered that people who shared their progress with those who were of higher status were more committed to them. They also were found to have had a greater performance as well. Perhaps you can find a successful mentor to share your progress with.

3. Believe you can do it

Believing in yourself is a critical component to achieving almost anything in life. If you don’t believe you can do it, then you probably won’t. Science has even proven this.

An article in Everyday Psych discussed a study that pointed out that students who were taught to have a growth mindset were able to increase their GPA by half a grade. A growth mindset involves believing through practice and effort, you can improve and make progress on what you’re working on.

Additionally, it’s also important to work hard at continually pursuing our dreams through all the challenges and circumstances we may face. Here are a few things to know about personal objectives, along with examples that you can begin striving to achieve in life.

My goal journey

I’ve set a lot of goals in my life. Some of them I met, others I didn’t. I’ve found the most success in achieving my goals through writing them down and researching.

When I wanted to gain more weight and build more muscle, I researched what kind of foods I needed to eat, how much I needed to eat, what exercises I needed to do, and so on. It’s the same with anything you want to achieve.

Learn as much as you can about what you can do to make those goals successfully. As you learn, write the steps you need to take daily.

I wrote down how much weight I would be lifting each time I worked out. Keeping track of your progress as you improve will motivate you to keep working hard to make your dreams a reality.

Goal affirmations

• I can achieve the 2023 goals I set for myself.
• Through persistence and consistent effort, it’s possible to accomplish my goals.
• I choose to be bold in setting high goals because I believe I can reach them.
• I look forward to experiencing the joy that comes with accomplishing my goals.
• My goals will be written down and worked on daily.

Final thoughts on setting goals for 2023

Taking steps towards achieving objectives in life will not be without challenges. Don’t be surprised when occasional setbacks occur.

Just remember that your setbacks give you something to learn from and get better overall. Continually push towards the success you desire in life, whatever success means for you.

Feel free to let me know any goals you’ve set for yourself and how it’s going so far. Here are some inspiring quotes on goals to motivate you to get started.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn

“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.” – James Cameron

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” – Jack Canfield

Inspirational video on setting goals

Other inspirational articles that might help you:

• 7 Spiritual Goals Examples (2023)
• What Does Success Mean? 9 Ways To Achieve It
• 55 Good Monthly Goal Ideas For 2023
• The 3 Ways to Expand Your Horizons in 2023
• SMART Goals That Teens Can Set
• The Power of Your Thoughts – You Are What You Think

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This is actually a very beneficial and worthwhile article, I am suprised.

This is so helpful, thank you!

I love this article so much. I have most of these goals written down on my diary to followup and keep track on my progress. There is so much to do this year, I am looking for that very first step to begin the journey. I want to thank you very much for putting your thoughts on Writtting for us to benefit from, that’s quite commendable.

Thanks this is really helpful

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Setting goals for 2024 to ring in the new year right

Setting goals for a new year is like building a road map for the next 12 months. It gives us a chance to consider where we’re at, what we want, and how to get there. Without a plan, we’re more likely to wander aimlessly or waste time on tactics that won’t work. 

Goal setting requires structure, and using the start of a new year to reflect on progress and set new goals is great for this. It’s no wonder New Year’s resolutions are so common — and that we so commonly fail. 

Most years, 80% of goal-setters fail to meet their resolutions by February . 

Don’t worry — we’ll discuss the importance of defining goals and outline examples you can use when setting goals for 2024 to help you stay on track all year long.

Are New Year goals and resolutions the same thing?

"New Year goals" and " New Year resolutions " are terms often used interchangeably, but they have slightly different connotations. While goals are specific, measurable, and often involve a strategic plan with actionable steps , resolutions are more like firm commitments or decisions to make a change . 

Both approaches can be effective, and individuals may choose to use either term based on personal preference or the nature of the changes they want to make in the new year. The key is to approach either goals or resolutions with a mindset of commitment, dedication, and a willingness to make positive changes. 

Here's a brief distinction between the two:

New Year goals

• Definition : Goals are specific, measurable, and achievable objectives that you set for yourself to work towards over a specific period, such as the coming year.
• Characteristics : Good goals are often well-defined, with clear actions and milestones. They can cover various aspects of life, including career, health, relationships, personal development, and more.
• Approach : Goal setting typically involves breaking down larger aspirations into smaller, manageable tasks. These can be yearly goals or even daily, weekly, or monthly goals . It's a structured and strategic approach to self-improvement.

New Year resolutions

• Definition : Resolutions are firm decisions to do or not do something. They often involve a commitment to make a significant change in behavior or lifestyle.
• Characteristics : Resolutions are often broader and may lack the specificity of goals. They are commonly associated with making a fresh start or a commitment to self-improvement.
• Approach : Resolutions are more about making a firm decision or declaration to change, often without the detailed action plans associated with goals. They can be more general and may not have the same level of specificity as goals.

How to set goals for the next year

Your goals for 2024 will be personal to you. They’ll likely be defined by your values, lifestyle, and ideologies. Here are some general steps for self-discovery to help you identify goals that resonate with the person you are now and who you want to become.

1. Reflect on past years

A great way to set your goals is to think about what you achieved the following year. Consider what worked and didn’t so you can make any necessary adjustments. 

The prize of goal setting is what you accomplish, so incentivize yourself for future goals by reviewing and celebrating what you achieved this past year. 

Sometimes, life gets in the way of goals we were excited about. Note the things you didn’t accomplish and whether they’re goals you wish to take on again in the new year. This might be a great opportunity to adjust the goal to be more attainable to set yourself up for success this time around. 

When considering which unattained goals to keep, consider the following: 

• Was it too broad, and if so, how can I break it into smaller items?
• Did I build a plan to reach this goal ?
• Was it attainable in the first place? If not, what do I need to do to make it attainable?
• Did an external factor make my goal too tricky to accomplish?
• Did I have the proper resources to achieve my goal?
• Do I still want this? 

2. Define your values and priorities

Clarify your core values and priorities in life. You could try writing a personal value statement to solidify the connection between your values and your goals. Ensure that the goals you set align with these foundational elements, promoting a sense of meaning and fulfillment.  When working to identify your values, consider the following:

• What matters most to me?
• What qualities do I want to embody?
• What is important for my physical and mental health?
• How can I live my life in alignment with these values and priorities?

Answering these questions will help you decide which goals are worth pursuing and set realistic expectations as you move forward in your life.  With a clear understanding of who you are and what you stand for, it will be easier to create lasting change.

3. Categorize your goals

Organize your goals into categories such as career, health, personal development, relationships, and hobbies. For example, if you have a goal to read 15 books in the next year that might fit into your personal development category. This categorization ensures a balanced approach to your aspirations. It also allows you to prioritize and focus on the most important goals.

4. Choose SMART goals

Setting SMART goals ensures you’re working smarter, not harder. SMART goals share five traits to give you a strong framework:

• Specific : Avoid broad, ill-defined goals. Turn long-term goals into several short-term ones , and note the resources necessary to achieve each one. They should be as specific as possible to keep you focused. 
• Measurable : Define how you’ll measure progress and success. Include both short and long-term milestones. If you can’t tell how you’re progressing, it’ll be harder to stay motivated .
• Achievable : Think critically and honestly about what you’re capable of achieving, considering all obligations and resource constraints. Do you have the skills necessary to reach this milestone? Do you want to train for a marathon when you should start with a 10K race?
• Realistic : Consider whether you have the time, energy, and resources necessary to reach each goal. Remember to account for every goal you have when considering the bigger picture and be honest about how much progress you can make in one month.
• Time-bound : Ambiguous goals without start and end dates are difficult to measure. Having a due date also helps you stay motivated because it gives you a finish-line celebration to look toward — and adds accountability. 

5. Break down larger goals

Break down overarching goals into smaller, manageable tasks. This approach facilitates progress tracking and helps maintain motivation by achieving incremental success.  With each goal broken down, you can gain momentum and celebrate smaller wins to keep yourself motivated.

6. Prioritize your goals

Determine the importance of each goal and prioritize accordingly. Concentrate on a select few key objectives rather than dispersing efforts across numerous pursuits. This allows you to focus and invest the most time and effort into achievable goals. It also helps make sure that tasks don't get neglected, as each goal is given equal importance.

7. Create an action plan with clear milestones

Develop a detailed action plan for each goal. Outline the specific steps required, set milestones, and establish deadlines to keep yourself accountable.

Continuously monitor your progress and milestone points for completing certain objectives. Milestones track intermediate successes while offering the opportunity to reward yourself with various incentives throughout the process — boosting motivation and morale at every stage of your journey.

8. Locate an accountability partner

Accountability is crucial for achieving goals as it fosters commitment, responsibility, and motivation. When individuals are held accountable, they are more likely to stay focused on their objectives and consistently work towards them. 

External accountability, such as sharing goals with a friend, mentor, or coach , adds a social dimension that encourages progress through support and feedback. 

Accountability also provides a framework for evaluating and adjusting goals, ensuring continued relevance and adaptability. Ultimately, the sense of responsibility that comes with being accountable enhances discipline, resilience, and the likelihood of successful goal attainment.

So share your goals with a friend, family member, or mentor who can provide support and hold you accountable. Consider joining a group or finding a buddy with similar goals for mutual encouragement.

9. Try to remain flexible

Success doesn’t sprout overnight. Oftentimes, goals take longer or more work than we expect. So stay open to adjusting goals as circumstances change.  Adapt your plans as needed, recognizing that flexibility is essential for sustained progress. Keep in mind that the journey may look different than expected, and that’s ok.

10. Regularly celebrate achievements, review, and adjust

Schedule regular check-ins to review your progress. Be prepared to adjust your goals and action plans based on what is and isn't working, ensuring continued alignment with your evolving needs and circumstances.

Through it all, remember to acknowledge and celebrate your successes, regardless of size. Positive reinforcement fosters motivation and enhances your commitment to the goal-setting process.

11. Practice self-compassion

In the face of setbacks or challenges, practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself, learn from experiences, and view challenges as opportunities for personal growth.

Remember, goal setting is a dynamic process. It's acceptable to revisit and adjust goals as your priorities evolve. Stay focused, motivated, and adaptable throughout the year for a successful journey of personal and professional development.

Setting goals for 2024

Before defining what you want to achieve in the new year, break your brainstorming session into time periods accounting for daily, weekly, monthly, and 12-month goals. Once you’ve decided on your goals for 2024, you can sort them into these sections. 

Set yourself up for success by focusing on one goal at a time in each area of your life. Research from the Harvard Business School found that even if you set multiple goals, you’ll probably only focus on one . Scheduling your goals — which ones you’ll focus on in which months — will help you excel across the board. 

This isn’t to say you can’t train to run 10K and work to wake up earlier at the same time. Those goals might even complement each other nicely. But training to run that race while aiming to increase your squat strength and start practicing yoga might be more fitness goals than you can manage at once. Keep running as your focus for part of the year, and once you’ve achieved that goal, turn to the next one. To help inspire you, we’ve outlined goal examples for different areas of your life. Here are some goals to consider taking on in the new year. 

Personal goals for 2024

These goals are all about what we think would make our lives happier and more fulfilling. They’re typically related to personal development so we feel we’re becoming the best version of ourselves. 

Here are some personal goal examples:

• Read a certain number of books this year
• Develop a journaling practice
• Pick up a new hobby, such as cooking or gardening 
• Travel to a foreign country
• Build a morning or bedtime routine
• Spend more time in nature
• Browse social media less
• Create the boundaries necessary to enjoy work-life balance
• Prioritize alone time

Financial goals for the new year

These focus on increasing our finances or paying off debt. They require looking at what we have now and crunching the numbers to figure out what we need to achieve our goals. 

Financial goals typically require long-term planning , which many people find overwhelming . Studies show 70% of American households don’t have a long-term financial plan . While it’s scary, these are important goals to make to ensure you don’t feel even more overwhelmed about your financial wellness in the future. 

Planning your finances also increases the likelihood you’ll have the money necessary to achieve other goals, such as trying out an expensive hobby or taking a vacation. 

Here are some financial goal examples:

• Save X amount of money for a mortgage
• Pay off credit card debt
• Build an emergency fund
• Start a college fund
• Invest money
• Save X amount of money for retirement

Health goals for next year

When we prioritize our mental and physical health , every other area of our life improves. We’re better family members, partners, and employees when we feel great, think clearly, and have energy to give. 

Here are a few health goal examples :

• Drink more water
• Quit smoking
• Implement a healthy sleep schedule
• Run a marathon
• Eat a more balanced diet
• Go to a public exercise class weekly
• Start individual or group therapy
• Learn mindfulness and meditation
• Practice gratitude
• Spend more time outside
• Develop an exercise hobby such as swimming, jogging, or cycling

Relationship goals for 2024

Our relationships and social health are enormous parts of our lives. Healthy connections bring us happiness and comfort. Toxic relationships introduce anxiety and stress. 

Consider setting relationship goals with the other person when possible. It’s more likely you’ll develop increased intimacy with a partner or spend more quality time with a friend if they’re on the same page about deepening your relationship . 

Your relationship goals might include:

• Call grandparents more often
• Check in with partner daily
• Develop healthy communication skills
• Practice active listening
• Make time for intimacy with your partner
• Find friends with common interests

Career goals for next year

Setting professional goals is an integral part of career planning . No matter where you’re at professionally, there’s always room to learn new skills and make changes. 

Your career goals might be to:

• Apply for an internship
• Become or find a mentor
• Learn a new skill
• Study for a certification
• Get a raise or promotion
• Find a new job
• Improve time-management skills
• Update your LinkedIn profile
• Define your small business goals

Tips to stay motivated and achieve your goals in 2024

Setting goals and achieving them are two different things. The latter requires constant motivation, ambition , and resilience.

To figure out what motivates you, think about goals you’ve accomplished and why they were successful. Define your values and consider how these can inspire you to achieve your goals. 

Here are four more things that’ll set you up for success: 

• Understand your goal : Before working toward a goal, ask yourself why you set it. Write this initial motivator down and remind yourself of it whenever you’re feeling unmotivated. Remember: Your why can change — you just need to have one.
• Make a plan : Goals are less overwhelming when broken into smaller, easily achievable tasks. Having a plan and focusing on the smaller, more immediate steps will make your goal feel achievable.
• Ask for help : Most of us accomplish more when held accountable by someone else. We can talk ourselves out of doing something, but if we feel we owe it to someone we respect and admire we’re more likely to follow through. Tell a friend, family member, or coach about your goal and ask them to check in on your progress. 
• Be flexible : Life is predictably unpredictable. There’s no sense in feeling discouraged if life throws you a curveball that messes with your plan. If circumstance makes one task or goal impossible, make adjustments and focus on what you can control. Remember to be kind to yourself for trying your best.

Reaching your 2024 goals

The most important part of striving to achieve your goals is staying positive. Beating yourself up won’t get you anywhere — it’ll only make you feel less capable and valuable. 

If you set SMART goals and think critically when planning, you’ll likely succeed. (Unless life gives you lemons, and even then you know what to do.) And you’re worth investing time into, so don’t let your inner critic tell you otherwise when you’re setting goals for 2024.

Transform your life

Make meaningful changes and become the best version of yourself. BetterUp's professional Coaches are here to support your personal growth journey.

Maggie Wooll, MBA

Maggie Wooll is a researcher, author, and speaker focused on the evolving future of work. Formerly the lead researcher at the Deloitte Center for the Edge, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Maggie is passionate about creating better work and greater opportunities for all.

Get SMART about your goals at work and start seeing results

How to set short-term professional goals, the only guide you'll need to create effective cascading goals, 22 workplace goals examples to strive for, goal-setting theory: why it’s important, and how to use it at work, do goal statements actually work find out here, top 15 professional goals and how to achieve them, career pathing for employees at all levels, emotional goals: 20 examples and how to reach them, similar articles, 52 new year’s resolutions ideas for 2024, moving toward your dreams or just moving yearly goals can help, going somewhere write the 5-year plan you need to achieve it, what is a short-term goal 44 examples to jump-start your year, 60 goals for 2024 to inspire you to take action, get closer to your dreams: 20 examples of monthly goals that work, young men lag in developing this key skill that’s linked to achievement and success, 9 meaningful life goals to pursue for long-term fulfillment, how to write a 10 year plan (with examples) and reach your goals, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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23 Goals To Set In 2023: Goal Ideas For Self Investment

By: Author Nicole Booz

Posted on Last updated: October 3, 2023

Categories Self Development

As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to start reflecting on what we did this past year and the goals we hope to set in 2023. We’ve done this every year since 2017 (catch 2022 ,  2021 ,  2020 ,  2019 ,  2018 , and  2017 , here.) 

At this point, you might even call us goal setting experts over here at GenTwenty . Through doing this practice annually, we have learned a lot about what goals are worth setting and how to achieve the goals you set for yourself.

This post may contain commissionable links. Thank you for supporting this resource.

Why We Prefer Goals Over New Year’s Resolutions

Usually when you “resolve” to make a change, you don’t put any plan behind it. And when you fail to plan, you fail to take action.

When you make New Year’s resolutions, you are generally setting yourself up for burnout and discouragement as well.

It can be difficult to stay motivated if you haven’t set realistic micro goals along the way. When you make a resolution, you not only not committing to yourself but not committing to your goals.

Setting Your Goals

Research has shown time and time again that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.

Drawing from that, if you want to truly reach your goals, it’s important to set yourself up for success.

That means having a method of planning that allows you to track your progress in the right way, stay motivated, and encourages you to be both consistent and disciplined.

For this purpose , I highly recommend the  Day Designer  for this as it gives you space to not only design your day as the name suggests but to also effectively plan for and execute your goals.

The Daily Mini Planner is pictured here but they also have  undated planner options  that make a great choice for longevity’s sake.

What I like about the Day Designer is that you can name you top priorities, list our your daily schedule, jot notes on the side for your important goals, and write down your dinner.

There’s also a handy notes section at the bottom if you need to expand on anything. I also like that there is a space for “due” so you can remember any important due dates and a “dollars” section so you can focus on your financial goals. 

It’s a wonderfully useful planner that blends together a daily schedule with effective goal setting.  Check out Day Designer  here .

So without further ado, let’s dive into the goal setting.

23 Goals To Set In 2023

1. focus more on yourself..

Some months my calendar gets absolutely overwhelmed with appointments, to-dos, and expectations. And a lot of the times it usually involves spending a significant amount of my time and resources on other people .

I’m not saying that being with or doing other things for other people is a bad thing. But let’s consider the opposite – is it bad to spend those resources on our own lives?

If you’re looking at your calendar and more than 50% of it is dedicated to doing things for others, consider which areas you can pull back in.

How will you focus on yourself?

2. Read 50 books.

This might seem like a little goal or it might seem like a big goal, depending what your normal reading schedule is like.

Reading for just 20 minutes per day, though, can help you reach this goal by the end of the year.

What will you read first?

3. Go on a real vacation.

I’m guilty of going on “trips” not “vacations.”

I tend to plan a lot and try to pack many activities into the week as possible.

What this does, though, is neglect taking time to just rest. Instead of booking your calendar up with trips, take some actual PTO to REST!

Where would you vacation?

4. Be more active.

Most of us aren’t as active as we’d like to be, myself included. I try to get at least 20 minutes of exercise in everyday but it doesn’t always happen.

In 2023, I’d like to track 30 minutes of exercise per day. This includes walks and any separate workouts I do too! Let’s hold ourselves accountable.

What’s your favorite kind of physical activity?

5. Spend 1,000 hours outside.

1,000 Hours Outside is both a challenge and a movement. They are dedicated to getting families outside for 1,000 hours per year.

There are trackers available for download on their website to track your own hours!

Will you start today?

6. Pay off a debt.

This is easier said than done, sure, but it’s something that needs to be done.

Holding debt, especially once you’re in your late 20s, is holding you back. You have less freedom in your choices when you owe money to someone else.

If you have a lot of debt , it can feel overwhelming to pay off. But when you think about it, there are three ways to start:

• the debt snowball: paying off your smallest debt first
• debt avalanche: paying the highest interest rate debt first
• consolidate: turning all of your debt into one single loan

Which is best for you depends on a variety of factors so you’ll want to take a course like Debt Defeater .

What method will you take?

7. Go somewhere new.

Visiting somewhere new can awaken both creativity and joy within us.

We notice more when we are not somewhere we’ve been before. We see new things and open ourselves up to new experiences.

Going somewhere new doesn’t have to be a big trip – it can be a day trip or even just somewhere new in your town.

Where will you explore first?

8. Donate to something you care about.

Last year was the first year I personally set up a recurring donation. This year I was able to do more larger one off donations as well.

It feels good to financially prioritize donating funds to something I care about.

Where will you donate to?

9. Take a class.

Continuing your education is worthwhile goal – even if it’s not a traditional “academic” class.

Take a cooking class or learn to crochet. New skills will aid you in all areas of your life!

And it doesn’t have to be for work or the sake of learning either.

Just take a class in something you enjoy!

What will you take a class in?

10. Make some non-toxic swaps.

In 2021, I started to deep dive into the quality of our food and personal care products.

In my early 20s, this wasn’t something I much paid attention to, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize so much of the quality of ingredients matters so much.

Swapping to non-toxic products doesn’t have to be an overwhelming thing. You can swap one product at a time as you use things up. It’s that simple.

What non-toxic swap will you make next?

11. Learn a new recipe every month.

In the past few years, I’ve been cooking at lot more. I’ve learned a lot of more about food (from some cooking classes that I’ve taken) that have taught me new methods when it comes to cooking.

Growing up, I was always told I was “bad” at cooking. But you know what, that’s actually not true. I know my way around the kitchen and quite a few dishes.

One easy way to lean more into cooking your own food is to learn a new recipe every month.

Save a board on Pinterest for recipes you’d like to try and get cooking!

What recipe will you make first?

12. Shop with more small businesses.

Your impact when  shopping small  is much larger than when shopping with big companies.

Any time you can support small businesses instead of larger corporations you are more directly sending more of your hard earned dollars to people who do the making, creating, and selling.

Small businesses tend to invest more personal resources into their products as well.

When you shop small, you’re supporting ballet lessons, not a CEO’s fifth house.

How can you shop small?

13. Use affirmations.

Every week pick a new  affirmation  of the week (an affirmation card deck is great for this!) and try to use it daily.

I write my affirmations on my to-list and in my planner. They are always a strong reminder to me of my worth and value when I am feeling low.

What’s your affirmation of the day?

14. Add a new stream of income.

Whether you are an entrepreneur or employed traditionally, adding an additional stream of income is not a bad thing to do.

Bringing more income in every month can help you pay off debt, save for goals faster, take more trips, upgrade your home – truly the possibilities are endless.

I have always tried to increase my income year over year. It’s challenging, yes, but it’s so worth it.

How can you earn an extra $1k per month?

15. Do whatever health thing you’ve been putting off.

Look, we all have these things. And it’s okay. I have needed a small surgery for many years and this year I’ve finally started taking steps towards getting it.

Health things can be hard and scary, but it doesn’t benefit us to continue to wait.

I have a friend who is finally getting off of hormonal birth control. She’s put if off because it’s such a transition, but it is time.

How can you take your health in your hands?

16. Don’t watch TV.

A year ago when I wrote my 2022 goals list, I put this on there.

And you know what? I still don’t really watch TV. In the past year I’ve watched maybe 2 or 3 shows. It’s not that I don’t want to watch TV or enjoy it, it’s just that when I sink hours per week into TV shows, I don’t have time for my other goals.

What would you do if you couldn’t watch TV?

17. Practice daily or weekly gratitude.

Practicing gratitude has such a positive impact on our mental wellbeing.

Focusing on the positives over the negatives, or at least making en effort to highlight the positives, can truly impact the whole way you look at your life.

I love that the Day Designer has a place for daily gratitude too on every page. It makes it easy to prioritize.

What are you grateful for today?

18. Take a mental health day every month.

Consider this part of your self-care. Taking a day off to do things you want to do (even if you can’t take a full day off and just a few hours, it’s worth it).

I started scheduling a service for myself every month – so far either a facial or a massage – and it’s been truly wonderful. If these are out of your budget for the time being, don’t be afraid to still take time off to rest.

How will you prioritize your mental health?

19. Upgrade something in your life.

I often tend to use something until it’s almost dead and gone.

Sometimes that serves me and other times by the time I upgrade something (like my bedding or cookware), I am left wondering why I didn’t do it sooner.

20. Prioritize your health.

We talked about being more active but what about your overall health and wellbeing?

How do you prioritize what you eat? How much time you spend outside? How you balance work and play? Do you check your blood pressure regularly?

As we get older, unfortunately this are all serious things we need to start thinking about.

How will your prioritize your health?

21. Enforce your boundaries more often.

Marina and I talk a lot about boundaries on the podcast so it’s a topic we’re quite familiar with.

Throughout our 20s, we’ve really started figuring out what our personal boundaries are. And that’s the first step – to define them!

After that, it takes a lot of practice to enforce them. Especially with people who push back.

But every time you enforce a boundary, you strengthen it. And then it will be easier and easier to say no to what (and who) doesn’t serve you, and yes to what and who does.

22. Call your friends and family.

If there’s anything the past few years have taught us, it’s that life is short. Shorter than we’d like, honestly.

The most important thing in life is the people you love and spending time with them.

Call your friends and family more often. Make plans. Hang out. Make memories.

Who can you call today?

23. Keep yourself accountable.

And the final thing on our list is to keep yourself accountable.

It’s hard to stay on track of your goals when the days and weeks go by so fast and blur together.

It’s especially why I recommend a planner like the Day Designer , that I’ve come to love so much over the past two years.

It gives you space to write down your top 3 priorities, covers important notes like what’s due, finances, don’t forget, and dinner. It breaks down the day hour by hour, has space for a to-do list, as well as a place for daily gratitude and affirmations. It’s all I need in a planner! Get your Day Designer here .

In Summary:

Is there any perfect set of goals to set for the year? No, there’s not. This list is made to inspire you to be the person you want to be and lead the life you want to live.

Let me know in the comments what goals you are setting or feel free to email me.

About the Author

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com

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• Dear Life Kit
• Life Skills

What do you want to accomplish in 2023? This New Year's resolution guide can help

Connie Hanzhang Jin

Malaka Gharib

Becky Harlan

What do you want to accomplish this year? Scroll through Life Kit's expert guides for practical and inspiring ways to grow in 2023.

Ah, the new year. It's a time to sketch out your goals and think about the roadmap to get there.

Life Kit has curated a list of some of our best episodes to help set you up for success in 2023. They include practical guidance (like how to pick a birth control or ask for a raise ), forward-thinking advice (like how to save for retirement or freeze your eggs ) and tips on how to live more mindfully (like how to reduce food waste or set boundaries ).

It might feel hard to start a new habit, but as BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist at Stanford and author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything , told Life Kit in a 2020 interview , "it's easier to create habits and change than most people think, and it's faster than most people think. It can even be fun if you do it in the right way."

The key is to understand how behavior change happens. You've got to have the motivation, the ability to do the behavior and a prompt, says Fogg. "And the prompt is anything that reminds you to do this behavior now. And when those three things come together at the same moment, a behavior happens."

So go on, pick a resolution that's achievable — but also bold and aspirational. We've got 40+ ideas for you to choose from. Here's to a stronger, more confident you in 2023.

• How to change careers
• How to return to college
• How to find a mentor
• How to ask for a raise
• How to futureproof your body
• How to start an exercise habit
• How to get into strength training
• How to drink less alcohol
• How to pick a birth control
• How to create a better bedtime routine
• How to approach weight loss differently
• How to clear your clutter
• How to split household chores
• How to reduce food waste
• How to keep your house clean
• How to stay on top of 'life admin'
• How to train your dog

Mental health

• How to be less indecisive
• How to deal with uncertainty
• How to draw boundaries
• How to start therapy
• Find your purpose

Relationships

• How to navigate the coming out convo
• How to travel with friends
• How to make new friends
• How to show your friends you love them
• How to break up
• How to create a relationship contract
• How to be OK with being single
• How to fall in love
• How to learn your heritage language
• How to pack for a trip
• How to start a creative habit

Personal finance

• How to write a will
• How to plan a budget
• How to budget for a baby
• How to save for retirement
• How to decide if you want a baby
• How to freeze your eggs
• How to get your kid to listen better
• How to win back time as a working parent

Goal setting

• How to avoid cognitive bias
• How to examine your regrets
• How to stop procrastinating
• How to make a better to-do list

The episodes were created by Life Kit. Design, development and illustrations by Connie Hanzhang Jin. Production, editing and art direction by Malaka Gharib and Beck Harlan with additional support by Julia Carney. Special thanks to Life Kit supervising editor Meghan Keane, growth editor Arielle Retting, senior digital analyst Brittany Cheng and engagement editor Dylan Scott.

We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 , or email us at [email protected] .

Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , or sign up for our newsletter .

• Life Kit: Life Skills

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How to Write the Johns Hopkins University Essay 2023-2024

Johns Hopkins University has just one supplemental essay, which all applicants are required to respond to. However, while other schools you’re applying to may have more supplements, you want to make sure you dedicate enough time to this essay, as Hopkins is one of the most competitive schools in the country, especially for students interested in medicine.

In this post, we’ll break down how to brainstorm for and actually write your Hopkins essay, as well as common mistakes you want to be sure to avoid.

Read these Johns Hopkins essay examples to inspire your writing.

Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompt

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at hopkins. (this can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social). (200-350 words).

Brainstorming Your Topic

This prompt is a version of the common Diversity Essay , with the added layer of explicitly connecting your identity to one of your goals for your time at Hopkins.

The first thing to note is that the way colleges factor race into their admissions processes will be different this year, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in June. 

Colleges can still consider race on an individual level, however, so if you would like to respond to this prompt by talking about how your racial background has impacted you, you are welcome to do so.

You are also welcome to write about a wide range of other aspects of your identity. As the prompt itself highlights, an individual is more than just their race, gender, sexuality, and other attributes that typically come to mind when you hear the word “diversity.” We are also shaped by the communities we’re in, the hobbies we enjoy, our interests, and so on. So, if you are having a hard time coming up with a topic for this prompt, shift to that line of thinking. Here are some examples of less traditional topics that could work:

• The people you see every day while walking your dog before school
• A group sea kayaking trip you did one summer
• Your passion for the color purple

The main requirement for your topic is that it has “shaped you as an individual,” per Hopkins’ request. There is one other thing you want to consider, though. Namely, can you connect this aspect of your identity to one of your goals for Hopkins?

Note that this connection doesn’t have to be direct. If your parents immigrated to the United States from Korea, you don’t have to write about wanting to do research on international migration with Professor Erin Chung. You can, of course, if you genuinely are interested in that line of research. But the connection you make can also be more nuanced.

For example, say that some of your relatives still in Korea don’t speak English, but you have developed a relationship with them through visits to museums and famous architectural sites, as you have a shared love of art. These experiences have shown you the unifying power of art, which is a phenomenon you’d like to explore more through Hopkins’ Renaissance Art History study abroad program in Florence.

Although this connection may not be one your reader was expecting, it works, as you explain it in a clear, easy-to-follow way. Plus, this essay is on the longer side for a supplement. You have 350 words at your disposal, so you have plenty of space to draw more sophisticated connections.

Tips for Writing Your Essay

If you have done your brainstorming well, writing the actual essay should be pretty straightforward: you want to describe the aspect of your identity you’re focusing on, and then connect it to the goal you’ve chosen to highlight. As just noted above, you have room to work with, so there’s no need to rush anything.

The only real rule here is that the connection you’re drawing is explained clearly. For a rather extreme example, if you just said “I have family in Korea, which makes me want to study abroad in Florence,” your reader would have no idea what you’re talking about. So, just make sure you’re able to articulate the link you see, so admissions officers understand how we got from A to B.

If you’re having a hard time with that, maybe take a step back from your essay, and come back the next day with a clear head. Sometimes, spending too much time on an essay will bog you down, and make it hard to see where to go next. 

If you’re still having trouble the next day, you might want to return to the brainstorming stage, and either focus on a different aspect of your identity, or connect it to a different goal you have for college. There’s no shame in hitting rewind. Most students do at some point in their essay-writing process, as even topics that seem perfect at first can prove to be not quite right once you start trying to actually write about them.

Finally, like with any college essay, your writing will be stronger if you show, rather than tell. That means you want to rely on specific anecdotes and experiences to support your points, as that will make your essay more engaging. You can compare the two approaches below:

Telling: “I have quite a few family members still in Korea. Most of them live in Seoul, but some of them live in more remote areas.”

Showing: “I press my nose against the car window to get one last look at the glittering skyscrapers of Seoul, before my dad turns onto the winding, tree-lined road which leads to my uncle’s house.”

The information communicated is basically the same, but the showing approach paints us a picture, rather than reading us a list of facts like the telling approach. Because we are immersed in the student’s story, we feel much closer to them, and the whole point of college essays is to get admissions officers to understand who you are.

Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest potential pitfall here is answering the second half of the prompt (the “how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins” part) in a way that isn’t specific enough to Hopkins. This subset of the prompt is essentially a mini “Why This College?” essay, which means you don’t want to just share a goal you have for college in general, but rather something you hope to achieve at Hopkins specifically.

The examples above show the level of specificity you want to get to. Contrast those examples with vague versions of the same goals: “At Hopkins, I hope to research migration from Asia,” or “At Hopkins, I hope to do a study abroad program that will allow me to pursue my interest in art.” These goals would be fine to share with a family member at Thanksgiving, but for Hopkins admissions officers, they’re too general, as these are things you could do in some form at plenty of other schools around the country. 

By going a level deeper, to a particular professor who does the kind of research you’re interested in, and a particular program that will allow you to study art, you show Hopkins admissions officers that you’ve really done your homework on their school, which gives them confidence you’re ready to hit the ground running when you arrive on campus.

If you’re not sure about how to get to this level of specificity, hop onto Hopkins’ website, and skim their course offerings, faculty directory, study abroad programs, club pages, and so on. Odds are, you’ll see something there that aligns with the general goal you’ve identified for yourself, which will take you from the big picture to the narrower focus you want.

Where to Get Your Johns Hopkins Essay Edited 

Do you want feedback on your Johns Hopkins essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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110 Goals Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Setting goals is an essential part of personal and professional development. Goals provide us with direction, motivation, and a sense of purpose. However, coming up with goal essay topics can sometimes be challenging. To help you get started, here are 110 goal essay topic ideas and examples:

• My top 3 personal goals for the next year
• How I plan to achieve my career goals
• Setting realistic health and fitness goals
• The importance of setting financial goals
• How to set and achieve academic goals
• My goals for improving my mental health
• Setting relationship goals for better communication
• The role of goal setting in overcoming challenges
• Setting goals for personal growth and self-improvement
• My goals for contributing to my community
• Setting goals for work-life balance
• Achieving work-related goals through time management
• The impact of setting goals on motivation and productivity
• Setting goals for learning new skills or hobbies
• My goals for creating a more sustainable lifestyle
• Setting goals for improving emotional intelligence
• The benefits of setting short-term vs long-term goals
• How to stay motivated when working towards your goals
• Setting goals for better communication in relationships
• My goals for building stronger connections with others
• Setting goals for personal finance and budgeting
• Achieving career goals through networking and professional development
• The role of goal setting in personal happiness and fulfillment
• Setting goals for personal branding and self-promotion
• My goals for reducing stress and improving overall well-being
• Setting goals for time management and prioritizing tasks
• Achieving personal goals through perseverance and resilience
• The impact of setting goals on self-confidence and self-esteem
• Setting goals for personal growth and self-discovery
• My goals for practicing gratitude and mindfulness
• Setting goals for improving physical health and fitness
• Achieving academic goals through effective study habits
• The benefits of setting goals for professional development
• Setting goals for career advancement and promotions
• My goals for creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace
• Setting goals for improving leadership skills
• Achieving goals through collaboration and teamwork
• The role of goal setting in building resilience and adaptability
• Setting goals for personal finance and investing
• My goals for achieving a better work-life balance
• Setting goals for networking and building professional relationships
• Achieving career goals through continuous learning and skill development
• The impact of setting goals on personal growth and self-improvement
• Setting goals for mental health and emotional well-being
• My goals for improving communication skills in relationships
• Setting goals for building stronger social connections
• Achieving personal goals through self-reflection and introspection
• The benefits of setting goals for lifelong learning and personal development
• Setting goals for improving time management and productivity
• My goals for creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle
• Setting goals for improving emotional intelligence and empathy
• Achieving goals through effective goal setting and planning
• The role of setting goals in achieving success and fulfillment
• The impact of setting goals on personal happiness and satisfaction
• Setting goals for building stronger connections with others
• My goals for contributing to my community and making a difference
• Setting goals for improving mental health and emotional well-being
• Achieving academic goals through effective study habits and time management
• The benefits of setting goals for personal growth and self-improvement
• Setting goals for physical health and wellness
• Setting goals for improving communication skills in relationships
• Achieving personal goals through perseverance and determination
• The role of goal setting in building self-confidence and self-esteem
• My goals for creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace culture
• Setting goals for improving leadership skills and abilities
• Achieving career goals through collaboration and teamwork
• The impact of setting goals on resilience and adaptability
• Setting goals for financial independence and stability
• Setting goals for networking and building professional connections
• Setting goals for

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2022-2023 Common App Essay Prompts

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The Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2022-2023. Because as we enter the third year of a global pandemic, consistency is not a bad thing.

That’s not the only reason, of course. We know from our most recent survey on the topic that over 95% of every group who responded--students, counselors, teachers, and admission officers--agree that the prompts spark effective essays. That’s why we kept them the same last year as well, with the exception of adding a new one about gratitude .

As we’ve said in the past, this announcement is not an invitation to juniors to start writing. And it’s definitely not a signal that they start thinking about applying. Those things will come in time. We share this news in January because it’s when some schools begin conversations about college options. It’s a time for learning, reflecting, and planning. That’s where the prompts can be useful: in helping students understand the aspects of their lives that colleges are curious about. 

"We share this news in January because it’s when some schools begin conversations about college options. It’s a time for learning, reflecting, and planning. That’s where the prompts can be useful: in helping students understand the aspects of their lives that colleges are curious about." Scott Anderson, Senior Director, Common App

Something else we’ve said in the past: prompts are not topics. They are simply questions designed to spark thinking. Our Telling Your Story resource shows students just how much flexibility they have in what they write when the time comes.

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2022-2023. We will also retain the optional COVID-19 question within the Additional Information section.

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

News and updates

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Driving Growth: See how these universities boosted enrollment

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• Applying For Scholarships

Essay: How Will This Scholarship Help You Achieve Your Goals? (With Example) – 2023

Jennifer Finetti May 23, 2023

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Many scholarship applicants often have to write a “How will this scholarship help you achieve your goals” essay. This gives the scholarship committee an understanding of how the scholarship will help students pursue their goals.

Needless to say, the essay is very important for the scholarship application. This is where students can show off their personality. Students should make sure to write a unique composition which answers the essay question.

Think About Your Goals

It can be challenging to think about what your goals are after college. This is especially true if you haven’t decided on a major and have no idea what you want to study.

If you find yourself struggling to determine what your career goals are, try brainstorming before you start writing. Think of what your short-term and long-term goals are and write them down. What skills do you need to achieve these goals?

The fastest path to earning scholarships

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Writing Tips – Getting Started

When starting to write your essay , make sure you open with a catchy introduction. This can be a question, an anecdote or a personal story. You want to grab your reader’s interest right away. Start with something unique, rather than using a generic sentence that any other student can use.

Explain the Inspiration Behind Your Goals

You’ll then want to explain the inspiration behind your goals. What led you to want to pursue these goals? What experiences have you had in life which have influenced you and your dreams?

Discuss Your Goals

After discussing your past experiences, talk about your education and career goals . Do you have a major? How will it help you achieve your goals?

Do you have long-term goals you can talk about? The scholarship provider doesn’t expect you to have long-term goals set in stone so don’t worry if you don’t. Instead, you can write about how you wish to impact others.

Make a Creative Conclusion

In your conclusion paragraph, you should summarize the major points in your essay.  Then finish with a closing thought. You should try to make it creative and unique. You want to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

After you finish writing your essay, make sure you proofread it several times. The last thing you’d want to do is turn in an essay with grammar mistakes.

Scholarship Goals Essay Example

It was November, 2016, a few days before Thanksgiving. My class took a field trip to a soup kitchen to serve lunch. I poured piping hot soup into bowls while people started to fill the room. It was a great way to warm up on the frigid November day. Their eyes seemed empty and sad. “Happy Thanksgiving” we said to one another, as our eyes locked.

A few days later, as I sat surrounded by family, turkey, gravy and pumpkin pie, I couldn’t help but feel like something wasn’t right. Why was I so fortunate to have access to all this food? I thought of the people from the soup kitchen and wondered where they were. I knew right then and there that my purpose in life was to help people.

I returned to the soup kitchen as a volunteer a week later, and a week after that.

I envisioned the realm of possibilities for these people. “I would connect him with a rehab program, her with daycare for her baby so she could find work,” I thought to myself while volunteering. I have dreams of one day being able to help people make changes in their lives.

For this reason, I will be starting my undergraduate degree in social work at Boston University in the fall. I am certain that my studies will instill within me the skills and knowledge I need to pursue a career as a social worker. I hope to be able to help those who are less privileged find hope in their lives.

This scholarship will help me achieve my educational and career goals. I have been working hard to save up for college, but with the exorbitant costs of tuition, my part-time jobs haven’t been enough. I am planning to work during my undergraduate degree, but I do wish to focus a lot of my time on my studies. This scholarship will help by lowering the costs of college and the amount of hours I’ll need to work throughout my studies. This way, I’ll be able to continue with my academic achievements. It will also give me time to find an internship. I am hoping to find an internship at a homeless shelter in the Boston area.

It has been two and a half years since I first walked into that soup kitchen. That day without a doubt has changed the course of my life. My experiences there, talking with people and hearing their stories, have instilled within me a passion to help people make positive changes in their lives. This scholarship will allow me to pursue the education I need to achieve my goals.

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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New Year, New You - 9 Examples of Professional Goals to Set In 2023

In this article, we will be sharing 9 examples of professional goals you can set to help you go further in your career..

Explore more articles...

Similar mentoring, career progression and learning articles and resources by pushfar, you might like to read., the great reshuffle - what we have learned so far.

Once the world started slowly transitioning to vaccines and restrictions, those who were lucky enough to have been furloughed were coming back to the 9-5 life working from home - what is being called the Great Resignation, into the Great Reshuffle, was beginning.

Read more →, looking for mentoring ask yourself what you really, really want.

You’ve found a great mentoring platform and you’re probably scanning a few profiles of who could be a suitable mentor. But before you hit that request button, take a little time to think about what you want to get out of a mentoring relationship and what you’re willing to put into it.

The six w’s: what are they and how can you use them in coaching.

You may have heard of the Six W’s but then again, maybe you haven’t. Either way, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered in this article. The Six W’s are six words, unsurprisingly, beginning with the letter W, to help coaches and the individuals they are coaching

Go further, with pushfar., what are you looking for in your mentoring journey.

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Lessons Learned in 2022: Impact on Goals for 2023 by Christopher

Christopher's entry into Varsity Tutor's December 2022 scholarship contest

Lessons Learned in 2022: Impact on Goals for 2023 by Christopher - December 2022 Scholarship Essay

As we move into 2023, there are several lessons that I have learned in 2022 that will impact my goals for the coming year. One of the most significant lessons that I have learned is the importance of adaptability and flexibility in achieving my goals. In a rapidly changing world, being able to adapt and adjust to new situations and challenges is essential for success. This is particularly true when it comes to collaboration and teamwork, as working with others towards a common goal can be much more effective than trying to achieve our goals alone Collaboration and teamwork are essential for achieving many of our goals, especially in a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent. In 2022, I have seen firsthand the benefits of working with others towards a common goal, and how it can lead to greater success than trying to achieve our goals alone. For example, by collaborating with others, we can pool our knowledge, skills, and resources in order to tackle complex challenges and achieve our goals more effectively. We can also benefit from the diversity of perspectives and experiences that different individuals bring to the table, which can help us to think more creatively and innovatively. Furthermore, working with others can help us to stay motivated and accountable, as we can support and encourage each other along the way. And by building strong, collaborative relationships with others, we can create a sense of community and connection that can help us to stay engaged and committed to achieving our goals. Setting clear, specific goals is crucial for staying focused and motivated on the things that matter most to us. It helps us to prioritize our time and energy, and to avoid getting sidetracked by less important tasks and distractions. By setting SMART goals, we can ensure that our goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, which makes it easier to track our progress and make adjustments as needed. In 2023, I plan to use the SMART goal-setting framework to help me stay focused and motivated on achieving my aspirations. This means that I will take the time to carefully consider each goal, and to break it down into smaller, more manageable steps that I can track and measure over time. By setting specific, measurable goals, I will be able to see exactly what progress I am making, and to celebrate my achievements along the way. Furthermore, by setting achievable goals, I will avoid setting myself up for disappointment and frustration by setting unrealistic expectations. And by ensuring that my goals are relevant to my overall goals and priorities, I will avoid wasting time and energy on tasks that don't truly matter to me. Finally, by setting time-bound goals, I will be able to stay on track and avoid procrastination by giving myself deadlines to work towards. By following the SMART goal-setting framework, I will be able to stay focused, motivated, and on track towards achieving my aspirations in 2023. In conclusion, the lessons that I have learned in 2022 will greatly impact my goals for 2023. By prioritizing adaptability, collaboration, and goal-setting, I am confident that I will be able to achieve my aspirations in the coming year. Through collaboration, I will be able to leverage the knowledge, skills, and resources of others in order to tackle complex challenges and achieve my goals more effectively. And by setting SMART goals, I will be able to stay focused, motivated, and on track towards achieving my aspirations in 2023.

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New Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-24

On Thursday June 29, 2023, the US Supreme Court effectively overturned decades of legal precedent and declared that it was unconstitutional for colleges and universities to admit students based on their race. Many universities had already started preparing for such a verdict and as the new Common App opens for the next application cycle we can see the changes. To incorporate race-based information, many colleges have either changed or added to the essay prompts to gather more information about the candidate’s background. The personal essay, many experts believe, will remain the one place where students can talk about their race and will become a more important factor for admissions.

What does the end of affirmative action mean for college admissions in the United States?

Race conscious admission policies allowed universities to build more diverse student bodies, the ACLU stated. It said that, “students from diverse backgrounds who learn from each other and are exposed to a variety of experiences, backgrounds, interests, and talents are better prepared to be successful in our society.”

By blocking the ability of universities to consider race, there will be a significant drop in the number of students of color being admitted to elite and selective universities, the Washington Post reported. This could also have a knock-on effect on employers who work to diversify their workforces. Lower courts cited this as a main reason for upholding affirmative action policies. “Less diverse campuses will harm students of color and white students alike, and take us backward in our efforts to overcome the country’s shameful legacy of racism and racial inequality,” the ACLU said.

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What is the Common App Essay?

The Common App Essay (or Personal Statement) is a 650-word essay that’s part of the Common Application. You must complete this essay if you’re applying for college through the Common App.

Before you get started on your personal statement, consider the following:

• Your Personal Statement is the best place to share qualitative and unique aspects of yourself with the admissions committee so they can get to know you beyond your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.
• It’s impossible to capture your entire personality in a single essay, so choose just one or two character traits that differentiate you from your peers.
• You don’t necessarily need an incredible experience or story. Choose something meaningful to you and capture why it means so much to you in your writing!

Read our blog to understand how to answer each Common App essay prompt in detail.

What are the Common App essay prompts for 2023-24?

The Common App essay prompts that are required by all universities will remain the same for 2023-24 application cycle.

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What changes are being made to supplementary essays?

Many universities ask applicants to provide supplementary writing material along with the Common App essay. Here is a list of the universities and the topics they have added so far:

Harvard University

All applicants will have to answer the following questions within a 200-word limit:

• Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?
• Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you.
• Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.
• How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?
• Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

Yale University

Optional third prompt for its 400-word essay:

Reflect on an element of your personal experience that you feel will enrich your college. How has it shaped you?

Columbia University

One new prompt to be answered in 150 words or fewer:

In college/university, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result.

University of Pennsylvania

All applicants have to answer the following three questions:

• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, only required for first year applicants)
• How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)
• School-specific questions

Stanford University

One new prompt to be answered in 100-250 words:

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

Northwestern University

The Common App essay is optional this year for applicants.

One required answer in 300 words:

• We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or household settings have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?

Up to two optional answers of 200 words from:

• Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?
• Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?
• Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
• Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?
• Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

Dartmouth College

Additional option s for prompts 2 and 3 to be answered in 250 words or fewer:

• There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.
• Celebrate your nerdy side.
• "It's not easy being green…" was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity and outlook?
• As noted in the College's mission statement, "Dartmouth educates the most promising students and prepares them for a lifetime of learning and of responsible leadership…" Promise and potential are important aspects of the assessment of any college application, but they can be elusive qualities to capture. Highlight your potential and promise for us; what would you like us to know about you?

Cornell University

Besides college-specific prompts everyone will answer the following:

In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War, Ezra Cornell wrote, "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." For over 150 years, Cornell University has remained deeply committed to Ezra’s vision. Explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a learning community devoted to “... any person … any study.” We encourage you to think broadly about your life experiences, including how local (e.g., family, school, neighborhood) or global communities you’ve been part of have helped shape your perspective.

Brown University

One new essay required for all students to be answered in 200-250 words:

Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community.

New York University

One additional essay prompt :

We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators. Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why.

Johns Hopkins University

One additional essay prompt to be answered in less than 300 words:

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.   This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social .

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Two questions to be answered in less than 250 words:

• Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.
• Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Sarah Lawrence College

In a move that directly addresses the Supreme Court ruling, the university added an optional prompt:

In the syllabus of a 2023 majority decision of the Supreme Court written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the author notes: "Nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university." Drawing upon examples from your life, a quality of your character, and/or a unique ability you possess, describe how you believe your goals for a college education might be impacted, influenced, or affected by the Court's decision.”

Emory University

A new prompt has been added asking students to “tell about a community that you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better."

University of Virginia

There is an additional optional essay prompt that will provide applicants an opportunity “to describe their experiences, including but not limited to their experiences of race or ethnicity, and the ways in which those experiences have shaped their abilities to contribute.”

Rice University

Choice of essay prompts to be answered in 500 words or less:

• The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system?
• Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?

General College Essay Formatting Guidelines

The main focus of your college essay is the content. The format and structure should make the essay easy to read to maintain this focus.

A title to your college essay is generally not required and takes from your word count. It can also confine your essay to a single meaning, so if you decide to use titles, use them with care. Keep your font double-spaced with a line space between the paragraphs to keep the essay easy on the eyes.

When the word count is not given, staying around 600 words is a safe bet. While it’s important to share about yourself in your essay, oversharing could make you stand out from your competition — in the worst way possible!

Uploading Your Essay

If you are copying and pasting your essay into a text box, here are some necessary actions to take to ensure your essay will be received as intended.

• Make sure that your essay is transferred over completely . Formatting on a different program initially than using the copy/paste function could cut your essay off, change your word count, alter the paragraph structure, and overall change the initial way you meant your essay to be read.
• The smaller details, such as bold and italics, may not be possible depending on the platform . As the point of the essay is the text, not including bold/italics only makes for a more straightforward read — it might just be a blessing in disguise!

When attaching a document, you’ll need to be  more precise with your formatting, but here are a few rules of thumb to follow:

• 1” margin is the standard, and difficult to go wrong with.
• An easy-to-read font, such as Times New Roman and Arial, is the way to go . The last thing you want is for the admissions officers to have difficulty reading your essay due to a complicated font.
• Download your college essay in an accepted format according to the submissions site.

Final Thoughts

While changing the essay definitely helps collect missing information, many experts are cautioning against relying on just one element for ensuring racial diversity by universities. While the verdict does not allow the consideration of race, there is some for interpreting at the end of the 230-page opinion read out by Chief Justice John Roberts:

"At the same time, nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected the applicant's life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university."

It remains to be seen how these new prompts will help universities or will it be too little to address a very important issue. 

5 Common App Essay Tips

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• What is the Common Application
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• College application process made easy with Crimson Pathfinder

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ISB Essay Analysis, Tips, and Sample Essays for 2024 Admissions

This essay analysis document has been developed using the decade-long experience of the team of Former Admissions Officers at ISBmantra, drawing further learnings from their understanding of the ISB admissions process gained while reviewing thousands of real ISB applications as part of the core admissions team at ISB. 

In this article, we will analyze and share helpful tips on how to write the ISB essays for the 2024 admissions and also share a few ISB sample essays to solidify your understanding. Update: The Indian School of Business (ISB) announced the PGP Round 2 deadline for 2024 intake as December 3, 2023, with significant changes to its essay questions, focusing more on the personal aspect of an applicant rather than the professional journey, which was the case in previous years.

ISB has consistently posed questions that help the school assess applicants’ core professional and personal qualities and professional plans post-ISB. According to Vikram Singh , Former ISB Admissions Officer – For the 2024 intake, ISB seeks to evaluate applicants in three distinct areas:

• Applicants’ strengths & weaknesses
• Their journey through success and failure
• Motivation to pursue the PGP at ISB

Business school essay prompts are your opportunity to present your profile in the most detailed manner, focusing on the right qualities, and establishing the same with the right examples. As you answer the ISB essay prompts, trying to put together the best answers to the questions asked, it is important to not limit yourself to the literal meaning of the questions asked, and present a holistic picture of your personal and professional profile, keeping the essay prompts as the basis of your answer. 

To begin with, let us understand what ISB looks for in a candidate. A one-year program, competitive applicant pool, high academic rigor, and placements starting just over six months into the program –are just some of the factors influencing the selection criteria of the Indian School of Business. As a result, some of the aspects of your profile that you must be able to present through your essays are:

1.   Quality of your past professional experience 2.   Strong evidence of Resilience and Learnability 3.   Ability to manage People, Projects, and/or Problems

As a part of the admissions process at ISB for the 2024 intake, you must answer 2 mandatory essay questions for the Post Graduate Programme (PGP). The word limit for both essays is 400 words. Additionally, the application provides the opportunity to answer an Optional Essay within a 250-word limit. If you are a re-applicant, you are required to answer a re-applicant essay in not more than 200 words.

ISB PGP Essay Questions for 2024 Admissions

Isb pgp essay 1 analysis, isb pgp essay 1 sample structure, isb pgp essay 2 analysis, isb pgp essay 2 sample structure, isb pgp essay 3 (optional) analysis, isb pgp essay 3 – sample essay structure, isb pgp re-applicant essay analysis, isb sample essays.

The following are the questions for the ISB PGP application for the 2024 intake:

At ISBmantra, with our Core Team of Former ISB Admissions Officers , we have mentored 1000+ applicants over the last 10 years. Here is our analysis of the ISB PGP 2023 Application essays. 

First things first – this is NOT a “personal story” essay. Don’t get misled by phrases such as “portrayal of yourself” and “personal journey” and build an entire essay on how you had a difficult childhood, or how your passion for dance drives your life, or how you lost weight after following a strict regime, etc. Vikram Singh Former ISB Admissions Officer

These can very well be a part of your story, but the larger goal of the essay needs to be about establishing strengths and capabilities that are relevant professionally. Your stories may be influenced by some personal incidents. You may very well provide a personal example or two. But don’t stop there. Review your strengths as well as examples from a professional lens and make them relevant to a business school essay. This isn’t an essay-writing competition. Being candid is good, but being candid and prudent is going to be critical.

Look at this essay as your elevator pitch – albeit a well-expanded one. As the starting point, list 3 to 4 aspects of your profile that make you a strong applicant to ISB. These could be a specific incident from your childhood, choice of a degree, choice of a job role, personal values that have driven your professional journey, a personal incident that had an impact on your life, a professional initiative, a decision that you consider important and life-changing, etc. Go deeper. Ask yourself the How-What-Why questions to come up with the most relevant details for the essay.

Once you have the right incidents and stories listed, arrange them in a way that the reader is able to view a holistic picture of your personal and professional personality. Try and connect the dots for the essay reader, highlighting your strengths as well as areas you believe you are looking to further grow in. The “emphasizing your strengths and weaknesses” part of the essay prompt doesn’t really require you to list your strengths and weaknesses like you would do if this were asked to you in a personal interview. In this essay, you are better off focusing on the right stories and relevant aspects of your life journey, touching upon your strengths and weaknesses in the process. 

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The achievement story has remained the mainstay of business school applications for a long time. ISB has asked this question in one way or the other several times in the past. This can often become the deciding factor in your application journey primarily because if, what you think is your best achievement, or what you present as your highest point of success, isn’t impressive enough, then the rest of your professional stories aren’t going to impress either. This achievement/success story, therefore, has to be a professional story, well thought of, and deftly articulated, presenting skills that are also relevant to your future plans.

Therefore, a situation where you had great success at designing and delivering a training program for your team, will fail to impress the reader, if your plan is to take up a Brand Management or Strategy Consulting role post-MBA.

The failure story is no different, except the outcome. The details about the project you were involved in, the tasks that you accomplished, the stakeholders that you worked with, etc. will go on to establish your professional potential – even with the undesirable outcome. Sometimes, it is not the failure of the entire project or task, but a particular aspect of the task that you were particularly hopeful about, may also be a failure that you may want to touch upon. Talking about an initiative, how it was something you tried your hands at for the first time, or how things didn’t go the way you expected, can also be a good example of an undesirable outcome that left you with a lot of learning.

Again, the “personal and interpersonal lessons” can be a misleading phrase to some. It is more about the learnings from what you did, and there is no reason to fret over how these lessons are personal or interpersonal. Dr. Naveen Das

While it is important to present how you could have done things differently or what didn’t work in your failure story, it will also be wise to list lessons from your success story and how you used these lessons to further build on future success. A final word of caution as you build your success and failure stories – do not judge your story by the outcome or the millions of dollars saved/generated. The best stories are those that have an interesting and detailed task/project in their backdrop, involve complexities and challenges that prove your potential, touch upon “your” contribution and engagement, and provide a good picture of the quality of your work. 

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It is interesting that the Indian School of Business has asked applicants to write an optional essay this year, with an essay prompt so well defined. The optional essay that’s truly optional is the one that asks for “anything else that you may want to communicate to the admissions committee”. This isn’t an “anything else” essay. With a clear ask, and given that the career goal essay has always been asked by ISB in the past, you would be remiss to not present your future plans. Another reason for not treating this essay optional is that it will really help the essay reader place all your stories in context if you are able to give them a hang of why you are taking this important decision of leaving your current employment and spending the time and money to pursue an MBA.

Do not get too engrossed in detailing your plans for the “future and beyond”. The focus should be on what you want to achieve immediately after the MBA, while touching upon  how you want your career to shape in the medium to long term. A M Kannan Ex ISB Director, Admissions and Financial Aid

Provide specific details about the industry, function, etc., pertaining to your post-MBA dream role. Do not get into designations. You may very well be made the CTO of a company with 5 employees – but is that what you want? It helps to keep your short-term goals consistent with your past. The recruiter is going to value your experience until now; hence do not underplay it. The idea is to demonstrate your intention of effectively leveraging the experience and exposure you have gained until now. You may want to move to a different function or industry. Focus on the transferable skills that will equip you to perform in your new role.

If you recognize that the role/industry you want to enter is a bit too competitive, it may be a good idea to also present a Plan B that is consistent with your long-term plans.

Conclude by validating the indispensable need for an MBA and why you think ISB precisely resonates with your aspirations. Remember not to go overboard with ‘why ISB’, since it would be too simplistic to expect to be selected just because you were able to list several clubs, electives, and the faculty at ISB. The essay is more about you and how ISB remains the most relevant choice in your scheme of things.

• Briefly Establish your career progression to date and the skills that have been developed
• Present your career aspirations, focusing on your short-term goals, and adding a flavor to your long-term plans
• Talk about specific aspects of the ISB PGP that will equip you to achieve your career goals

Since your last application to ISB, did you create opportunities to enhance your skills? You presented certain career goals in your last application. Did you take up professional initiatives and self-learning opportunities to move towards your professed career goals? Did you assess what might have gone wrong, talk to alumni and industry experts, and attempt to position yourself better this year? If your GMAT score was not good enough, were you willing to push yourself and retake the test? If you end up scoring the same again – the school will still appreciate your intent and your commitment to the goal of doing the MBA at ISB.

Talk about the new projects, new learnings from these projects, things that you got to do for the first time, and interactions you have had that had an impact on you and your career plans. Do not forget to include the experiences that helped you refine your core and soft skills further.

If you presented a goal or a career plan last year that you failed to justify in the interview; or if, after more thorough research, you have decided to opt for an alternative plan that you can validate, do not hesitate to make a statement. Feel free to present the specifics of the research you engaged in to arrive at a more rational career plan. For all logical purposes, this is a better approach than presenting the same career plans again, when you are not too confident about being able to substantiate them in the interview.

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Essays are the most powerful tool for you to narrate your story. It is an opportunity for you to highlight the important information, building a convincing point on why you are a good fit for the ISB MBA program. When you start writing your ISB essay, it is important to keep in mind to answer the entire question and not just a part of it.

Here are a few essay questions asked by ISB in the past few years:

• Enrolling in a Business School is an important career decision. Critically look at your career to date, the choices you have made, the key influences behind those choices, your goals for the future and how do you think ISB’s PGP can help you in achieving your goals.
• At ISB we value diversity as it enhances both the in-class and out-of-class learning experience. Tell us how would you contribute to the same.
• Describe with examples the most important personal quality that you possess that significantly enhances your prospects of being successful as a leader.
• What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How will the Post Graduate Program at ISB assist you in achieving your goals?
• Peer Learning is a major building block of PGP at ISB. Help us in understanding how will you be able to add value to the PGP peer group through your personal and professional qualities/capabilities?

Based on our analysis of ISB Essay questions from previous years, we understand that ISB typically asks these categories of questions:

• Personal/professional qualities with examples
• Your career plans post-ISB

Here are two ISB Sample Essays, which will give you further insights on developing holistic ISB PGP Essays. Do note that these essays do not directly answer the current year’s essay questions, and are presented here to help you understand the right approach. 

ISB Sample Essay 1

I have deliberately explored beyond the traditional boundaries and outside my comfort zone, in the effort to evolve more comprehensively, as an individual and as a professional. Be it launching my footwear venture while still in college, stepping into a fundraising role at Cerestra, a niche private equity firm, or moving to a new country where the orientations and regulations were unfamiliar, I have measured up to every challenge and performed commendably, in every domain I have operated in. The appetite for quest and learning is the defining feature of my personality.

Working in one of the most internationally diverse cosmopolitans, Dubai, has taught me to respect and embrace diverse cultures and ethnicities, in the workplace and outside it. My international experience will serve to add global perspectives to classroom discussions with the diversely accomplished peer group at ISB. I hope to share valuable insights and perspectives, culled from my professional journey, during experiential learning and case study sessions.

I learned the dynamics of the Real Estate industry in an emerging economy through my stint at Cerestra, the first ‘education real estate’ focused private equity in India. I furthered my understanding of the industry in a developed economy, through my work in the Corporate Finance team of Sobha Realty, one of the largest real estate developers in the Middle East. I hope to leverage my knowledge of the industry while participating in and leading the SREI Infrastructure Club of ISB. By organizing networking sessions and coffee chats with industry stalwarts and treks, and site visits to leading companies, I want to further the club’s objectives and provide a practical platform to promote the development as well as the investment aspect of Real Estate.

I was introduced to long-distance running 3 years ago and founded ‘The Barclays Global Markets Running Group’. As a team of 15 colleagues, we participated in various 10 km and 21km marathons in Mumbai. I hope to continue the trend at ISB and introduce the Running Club. 

Having had the opportunity to interview for the ISB YLP even with a 640 GMAT score, during college, I have remained focused and driven by my ISB dream, and plan to consolidate and draw from my professional experiences post-college, to contribute to the learning of my peers even as I enhance my own knowledge and skills in the process.

ISB Sample Essay 2

Working with Barclays allowed me to engage proactively, in Finance, the domain that fascinates me immensely. Leveraging my CFA Level-2 learnings, I embraced FinTech and complicated marketing strategies, while transforming into a mature professional. Targeting the sought-after ‘buy side, I learned the impact and mechanics of ‘socially relevant’ investments at a niche private equity, Cerestra, which exposed me to the core and core plus investment strategies. Impelled to explore the mammoth Real Estate industry, I joined the Corporate Finance team of Sobha Realty, Dubai. Collaborating with CXOs to start new verticals induced a steep, learning curve.

Post-MBA, I hope to operate as an Associate at a prestigious Private Equity or Asset Management firm, where I can specialize in Real Estate. Working with companies like Aditya Birla Group, Kautilya Finance, or Shaporji Palonji Investment, I can hone my skills in identifying the most rewarding asset investment opportunities. After consolidating my competencies, I aspire to launch a crowdfunding venture to fund Indian developers, who focus on affordable housing. I aim to provide low-cost capital to affordable housing projects, by pooling investments from the growing middle-class segment. 

The ISB PGP will acquaint me thoroughly with the theoretical and application-oriented aspects of business functions such as Operations, Marketing, Technology, and Strategy while allowing me to imbibe multidimensional skills from the richly diverse peer group. I hope to collaborate with the Punj Lloyd Institute in research on Crowdfunding Real Estate. The Practicum Courses will enlighten me about mid-sized firms in fundraising. Scanning student blogs, researching college facilities, observing the profiles of reputed faculty, and conversing with alumni like Anubhav Chakrabortty (ISB’19) and Shailesh Chandak (ISB’12), about their transformational journeys at ISB, I reaffirmed my belief that ISB is the best equipped and most enabling platform for me to accelerate my onward journey.

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• Writing Tips

7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023

7-minute read

• 28th December 2022

Essay contests are not only a great way to exercise your essay-writing skills but also an awesome way to win cash prizes, scholarships, and internship or program opportunities. They also look wonderful on college applications as awards and achievements.

In this article, you’ll learn about 7 essay writing contests to enter in 2023. Watch the video below, or keep reading to learn more.

1. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 

Deadline: Now–April 30, 3023

Who may enter:

This is an international contest for people of all ages (except for residents of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions).

Contest description:

●  The contest is organized by Winning Writers, located in MA, USA.

●  They accept stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. This contest defines a story as any short work of fiction and an essay as any short work of nonfiction.

●  Your stories and essays must be submitted in English.

●  You may submit published or unpublished work.

Entry fee: USD 22 per entry

●  Story: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  Essay: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  10 Honorable Mentions will receive USD 300 each (any category).

●  The top 12 entries will be published online.

Official website

Please visit the competition’s official website for more information on judges and submissions.

2. 2023 Calibre Essay Prize 

Deadline: Now–January 15, 2023, 11:59 pm

Who may enter: All ages and any nationality or residency are accepted.

●  This contest is hosted by the Australian Book Review.

●  Your essay must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

●  You may submit nonfiction essays of all kinds, e.g., personal, political, literary, or speculative.

●  You may enter multiple essays but will need to pay separate fees for each one.

●  Your essay must be unpublished.

Entry fee: AU 30 for non-members

Prize: AU 7,500

Official website:

For more information on this contest, please visit its official website.

3. John Locke Institute Essay Competition 

Deadline: June 30, 2023

●  Students from any country.

●  Students aged 15 to 18 years by the competition deadline.

●  Students aged 14 years or younger by the competition deadline are eligible for the Junior prize.

●  The contest is organized by the John Locke Institute.

●  Your essay cannot exceed 2,000 words.

●  There are seven subjects or categories for essay submissions: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

Entry fee: Free to enter

●  The best overall essay winner receives an honorary John Locke Fellowship, which comes with a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools or gap year courses.

●  There is also a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category and the Junior category is a scholarship worth USD 2,000 toward the cost of a summer program.

●  All winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.

For more information about this competition and the John Locke Institute, please visit the official website . Also, be sure to check out our article on all you need to know about this contest.

4. The American Foreign Service Association 2023 Essay Competition 

Deadline: April 3, 2023

●  Students in grades 9–12 in any of the 50 states, DC, the US territories, or if they are US citizens or lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

●  Students attending a public, private, or parochial school.

●  Home-schooled students.

●  Your essay should be 1,000–1,500 words.

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●  You will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country or region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

●  Your essay should follow MLA guidelines.

●  Your essay should use a variety of sources.

●  The first-place winner receives USD 2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and their parents, and an all-expense-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

●  The runner-up receives USD 1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Please visit the American Foreign Service website for more information.

5. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) 2023 Essay Contest 

Deadline: Mid-February 2023–June 1, 2023

Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide.

●  The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals.

●  High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works.

●  Undergraduate and graduate students should discuss at least two Austen novels of their choice.

●  Your essay must be in MLA format and 6 to 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page).

●  Your essay must be written in English.

●  First place wins a USD 1,000 scholarship.

●  Second place wins a USD 500 scholarship.

●  Third place wins a USD 250 scholarship.

●  Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit JASNA’s official website .

6. 2023 Writing Contest: Better Great Achievements by EngineerGirl

Deadline: February 1, 2023

●  Students in Grades 3–12. If international or homeschooled, please select your grade level based on if you were attending a public school in the U.S.

●  This contest is organized by EngineerGirl.

●  Students should write a piece that shows how female or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements.

●  You should choose one of the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century as a topic and explore the technologies developed in the last century and the new ones being developed today. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines for your grade level.

●  Essays should be 650–750 words based on your grade level.

●  Please visit the contest’s website to see specific requirements based on your grade.

Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:

●  First-place winners will be awarded USD 500.

●  Second-place entries will be awarded USD 250 .

●  Third-place entries will be awarded USD 100 .

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit the official website .

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Who may enter: Students enrolled in Grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools and home-study programs worldwide.

●  Your essay must address the following issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

●  Your essay should be 1,000 words.

Prizes: USD 500

For more information and submission requirements, please visit the contest’s official website.

Essay contests are a great way to expand your writing skills, discuss a topic that is important to you, and earn prize money and opportunities that will be great for you in the long term. Check out our articles on writing thesis statements, essay organization, and argumentative writing strategies to ensure you take first place every time.

If you need help with your essays and would like to make sure that every comma is in place, we will proofread your first 500 words for free !

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A Comprehensive Guide on Writing Reflective Essays (2023-2024)

• Introduction

Reflective essays hold great importance in both personal and academic growth. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive guide on crafting compelling reflective essays, covering essay writing techniques, tips, and strategies. Whether you’re a student or an aspiring writer, understanding the key components, such as thesis statement, topic sentences, and supporting evidence, is crucial for effective essay writing.

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are vital aspects of writing that contribute to the clarity and conciseness of your reflective essay. Paying attention to these elements ensures that your ideas are conveyed accurately and effectively. Additionally, developing your own unique style, while adhering to proper structure and organization, enhances your essay’s overall quality . This helps to engage your audience, allowing them to connect with your ideas and experiences.

Reflective writing goes beyond the surface level by encouraging self-awareness, personal growth, and critical thinking. It involves analyzing your experiences, reflecting on the lessons learned, and expressing them in a meaningful way. This process fosters learning and development, nurturing a growth mindset and promoting creativity in your writing.

Communication is essential in reflective essays, as you consider your target audience and purpose. Adapting your tone and voice accordingly enables effective expression of your thoughts and emotions. Revision, editing, and proofreading are integral steps in the writing process. Seek feedback from others, use rubrics to guide your progress, and make necessary revisions to achieve success in your essay. Hence, reflective essays provide a platform for introspection, growth, and learning. By understanding essay writing techniques and incorporating grammar, punctuation, and spelling effectively, you can enhance the clarity and conciseness of your writing. Embrace critical thinking, nurture creativity, and communicate your ideas with the appropriate tone and voice. Through revision , editing, and seeking feedback, you can refine your essay and achieve the desired outcome. So, embark on your reflective writing journey, apply these tips and strategies, and let your personal growth shine in your essays in 2023.

I. Understanding Reflective Essays

Here are ten examples of potential reflective essay topics:, iii. pre-writing and brainstorming, iv. creating an outline, v. writing the reflective essay, vi. editing and revising, vii. adding reflection and analysis, viii. incorporating personal voice and tone, ix. finalizing the reflective, x. final thoughts.

Reflective essays are a unique form of writing that focuses on self-reflection and introspection. Unlike narrative, descriptive, expository, or argumentative essays, reflective essays delve into personal experiences and offer insights and analysis. These essays encourage critical thinking, personal growth, and the development of a growth mindset.

Reflective essays require careful consideration of various elements to ensure effective communication and expression. One crucial aspect is the structure, which typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. In the introduction, a thesis statement sets the main theme or purpose of the essay, guiding the reader’s understanding.

The body paragraphs of a reflective essay serve as the foundation for self-reflection and analysis. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect or experience, supported by relevant evidence and analysis. Topic sentences help maintain clarity and guide the reader through the essay’s progression. It is essential to provide supporting evidence and critically analyze how these experiences contribute to personal growth and self-awareness.

To enhance the quality of reflective essays, attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling, style, and organization is vital. Clear and concise writing ensures that ideas are conveyed effectively. Fluency and coherence in writing allow the essay to flow smoothly, capturing the reader’s attention and maintaining their engagement. Additionally, focusing on evidence, analysis, and reflection strengthens the depth and impact of the essay.

Communication plays a crucial role in reflective essays. Considering the audience and purpose helps tailor the tone and voice accordingly. This allows for a more engaging and relatable essay. Throughout the writing process, revision, editing, and proofreading are essential to refine the essay’s structure, clarity, and overall quality. Seeking feedback from others, such as peers or instructors , provides valuable perspectives and insights for further improvement.

In the assessment of reflective essays, rubrics are commonly used to evaluate the essay’s strengths and areas for growth. Grades serve as a measure of success, reflecting the writer’s ability to effectively express their thoughts and experiences. With the right tips and guidance, mastering the art of reflective essay writing is achievable in 2023.

Reflective essays provide a platform for self-exploration, personal growth, and critical thinking. By employing the mentioned techniques, from developing a strong thesis statement to effectively analyzing personal experiences, writers can create compelling reflective essays. Through clear communication, thoughtful reflection, and meticulous revision, writers can excel in expressing their ideas and achieving success in their reflective writing journey.

II. Selecting a Reflective Essay Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial for a successful reflective essay. Start by reflecting on personal experiences that have had a significant impact on you. Look for experiences that evoke strong emotions or have taught you valuable lessons. Select a topic that is meaningful and relatable, as this will engage your readers and invite them to connect with your narrative.

• A life-changing trip that broadened your perspective.
• Overcoming a fear or personal challenge and the lessons learned.
• The impact of a mentor or influential person in your life.
• Reflecting on a difficult decision and its consequences.
• Exploring a cultural event or tradition that shaped your identity.
• Analyzing a book, film, or artwork that deeply resonated with you.
• Reflecting on a memorable childhood experience and its significance.
• Examining a failure or setback and the personal growth it brought.
• Reflecting on a volunteer or community service experience.
• Exploring the role of self-reflection in personal and professional development.

When choosing your topic, consider your audience and purpose. Think about the key elements you want to convey, such as self-awareness, critical thinking, or personal growth. Your chosen topic should provide ample material for analysis, reflection, and the exploration of your thoughts and emotions. Remember to use a strong thesis statement to clearly convey the main theme or purpose of your reflective essay. This will guide your writing and help you stay focused throughout the essay. Selecting a captivating topic and crafting it effectively will set the stage for a compelling and impactful reflective essay .

As you embark on your reflective writing journey, use the keywords such as personal essay, narrative essay, self-awareness, personal growth, critical thinking, and reflection to further enhance your exploration of the chosen topic.

Before diving into writing, it is essential to engage in pre-writing activities to effectively brainstorm and organize your thoughts for your reflective essay. Begin by reflecting on the chosen experience, keeping in mind keywords such as personal essay, narrative essay, self-awareness, personal growth, critical thinking, and reflection. Take a moment to contemplate the significance of the experience in your life and how it relates to your personal development.

During this reflection, identify key points, moments, and emotions associated with the chosen experience. Think about the lessons learned, challenges faced, or transformative moments that had a profound impact on you. Consider the range of emotions you experienced and the reactions that arose during this particular experience.

To visually represent your ideas and establish a clear structure for your essay, consider using techniques such as mind mapping or listing. Mind mapping involves creating a visual diagram that starts with the central topic or experience and branches out into sub-topics, key points , emotions, and reactions. This technique helps you see the connections between different elements and assists in organizing your thoughts.

Alternatively, you can create a list of bullet points that outline the main ideas, moments, or reflections you want to include in your essay. This list acts as a quick reference during the writing process, ensuring that you cover all the important aspects of your reflective essay.

Both mind mapping and listing serve as effective pre-writing strategies to gather and structure your thoughts. As you engage in these activities, keep the noted keywords in mind, infusing them into your reflections and organizing your ideas accordingly. By taking the time to pre-write and brainstorm, you set a strong foundation for the subsequent stages of writing your reflective essay.

Crafting a well-structured outline is crucial in laying the foundation for a coherent and compelling reflective essay. When creating your outline, keep in mind the importance of incorporating relevant elements and concepts that align with your reflective essay. Following these steps will help ensure an organized and effective essay structure.

Begin your essay with an introduction that sets the context and engages the reader. Discuss the significance of self-reflection, personal growth, and critical thinking in the context of a reflective essay. Include a concise thesis statement that clearly expresses the main theme or purpose of your essay, aligning with the chosen topic.

In the body paragraphs, delve into the key points that support your thesis statement. Focus on specific aspects or moments within your chosen experience, allowing for a logical flow of ideas. Provide supporting evidence, examples, and analysis to enhance the depth of your reflection. Highlight self-awareness, personal growth, critical thinking, and reflection throughout your discussion.

As you approach the conclusion of your essay, summarize the main points and reflections. Reflect on the overall impact of the experience on personal growth and self-awareness. Consider the lessons learned and the insights gained from the reflection process. Connect back to the thesis statement to reinforce the central theme. Conclude with a thought-provoking reflection that invites further exploration.

By creating a well-structured outline that incorporates relevant elements and concepts, you establish a clear roadmap for writing your reflective essay. This approach ensures that your essay maintains clarity, coherence, and relevance to the chosen topic. As you move forward with the writing process, refer to the outline to stay focused and on track, ultimately resulting in a compelling and impactful reflective essay.

When starting your essay, it’s essential to create an attention-grabbing introduction that immediately hooks the reader’s interest. Incorporate the background of the experience and clearly state your thesis, emphasizing the keywords attention-grabbing introduction, background, and thesis statement.

In the body paragraphs, take the opportunity to elaborate on each key point that supports your thesis. Provide relevant evidence and examples to strengthen your arguments, ensuring they align with the keywords key points, supporting evidence, and examples. Utilize reflective language throughout the body paragraphs to authentically express your thoughts, emotions, and reflections. This language will engage the reader and create a deeper connection.

As you approach the conclusion, shift your focus to providing a thoughtful reflection on the overall experience and its significance in your personal growth. Consider the keywords thoughtful reflection and personal growth as you write this section. Summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs, emphasizing the transformative aspects of the experience and the lessons learned. Connect these reflections back to your thesis statement, creating a sense of closure and demonstrating how the experience has shaped your personal growth.

By following this structure, beginning with an attention-grabbing introduction, elaborating on key points with supporting evidence in the body paragraphs, and providing a thoughtful reflection in the conclusion, you will create a well-rounded and impactful reflective essay. Remember to infuse the keywords throughout each section to maintain coherence and relevance in your writing.

Editing and revising are essential steps in the essay writing process to ensure the quality and effectiveness of your work. As you go through these stages, keep in mind the keywords grammar, punctuation, spelling, style, clarity, conciseness, and fluency.

During the editing phase, carefully review your essay for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Check for proper sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and consistent verb tense usage. Pay attention to punctuation marks, such as commas, periods, and quotation marks, to ensure they are used correctly throughout the essay. Additionally, double-check the spelling of words to avoid any typographical mistakes.

While editing, focus on the style of your writing. Ensure that your ideas flow smoothly, and sentences are concise and coherent. Consider the keywords clarity, conciseness, and fluency to guide your revisions. Eliminate unnecessary repetition, wordiness, or ambiguity in your sentences, aiming for clear and concise expressions of your thoughts.

To enhance the quality of your essay further, seek feedback from peers, instructors, or writing centers. These individuals can provide valuable insights and perspectives that can help you identify areas for improvement. Consider their suggestions and make necessary revisions to refine your essay.

As you progress through the editing and revising process, use the keywords as a checklist to ensure you have addressed all the important aspects of your essay. By paying attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling, style, clarity, conciseness, and fluency, you can enhance the overall quality and coherence of your writing. Remember, editing and revising are ongoing processes, and it is essential to allocate sufficient time for these stages to polish your essay before finalizing it.

To enhance the depth of your reflective essay, it is important to incorporate critical analysis and reflection. Reflect on your personal growth, learning, and development throughout the experience. Integrate relevant theories or concepts to provide a broader context and support your analysis. Balancing your personal voice and tone with objective analysis will engage and inform your readers.

Reflect on the impact of the experience on your personal growth. Consider how it has shaped your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. Analyze the lessons learned and the insights gained from the situation. Assess the influence it has had on your self-awareness and the development of your perspective on life.

Next, explore the learning and development that took place. Discuss the knowledge and skills you acquired, highlighting their significance in your personal and academic journey. Reflect on how these newfound abilities have contributed to your overall growth and success .

To provide a deeper understanding, integrate relevant theories or concepts that align with your experience. This will give your analysis a broader context and lend credibility to your insights. Explain how these theories or concepts relate to your personal growth and provide supporting evidence to strengthen your arguments.

Throughout your reflective essay, maintain a balance between your personal voice and objective analysis. Utilize the first-person perspective to share your thoughts and experiences, while also incorporating critical analysis and academic rigor. This combination will engage your readers and create a compelling narrative.

Incorporating your personal voice and tone into your reflective essay is essential for establishing a genuine connection with your readers. Writing in the first person allows you to directly express your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Pay attention to the keywords personal voice, tone, language, authenticity, and balance to effectively convey your message.

When selecting your language, consider the appropriate tone and style that align with your authentic voice. Choose words that accurately represent your thoughts and emotions, allowing your readers to resonate with your experiences. This will create a sense of intimacy and authenticity in your writing.

Striking a balance between objectivity and subjectivity is crucial in engaging your readers emotionally while maintaining credibility. While it is important to express your personal viewpoint and emotions, ensure that your reflections are supported by critical analysis and relevant evidence. This combination of personal insight and academic rigor will strengthen the overall impact of your essay.

Moreover, consider the tone of your writing. Depending on the nature of your reflective essay, you can adopt a reflective, introspective, or even conversational tone. The tone should match the content and purpose of your essay, allowing your readers to connect with your experiences on a deeper level.

Ultimately, incorporating your personal voice and tone into your reflective essay is an opportunity to share your unique perspective and engage your readers on an emotional level. By striking a balance between objectivity and subjectivity, you can ensure the authenticity and credibility of your writing, captivating your audience throughout the essay.

Before submitting your essay, it is crucial to go through a final round of proofreading to ensure its quality. Pay attention to the keywords proofreading, errors, formatting, guidelines, submit, feedback, and suggestions.

During the proofreading stage, carefully review your essay for any remaining errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. Correct any typos, inconsistencies , or awkward phrasing that you may come across. Additionally, ensure that your essay adheres to the required formatting guidelines, such as font size, margins, and citation style, if applicable.

After you have proofread and polished your essay, consider submitting it according to the specified instructions. Follow the submission guidelines provided by your instructor, educational institution, or publication. This may involve uploading your essay to an online platform, sending it via email, or submitting a physical copy.

To further improve the quality of your essay, consider seeking feedback and suggestions from others. Share your essay with peers, instructors, or writing centers to gain different perspectives and valuable insights. They can provide feedback on various aspects, such as the clarity of your ideas, coherence of your arguments, and overall effectiveness of your writing. Incorporate constructive feedback to make necessary revisions and enhance the overall impact of your essay .

By conducting a thorough proofreading, adhering to formatting guidelines, and seeking feedback, you can ensure that your essay is polished and ready for submission. These final steps are crucial in presenting a well-crafted and professional piece of writing.

Reflective essays provide a platform for self-reflection, personal growth, and effective communication. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can craft impactful reflective essays that resonate with your readers. Embrace the power of reflection, critical thinking, and creative expression to unlock the full potential of your writing.

As you embark on your journey of self-discovery through reflective writing, consider seeking professional assistance from services like GradeSmiths . Their professional essay writing and editing services can provide guidance and ensure that your essays are polished to perfection. With their support, you can gain control over your studies and achieve academic success.

Incorporate the principles of self-awareness, analysis, and reflection to bring depth and authenticity to your writing. Share your unique experiences, insights, and personal growth through the art of reflective writing. Embrace the opportunity to engage, inspire , and connect with your readers on a deeper level.

In conclusion, reflective essays offer a transformative experience where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and personal growth. By employing the techniques and strategies discussed in this guide, you can create compelling reflective essays that captivate your readers. Remember, professional essay writing and editing services like GradeSmiths are available to provide further assistance and support. Embrace the power of reflective writing and unlock the door to self-discovery and effective communication.

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August 7, 2023

2023-2024 Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompt

Johns Hopkins University has released its supplemental essay prompt for the 2023-2024 college admissions cycle. Johns Hopkins, which in recent years, has asked applicants to answer only one supplemental essay, is again requiring applicants to answer only one essay prompt — a 300-worder. But it’s not the length of Johns Hopkins’ essay prompt for applicants to the JHU Class of 2028 that’s interesting. Instead, it’s the topic .

2023-2024 Johns Hopkins Essay Topic

Below is Johns Hopkins’ essay prompt for applicants to the JHU Class of 2028:

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.? (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social).

Johns Hopkins’ Supplemental Essay Is a Bold Response to SCOTUS Ruling

You read Johns Hopkins’ 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompt correctly . The school’s admissions committee is directly asking about a student’s race (or gender, sexuality, religion, community, or something else) to understand their perspective and lived experience.

It’s a bold move in response to the Supreme Court’s outlawing of the practice of Affirmative Action in late June 2023. At the time, some surmised that many of our nation’s elite universities would avoid directly asking applicants to comment on their race. But not us. No, we at Ivy Coach have a crystal ball . That crystal ball, once even cited on the pages of America’s oldest college newspaper, forecasted that America’s elite universities would still find ways to indirectly consider race in the admissions process to create diverse classes, capitalizing on the opening provided by Chief Justice John Roberts.

In the majority opinion, Roberts wrote, “At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

Yet not every school put themselves directly in the line of fire by using the word “race” in their supplemental essay prompt(s). Johns Hopkins — a school that proudly previously banned the un-meritocratic practice of legacy admission , or the tradition of offering preferential treatment to the progeny of a school’s alumni base — dared to do so. Agree or disagree with Affirmative Action, Johns Hopkins’ bold response to the ruling is  noteworthy .

Johns Hopkins Even Changed Its Essay Prompt, Leaning into Race

And it’s not as though Johns Hopkins simply cut and pasted their essay prompt from last year. Last year’s essay prompt did not explicitly mention race. It read as follows:

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins.

How to Approach Answering Johns Hopkins’ Supplemental Essay

One doesn’t need to be an underrepresented minority to be able to answer this essay prompt. It’s why Johns Hopkins specifically cited any community that an applicant may deem themselves a part of or even, more broadly, a life experience that has molded their outlook on the world.

While race is explicitly mentioned in the wording of the essay prompt, applicants really have a blank canvas for this essay question. As such, they can direct their answer just about any way they wish — though it should ultimately address the second half of the hybrid question of how that perspective, community, or life experience has shaped what they hope to study at Johns Hopkins.

It’s thus essential to include a few specifics that only apply to Johns Hopkins (and, no, name-dropping professors or listing classes do not count as genuine specifics about an institution). After all, JHU admissions officers want to understand how that perspective will influence what you bring to their vibrant campus.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Johns Hopkins Essay Prompt

If you’re interested in optimizing your case for admission to Johns Hopkins and wowing admissions officers with compelling storytelling, fill out Ivy Coach ’s consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college counseling services for seniors.

You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.

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Homepage > MBA Admissions > Columbia Business School MBA essay tips for 2023 intake

Columbia Business School MBA essay tips for 2023 intake

Posted by Suheb Hussain | Jan 24, 2023 | Business Schools , GMAT Focus Edition , MBA Admissions , MBA Application Process

Columbia business school,  at the very center of business , has retained all the essays, including the short answer question, Essay no. 1 (career goals), and Essay no. 2 (fit) for the application cycle 2022-23. Like previous years, CBS allows applicants to submit an optional essay to explain any areas of concern in their application.

In this article, Poonam Tandon from myEssayReview, who has been helping students with their MBA applications since 2011, shares her tips on the Columbia MBA essays for the 2023 intake.

But before discussing individual essays, let’s take a look at Columbia MBA deadlines for the 2023 admissions.

Columbia MBA Application Deadlines

• Early Decision/January Deadline:     September 28, 2022
• Merit-Based Fellowship Deadline:    January 11, 2023
• Final Regular Decision Deadline:      April 5, 2023
• Deferred Enrollment Deadline:        April 15, 2023

Columbia MBA Essays

Here is Poonam’s analysis of Columbia Business School essay topics for 2023 intake:

Short Answer Question

What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

This is a straightforward question about the candidates’ career goal immediately after graduating from Columbia Business School. In a mere 50 characters, including space (approximately eight words), you have to mention the job you wish to have after completing MBA. Please make sure that your post-MBA goal aligns with your long-term goal that you will discuss in essay #1. Since the character limit is so stringent, you may not stress yourself writing complete sentences.

Please reveal your true goals, and not what CBS wants to hear I would encourage you to look at  CBS’ examples of possible responses :

Examples of possible responses:

• “Work in business development for a media company.”
• “Join a strategy consulting firm.”
• “Launch a data-management start-up.”

Let’s take a closer look at other essays now.

Columbia MBA Essay 1

Essay #1: through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. what are your career goals over the next 3-5 years, and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job (500 words).

CBS is going with this prompt again this year and begins this essay prompt by clearly stating not to repeat the information already given in resume and recommendations. In other words, the Admission Committee is shoving you away from wasting their time in repeating your résumé!

Though the question asks only about short-term and long-term goals, a bit of context about professional history is required to explain what has led you to your career goals. Now, if you must mention some of your achievements, it should be done only to carry your career path forward.

You may build your essay from the immediate post-MBA goal already stated in the short answer question. Talk about your career goals over the next 3-5 years, sharing how you intend to progress from your short-term goals to the long-term dream job.

Also, make sure to keep the short- and long-term goals aligned. Notice the phrases in the essay question “dream job” and “in your imagination;” CBS is urging you to be creative, imaginative, and think big, and is interested to know your dream job- your long-term goals. You may not need to conform to prescribed norms; you could be the one who may pave the way for others.

You may tend to get a bit too carried away with “dream job.” But you should resist the temptation and be as realistic and grounded as possible while detailing out your goals.

Try to highlight how things may change for the community or people around you when you succeed in getting your dream job. Your plans could be ambitious, but they should be viable and realistic. So, you should also stress your ability to fulfill your dream.

Although CBS does not ask how MBA from CBS will help you reach your goals, we believe that you can wrap up the essay with a comment on (only one sentence) how CBS will open the doors to your dream career path. You don’t want to go into details since you will talk about CBS in detail in the second question.

Columbia MBA Essay 2

Essay #2: why do you feel columbia business school is a good fit for you academically, culturally and professionally  (300 words).

Essay #2 picks up from where Essay #1 left off. After detailing out your career aspirations, you will now explain how CBS is aligned with your goals.

The best way to write an effective response is to do thorough research of  Columbia’s intellectually driven alumni from varied backgrounds, curriculum, experienced faculty, clubs, extracurricular activities, strategic location, and recruiting strengths.

And then, discuss how you intend to use the resources and offerings of the CBS MBA program to reach your short-term and long-term goals already mentioned in the short answer question and essay #1.

It is a good idea to highlight strengths listed on the  CBS website ,  “Only Columbia Business School gives you the opportunity to shape your career in the very center of business. There’s something about being positioned in New York City, where access to leaders across the industry is truly advantageous. Here you will learn to take on challenges and respond dynamically. You’ll gain skills to succeed in fast-moving, competitive environments anywhere. Hone your strengths. Find your best career path. Realize success.”

CBS takes great pride in its strategic location, i.e., New York. So  you should put across your plan to make the best use of CBS being at “the very center of business.” Having access to the leaders across the world is emphasized by CBS as it is one of the key benefits of the program.

You may indicate how you can make use of CBS’s close ties to the business, non-profit, and government communities to succeed in the fast-moving competitive environment.

Make a list of the opportunities you hope to get at CBS and in New York City, and then link each of these to your goals. Reviewing CBS’s website, conversing with the alumni, attending CBS events for prospective students, and visiting campus (if possible) could all work to your advantage by setting your case apart.

Writing an impactful essay, highlighting how the strategic location and resources at CBS can be an excellent choice for accomplishing your short-term and long-term goals in only 300 words is not an easy task.

To meet the stringent word limits, you need to be extremely precise in presenting your case and  make every word count.

Columbia MBA Essay 3

Essay #3: tell us about your favorite book, movie, or song and why it resonates with you.  (250 words).

This question is brand new for 2020-21, replacing last year’s question about a leader you admire. This essay prompt is an opportunity to offer the Ad Com a peek into your personal side- your values, beliefs, interests, and experiences.

The main focus of this 250 -words essay should not be on the book, movie, or song but on your reasons for loving that. It does not matter whether you choose a movie, a song, or book or which movie, song, or book you choose. The key here is why that piece resonates with you. Here, the “why” becomes more important than the “what.”

You may begin by providing some background information about the theme of the book, movie, or song you have chosen (approximately 60-70 words) and then go on to explain why that piece is so meaningful to you that it became your favorite.

By describing why the piece resonates with you, you are sharing your emotions, feelings, values, fears, and dreams, which in turn reveal the personality traits that make you who you are. And please do not quote from other people’s critiques or views. Be original and authentic. Do not write anything that you think the Ad Com will ‘like’ to hear; instead, be candid in sharing your thoughts and views.

Optional Essay

If you wish to provide further information or additional context around your application to the Admissions Committee, please upload a brief explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or personal history. This does not need to be a formal essay. You may submit bullet points. (Maximum 500 Words)

An  optional essay  is an opportunity for you to share relevant information with the Ad Com that you could not provide in other parts of your application, essays, and resume. The optional Essay is meant to address any weakness in your profile.

For example, if you have a lower than average GMAT score, any grades below a C on your transcript, academic probation, or a significant employment/education gap, you can explain that in this essay.

Also, if you cannot get your recommendation letter from your current supervisor, you should explain that in the optional essay. Your response should be positive, straightforward, and fact-focused and should not sound like you are making excuses for a weakness in your profile.

To provide a context for a weakness in your profile, make sure your reason is genuine to convince the Ad Com that your low grades or employment gap occurred due to unforeseen circumstances beyond your control. First, explain the facts, then show how you have addressed the issue, and finally, conclude by explaining why this will not impact your ability to handle the academic rigor of the program.

This question is entirely optional. If you don’t have any area of concern, you may not write this essay.

Free Resources

• 10 Key Essay Tips with Examples
• Essay Analysis of Other Top Programs-2022-23
• MER Students Share their success Stories
• Case Studies

Since 2011, MER ( myEssayReview ) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including CBS. (Poonam is one of the  top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club .)

Do you have questions about your application? E-mail Poonam at  [email protected]  or sign up  here  for a free consultation.

About the author

Poonam, one of the  top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club , is a master storyteller with more than three decades of experience in successfully helping students craft compelling stories for undergraduate and graduate school programs.

A Ph.D. in English, with three decades of teaching experience in India and the US, Poonam launched myEssayReview (MER) in 2011 to provide highly personalized and dedicated consulting services to Business School applicants. Since then, she has helped hundreds of students around the world get into top MBA, EMBA, part-time MBA, and specialized graduate programs. A full-time consultant, Poonam is passionate about her work and is highly committed to each of her students’ success.

Aspire to get into the Columbia’s MBA Program? A 740+ GMAT score can greaty improve yur chances of an admit as well as a scholarship. Kickstart your GMAT preparation by Signing up for our Free Trial ! For any queries, write to us at  [email protected] . We are the  most reviewed GMAT prep company on gmatclub  with more than 2500 reviews.

About The Author

Suheb Hussain

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2023/24 UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season: Lookman strike tops Technical Observer selection

Friday, May 24, 2024

Article summary

UEFA's Technical Observer Panel have selected their top ten goals of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League season.

Article top media content

Article body.

The top ten goals of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League campaign have been selected by UEFA's Technical Observer Panel, with Ademola Lookman's second strike of the final for Atalanta against Leverkusen named Goal of the Season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's acrobatic finish against Ajax for Marseille earned runner-up spot, while Mohammed Kudus claimed third for his solo effort in West Ham's 5-0 victory at home to Freiburg.

2023/24 Europa League Goal of the Season

1 Ademola Lookman ( Atalanta 3-0 Leverkusen ) – final, 22/05/24

2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ( Marseille 4-3 Ajax ) – Matchday 5, 30/11/23

3 Mohammed Kudus ( West Ham 5-0 Freiburg ) – round of 16 second leg, 14/03/24

4 Rafael Leão ( Slavia Praha 1-3 Milan ) – round of 16 second leg, 14/03/24

5 João Pedro ( Brighton 1-0 Marseille ) – Matchday 6, 14/12/23

6 Darwin Núñez ( Sparta Praha 1-5 Liverpool ) – round of 16 first leg, 07/03/24

7 Robert Andrich ( Roma 0-2 Leverkusen ) – semi-final first leg, 02/05/24

8 Victor Boniface ( Leverkusen 5-1 Qarabağ ) – Matchday 3, 26/10/23

9 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ( Marseille 4-0 Villarreal ) – round of 16 first leg, 07/03/24

10 David Douděra ( Milan 4-2 Slavia Praha ) – round of 16 first leg, 07/03/24

Selected for you

Europa League all-star XI

Young Player of the Season: Wirtz

Player of the Season: Aubameyang

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland retains Premier League Golden Boot award for 2023-24

Erling Haaland has won the Premier League ’s Golden Boot for the 2023-24 season.

The 23-year-old’s haul of 27 goals was five more than Cole Palmer ’s 22 and six more than Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak , who found the net 21 times in his second season on Tyneside.

The award seals a successful day for Haaland, whose side clinched their fourth consecutive Premier League title after their 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday.

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Haaland retains the award he won in his debut season in England after scoring a league record 36 goals as part of Manchester City ’s 2022-23 title-winning side.

The Norwegian striker becomes the first player since Harry Kane to finish as the top goalscorer in back-to-back seasons, and the fifth overall after Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie.

Shearer is the only player in Premier League history to claim the accolade three years in a row. He achieved the feat twice with Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95 and 1995-96, and again in 1996-97 in his debut season at Newcastle United.

Earlier this season Haaland became the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals, taking just 48 games to reach the milestone — 17 fewer than previous record holder Andy Cole.

Haaland joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for a £51.2million fee.

He scored 52 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club, the second-most goals by a player from England ’s top-flight after Dixie Dean, who scored 63 in 1923-24.

Man City did not really miss Haaland but he is transformative when he plays

(James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

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Callum Davis is a deputy news editor for The Athletic, based in London. Prior to joining, he was senior editor at TNT Sports, having previously worked at The Telegraph. Follow Callum on Twitter @ Callum_davis89

Announcing the NeurIPS 2023 Paper Awards 

Communications Chairs 2023 2023 Conference awards , neurips2023

By Amir Globerson, Kate Saenko, Moritz Hardt, Sergey Levine and Comms Chair, Sahra Ghalebikesabi 

We are honored to announce the award-winning papers for NeurIPS 2023! This year’s prestigious awards consist of the Test of Time Award plus two Outstanding Paper Awards in each of these three categories: 

• Two Outstanding Main Track Papers 
• Two Outstanding Main Track Runner-Ups 
• Two Outstanding Datasets and Benchmark Track Papers  

This year’s organizers received a record number of paper submissions. Of the 13,300 submitted papers that were reviewed by 968 Area Chairs, 98 senior area chairs, and 396 Ethics reviewers 3,540  were accepted after 502 papers were flagged for ethics reviews . 

We thank the awards committee for the main track: Yoav Artzi, Chelsea Finn, Ludwig Schmidt, Ricardo Silva, Isabel Valera, and Mengdi Wang. For the Datasets and Benchmarks track, we thank Sergio Escalera, Isabelle Guyon, Neil Lawrence, Dina Machuve, Olga Russakovsky, Hugo Jair Escalante, Deepti Ghadiyaram, and Serena Yeung. Conflicts of interest were taken into account in the decision process.

Congratulations to all the authors! See Posters Sessions Tue-Thur in Great Hall & B1-B2 (level 1).

Outstanding Main Track Papers

Privacy Auditing with One (1) Training Run Authors: Thomas Steinke · Milad Nasr · Matthew Jagielski

Poster session 2: Tue 12 Dec 5:15 p.m. — 7:15 p.m. CST, #1523

Oral: Tue 12 Dec 3:40 p.m. — 4:40 p.m. CST, Room R06-R09 (level 2)

Abstract: We propose a scheme for auditing differentially private machine learning systems with a single training run. This exploits the parallelism of being able to add or remove multiple training examples independently. We analyze this using the connection between differential privacy and statistical generalization, which avoids the cost of group privacy. Our auditing scheme requires minimal assumptions about the algorithm and can be applied in the black-box or white-box setting. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by applying it to DP-SGD, where we can achieve meaningful empirical privacy lower bounds by training only one model. In contrast, standard methods would require training hundreds of models.

Are Emergent Abilities of Large Language Models a Mirage? Authors: Rylan Schaeffer · Brando Miranda · Sanmi Koyejo

Poster session 6: Thu 14 Dec 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. CST, #1108

Oral: Thu 14 Dec 3:20 p.m. — 3:35 p.m. CST, Hall C2 (level 1) 

Abstract: Recent work claims that large language models display emergent abilities, abilities not present in smaller-scale models that are present in larger-scale models. What makes emergent abilities intriguing is two-fold: their sharpness, transitioning seemingly instantaneously from not present to present, and their unpredictability , appearing at seemingly unforeseeable model scales. Here, we present an alternative explanation for emergent abilities: that for a particular task and model family, when analyzing fixed model outputs, emergent abilities appear due to the researcher’s choice of metric rather than due to fundamental changes in model behavior with scale. Specifically, nonlinear or discontinuous metrics produce apparent emergent abilities, whereas linear or continuous metrics produce smooth, continuous, predictable changes in model performance. We present our alternative explanation in a simple mathematical model, then test it in three complementary ways: we (1) make, test and confirm three predictions on the effect of metric choice using the InstructGPT/GPT-3 family on tasks with claimed emergent abilities, (2) make, test and confirm two predictions about metric choices in a meta-analysis of emergent abilities on BIG-Bench; and (3) show how to choose metrics to produce never-before-seen seemingly emergent abilities in multiple vision tasks across diverse deep networks. Via all three analyses, we provide evidence that alleged emergent abilities evaporate with different metrics or with better statistics, and may not be a fundamental property of scaling AI models.

Outstanding Main Track Runner-Ups

Scaling Data-Constrained Language Models Authors : Niklas Muennighoff · Alexander Rush · Boaz Barak · Teven Le Scao · Nouamane Tazi · Aleksandra Piktus · Sampo Pyysalo · Thomas Wolf · Colin Raffel

Poster session 2: Tue 12 Dec 5:15 p.m. — 7:15 p.m. CST, #813

Oral: Tue 12 Dec 3:40 p.m. — 4:40 p.m. CST, Hall C2 (level 1)  

Abstract : The current trend of scaling language models involves increasing both parameter count and training dataset size. Extrapolating this trend suggests that training dataset size may soon be limited by the amount of text data available on the internet. Motivated by this limit, we investigate scaling language models in data-constrained regimes. Specifically, we run a large set of experiments varying the extent of data repetition and compute budget, ranging up to 900 billion training tokens and 9 billion parameter models. We find that with constrained data for a fixed compute budget, training with up to 4 epochs of repeated data yields negligible changes to loss compared to having unique data. However, with more repetition, the value of adding compute eventually decays to zero. We propose and empirically validate a scaling law for compute optimality that accounts for the decreasing value of repeated tokens and excess parameters. Finally, we experiment with approaches mitigating data scarcity, including augmenting the training dataset with code data or removing commonly used filters. Models and datasets from our 400 training runs are freely available at https://github.com/huggingface/datablations .

Direct Preference Optimization: Your Language Model is Secretly a Reward Model Authors: Rafael Rafailov · Archit Sharma · Eric Mitchell · Christopher D Manning · Stefano Ermon · Chelsea Finn

Poster session 6: Thu 14 Dec 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. CST, #625

Oral: Thu 14 Dec 3:50 p.m. — 4:05 p.m. CST, Ballroom A-C (level 2)  

Abstract: While large-scale unsupervised language models (LMs) learn broad world knowledge and some reasoning skills, achieving precise control of their behavior is difficult due to the completely unsupervised nature of their training. Existing methods for gaining such steerability collect human labels of the relative quality of model generations and fine-tune the unsupervised LM to align with these preferences, often with reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). However, RLHF is a complex and often unstable procedure, first fitting a reward model that reflects the human preferences, and then fine-tuning the large unsupervised LM using reinforcement learning to maximize this estimated reward without drifting too far from the original model. In this paper, we leverage a mapping between reward functions and optimal policies to show that this constrained reward maximization problem can be optimized exactly with a single stage of policy training, essentially solving a classification problem on the human preference data. The resulting algorithm, which we call Direct Preference Optimization (DPO), is stable, performant, and computationally lightweight, eliminating the need for fitting a reward model, sampling from the LM during fine-tuning, or performing significant hyperparameter tuning. Our experiments show that DPO can fine-tune LMs to align with human preferences as well as or better than existing methods. Notably, fine-tuning with DPO exceeds RLHF’s ability to control sentiment of generations and improves response quality in summarization and single-turn dialogue while being substantially simpler to implement and train.

Outstanding Datasets and Benchmarks Papers

In the dataset category : 

ClimSim: A large multi-scale dataset for hybrid physics-ML climate emulation

Authors:  Sungduk Yu · Walter Hannah · Liran Peng · Jerry Lin · Mohamed Aziz Bhouri · Ritwik Gupta · Björn Lütjens · Justus C. Will · Gunnar Behrens · Julius Busecke · Nora Loose · Charles Stern · Tom Beucler · Bryce Harrop · Benjamin Hillman · Andrea Jenney · Savannah L. Ferretti · Nana Liu · Animashree Anandkumar · Noah Brenowitz · Veronika Eyring · Nicholas Geneva · Pierre Gentine · Stephan Mandt · Jaideep Pathak · Akshay Subramaniam · Carl Vondrick · Rose Yu · Laure Zanna · Tian Zheng · Ryan Abernathey · Fiaz Ahmed · David Bader · Pierre Baldi · Elizabeth Barnes · Christopher Bretherton · Peter Caldwell · Wayne Chuang · Yilun Han · YU HUANG · Fernando Iglesias-Suarez · Sanket Jantre · Karthik Kashinath · Marat Khairoutdinov · Thorsten Kurth · Nicholas Lutsko · Po-Lun Ma · Griffin Mooers · J. David Neelin · David Randall · Sara Shamekh · Mark Taylor · Nathan Urban · Janni Yuval · Guang Zhang · Mike Pritchard

Poster session 4: Wed 13 Dec 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. CST, #105 

Oral: Wed 13 Dec 3:45 p.m. — 4:00 p.m. CST, Ballroom A-C (level 2)

Abstract: Modern climate projections lack adequate spatial and temporal resolution due to computational constraints. A consequence is inaccurate and imprecise predictions of critical processes such as storms. Hybrid methods that combine physics with machine learning (ML) have introduced a new generation of higher fidelity climate simulators that can sidestep Moore’s Law by outsourcing compute-hungry, short, high-resolution simulations to ML emulators. However, this hybrid ML-physics simulation approach requires domain-specific treatment and has been inaccessible to ML experts because of lack of training data and relevant, easy-to-use workflows. We present ClimSim, the largest-ever dataset designed for hybrid ML-physics research. It comprises multi-scale climate simulations, developed by a consortium of climate scientists and ML researchers. It consists of 5.7 billion pairs of multivariate input and output vectors that isolate the influence of locally-nested, high-resolution, high-fidelity physics on a host climate simulator’s macro-scale physical state. The dataset is global in coverage, spans multiple years at high sampling frequency, and is designed such that resulting emulators are compatible with downstream coupling into operational climate simulators. We implement a range of deterministic and stochastic regression baselines to highlight the ML challenges and their scoring. The data (https://huggingface.co/datasets/LEAP/ClimSim_high-res) and code (https://leap-stc.github.io/ClimSim) are released openly to support the development of hybrid ML-physics and high-fidelity climate simulations for the benefit of science and society.   

In the benchmark category :

DecodingTrust: A Comprehensive Assessment of Trustworthiness in GPT Models

Authors: Boxin Wang · Weixin Chen · Hengzhi Pei · Chulin Xie · Mintong Kang · Chenhui Zhang · Chejian Xu · Zidi Xiong · Ritik Dutta · Rylan Schaeffer · Sang Truong · Simran Arora · Mantas Mazeika · Dan Hendrycks · Zinan Lin · Yu Cheng · Sanmi Koyejo · Dawn Song · Bo Li

Poster session 1: Tue 12 Dec 10:45 a.m. — 12:45 p.m. CST, #1618  

Oral: Tue 12 Dec 10:30 a.m. — 10:45 a.m. CST, Ballroom A-C (Level 2)

Abstract: Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) models have exhibited exciting progress in capabilities, capturing the interest of practitioners and the public alike. Yet, while the literature on the trustworthiness of GPT models remains limited, practitioners have proposed employing capable GPT models for sensitive applications to healthcare and finance – where mistakes can be costly. To this end, this work proposes a comprehensive trustworthiness evaluation for large language models with a focus on GPT-4 and GPT-3.5, considering diverse perspectives – including toxicity, stereotype bias, adversarial robustness, out-of-distribution robustness, robustness on adversarial demonstrations, privacy, machine ethics, and fairness. Based on our evaluations, we discover previously unpublished vulnerabilities to trustworthiness threats. For instance, we find that GPT models can be easily misled to generate toxic and biased outputs and leak private information in both training data and conversation history. We also find that although GPT-4 is usually more trustworthy than GPT-3.5 on standard benchmarks, GPT-4 is more vulnerable given jailbreaking system or user prompts, potentially due to the reason that GPT-4 follows the (misleading) instructions more precisely. Our work illustrates a comprehensive trustworthiness evaluation of GPT models and sheds light on the trustworthiness gaps. Our benchmark is publicly available at https://decodingtrust.github.io/.

Test of Time

This year, following the usual practice, we chose a NeurIPS paper from 10 years ago to receive the Test of Time Award, and “ Distributed Representations of Words and Phrases and their Compositionality ” by Tomas Mikolov, Ilya Sutskever, Kai Chen, Greg Corrado, and Jeffrey Dean, won. 

Published at NeurIPS 2013 and cited over 40,000 times, the work introduced the seminal word embedding technique word2vec. Demonstrating the power of learning from large amounts of unstructured text, the work catalyzed progress that marked the beginning of a new era in natural language processing.

Greg Corrado and Jeffrey Dean will be giving a talk about this work and related research on Tuesday, 12 Dec at 3:05 – 3:25 pm CST in Hall F.  

Related Posts

2023 Conference

Announcing NeurIPS 2023 Invited Talks

Reflections on the neurips 2023 ethics review process, neurips newsletter – november 2023.

• SI SWIMSUIT
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Magic's Jonathan Isaac Achieved Biggest Goal in 2023-24 Season

Nathaniel marrero | may 19, 2024.

ORLANDO — Entering the 2023-24 season, few players on the Orlando Magic had more questions surrounding them than Jonathan Isaac.

At his peak, the 6-foot-10 forward was a defensive wizard, but a multitude of injuries (hamstring, ankle, knee, back) had led him to play in just 11 games over the last three seasons. But any questions were answered emphatically — not just for the Magic, but Isaac himself — as he was able to play in 58 games and return to form as one of the NBA's elite defenders.

"Going into the season, [I was] still trying to figure it out [and] get my feet grounded," Isaac said. "To have played the amount of games I played, to battle the way that I did, I'm just grateful to the coaching staff, to everybody, [and] to God."

Isaac added: "The biggest thing was being healthy. Outside of that, everything to me was a bonus, and now rolling into next season, I can really try to hone my skills and get back to who I've been."

Isaac averaged 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game off the bench. He also led the NBA among qualifying players with a 102.1 defensive rating, his best since 2017-18 when he posted a 101.8.

Isaac's impact on defense was felt throughout the Magic, as they were fourth in points allowed per game (108.4) and second in defensive rating (111.3). Orlando was 35-23 in the games in which Isaac played, 12-12 when he was out of the lineup.

Given his history, Isaac may always have his minutes managed to ensure he's healthy when it matters most. But given his role in the Magic's success, Orlando will be happy to get as much from Isaac as possible.

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NATHANIEL MARRERO

Premier League 2023-24 awards: MVP, best signing, best goal

As we say goodbye to a 2023-24 Premier League season filled with ups and downs, Luis Miguel Echegaray gives awards to the players and teams who delivered, as well as those who didn't live up to the hype and failed to meet expectations.

Who was the MVP this season? Which team earned an A and which one earned an F for its performances? LME gives his analysis, grades and takes on all of it.

- Stream on ESPN+: NWSL, LaLiga, Bundesliga , more (U.S.)

Player of the season: Rodri

In football, the parameters we use to measure the value of a player are based on many factors, including goal contributions, leadership qualities and growth, to name a few. Statistics help paint a picture, but what happens when a player's importance is multifaceted and subtly impactful that it sometimes gets unnoticed, even by the l eague itself ?

Welcome to the game of Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, better known as Rodri, the best player in the world in his position and my winner of Player of the Season. With Manchester City having one hand on the trophy and looking for a historic fourth consecutive league title, Rodri's presence in the midfield has been crucial to their success. Man City can win without striker Erling Haaland , but I don't think you can say the same thing when they don't have Rodri. It's evident when you look at this season, where City's three league losses (Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa ) did not have the Spanish international due to suspension. He also has a record of 49 matches without featuring in a losing side in the Premier League.

If Pep Guardiola's side is a Ferrari, Rodri is the engine. Guardiola has called him irreplaceable, someone who could play in any era. Rodri's game is timeless, with no bells or whistles. He is an everlasting watch, making sure his side delivers without the need for attention.

This campaign, aside from his seven goals and nine assists in 33 league appearances, he has made 3,508 successful passes, the most in the league, and the best pass completion percentage (92%) out of any midfielder. In fact, in his position with that particular statistic, Rodri leads Europe's top five leaves out of any midfielder who has played at least 25 matches.

Basically, Rodri keeps the team moving, but he is also their protector in front of the backline as well as a danger going forward. The only thing he doesn't do is go in goal and, honestly, he'd probably do a great job if given the chance.

City look like they will win this Premier League title once again, and while their squad is full of magnificent talent, it's Rodri -- the no-nonsense, zero-attention-needed holding midfielder -- who wins my vote for POTS. To borrow what former Spain and Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque once said of Sergio Busquets : If you watch the game, you don't see Rodri. But if you watch Rodri, you see the whole game.

Runners-up: Declan Rice (a tremendous first season with Arsenal) and Ollie Watkins (tied-third for most goal contributions in the league with 32, helping Villa earn a Champions League spot).

Goal of the season: Alejandro Garnacho

"I don't think I've ever been in a stadium where I've seen an overhead kick that good ... and I was there for Wayne Rooney's against Manchester City," reflected Gary Neville on Sky Sports right after seeing the 19-year-old's audacious finish against Everton on Nov. 26 at Goodison Park.

The game was Everton's first after the initial announcement of a 10-point deduction against the club, so it was only natural to hear a loud, defiant home crowd eager in pushing their team to a victory against the Red Devils. But inside the first three minutes, Garnacho turned the stadium into the quietest place on Merseyside.

United right-back Diogo Dalot crossed in a hopeful ball from the right wing into the box, and the Argentina international took a few steps back in order to find his angle and the ball. Not only did he find it, he obliterated it, releasing a breathtaking bicycle kick that rocketed over Jordan Pickford and into the top right corner. It was the football version of Picasso's Guernica: fiery and beautiful at the same time.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes called it "out of this world" after the game. We have seen bicycle kicks in the past, but this one was special because Garnacho had to track back, away from goal and meet a cross coming from the opposite direction.

"Probably he's watching too many Cristiano clips! We all know that he's a big fan," said Fernandes .

A goal of the season winner and one that would undoubtedly make Ronaldo proud.

Who knew you could enjoy this goal EVEN more! @ESPNFutbolArg 's commentary of Alejandro Garnacho's goal is superb 🤌 pic.twitter.com/WqxFvvd1wd — Premier League (@premierleague) December 1, 2023

Best single-game performance: Phil Foden vs. Manchester United, March 3

Phil Foden was another close candidate in my vote for POTS due to his 17 league goals and eight assists so far, helping Man City push for a historic fourth consecutive title. The truly spectacular trajectory is mainly due to three factors: Foden's incredible development (he's still only 23), Guardiola's belief in his abilities, thus turning him into a central midfielder and as a result, Foden taking on that role due to Kevin De Bruyne 's absence in the first half of the season.

All these components pointed in the direction of making Foden into a world class player. It's why Guardiola said at the beginning of the season that he can "play anywhere," and why after the 3-1 victory over Manchester United back in March, has won my vote for best single-game performance of the season.

Foden was everywhere in that game, and despite initially trailing 1-0 after Marcus Rashford 's stunning goal, the "Stockport Iniesta" took over, creating chance after chance, before scoring a brace (the first one being a beauty) to help City win the derby.

Foden is an Englishman disguised as a Brazilian midfielder of the 1970s. He doesn't dribble with the ball; he dances with it, evading danger with undoubted ease. But that has always been part of his game. Now, he is a danger in front of goal and just like Pep said, he can play anywhere across the front line.

Manchester is BLUE 🩵 Highlights from our 3-1 win in the Manchester derby! 👇 pic.twitter.com/W6USngt3PE — Manchester City (@ManCity) March 3, 2024

Rookie of the season: Destiny Udogie

*In order to be eligible as a "rookie" for these awards, a player has to be 23 or under and have completed his first season in the Premier League with at least 1500 minutes.*

It's a shame his season ended in April because of surgery, but that should not be a reason to ignore Udogie's remarkable rookie campaign in the Premier League. His development has been a fantastic project from Tottenham, who first loaned him back to Udinese after immediately purchasing his services back in 2022. The time of growth in Serie A was essential for the Italian international, who finished his first season in the league by becoming one of the most important players for manager Ange Postecoglou. In fact, a major reason why Spurs fumbled at the end of the season is Udogie's absence.

In Big Ange's stubborn but entertaining system, full-backs are important because they have three jobs: to attack ferociously; to defend with quick, reactionary instincts and physicality; and sometimes, when in possession, to forget they're full-backs all together and join the midfield. Spurs have two great players who can do this when healthy. They are Pedro Porro and Udogie, who only turned 21 in November and made 30 appearances in all competitions for the club. He also scored two goals and grabbed three assists. To provide this much in a first campaign is very impressive.

Sadly, the surgery to his left quadriceps ruled him out from April 21, but the good news is that he should be expected to join the squad this summer for preseason.

I expect big things from Udogie in 2024-25 and for Spurs to fight even harder for that Champions League spot.

Best signing of the season: Cole Palmer

Simple question: Where would have Chelsea ended in the table without Cole Palmer? Answer: nowhere near a top six finish, which is where they're looking to be if they win against Bournemouth on Sunday, and potentially fifth place if Tottenham lose. And almost all the credit, at least offensively, should go to the magnificent attacker, who scored 21 goals (six less than Erling Haaland**) and earned 10 assists, making him an undoubted Player of the Season candidate.

Palmer was electric this season and delivered mesmerizing performances for Mauricio Pochettino's team. There were games when he single-handedly took over, which is exactly what this inconsistent Chelsea team needed.

Now, I know what you're thinking: It seems counterintuitive to give an award for best signing to a club that spends money more frivolously than a Met Gala dress budget, but in a campaign where multiple Chelsea players failed to live up to their price tag, at least consistently, Palmer showed why he was not only worth every single penny of £42.5 million, but at still only 22 years old, he was an absolute bargain. At least Chelsea got one signing correct this year.

Cole Palmer's four goals against Everton 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/oM5fc7hSxa — Premier League (@premierleague) April 18, 2024

Most improved player of the year: Dominic Solanke

Last season, Solanke failed to live up to his potential. After scoring 29 goals in 2021-22 and helping Bournemouth gain promotion from the Championship, his 2022-23 top flight campaign was underwhelming as he only scored six goals. It was a poor run of form from the former Chelsea academy player, whose low numbers last campaign included a league-goal drought of nearly 20 hours.

And then, Andoni Iraola came to his rescue.

Thanks to the Basque manager (nominated by the Premier League for Manager of the Season) and his aggressive, high-octane style, Bournemouth are on the cusp of a top-half finish, and Solanke truly delivered by becoming a menacing No. 9. His 19 goals turned him into the highest scoring Premier League scorer in the history of Bournemouth, passing Joshua King 's 16 goals in 2016-2017. With the Cherries' newfound energetic philosophy, Solanke is a far more dangerous striker. He doesn't just want to score goals, he hunts for them like a lion to prey.

The moment @DomSolanke became our all-time top scorer in a single @premierleague season 😍 pic.twitter.com/QWKUm6eeex — AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) April 13, 2024

Were it not for the avalanche of English center-forward talent, which includes starter Harry Kane and Watkins, I think Solanke's presence in England 's squad for this summer's Euros would hardly be in doubt. But ultimately, it's up to manager Gareth Southgate and his preference on how many strikers he'll want to take.

One thing is for sure: Solanke is not a finished product, and there surely will be more to come from the English forward. That's bittersweet news for Bournemouth, who know that bigger clubs with larger budgets will be circling around this summer. But if they can hold on to him, Iraola's Bournemouth could climb higher in the table, with Solanke as the protagonist.

Which team earned an A? Arsenal

Let's make one thing clear. In the Premier League's title race, if your club has pushed Manchester City to the final day of the season, then it has done a spectacular job. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal delivered a magnificent run, having achieved more wins (27) than the famous Invincibles campaign.

With one game to spare, they earned the most victories in their Premier League history. The two times they have done better were back in 1970-71 (29) and 1930-31 (28). Offensively, they are currently on 89 goals, which is better than last season's total (88), while defensively, they almost halved the goals they conceded (28) compared to 2022-23 (43) mainly thanks to the formidable defensive duo of William Saliba and Gabriel .

It seems that City will indeed take the crown once again, but I think it's crucial to remember that Arteta's project is amazingly still ahead of schedule. The Basque manager took over from Unai Emery in December 2019 so his first full campaign was not long ago, in 2020-21. That season, Arsenal ended eighth. Arteta called for patience and luckily he got it, because the positive trajectory is clear.

In 2021-22 the Gunners finished fifth, and last season, when they had the youngest squad in the entire league, they finished second. This time around, their fate will depend on Sunday's results, but I have to reiterate just how difficult it is to do this against City, whose reign under Guardiola is unrivaled in modern football.

Arsenal were aesthetically wonderful to watch this season, too. Now, the project continues to elevate under Arteta, and title or not, they deserve the best grade possible.

Dalen Cuff believes that Arsenal are in a perfect place to dominate the Premier League because of the progress Mikel Arteta's side have made in the last three years.

Which team earned an F? Manchester United

Let me just begin by stating that not all of this is manager Erik ten Hag's fault, who had a strong debut season with Man United in 2022-23 after finishing third. It's not to say he isn't one of the main reasons for their poor campaign. Of course he is. He is the manager after all. But the club's downfall, which will see them without European football next season unless they either win the FA Cup or finish seventh, is multifaceted, and in order to give a fair grade, you have to look at everything.

With United, it begins with the planning before a ball has even been kicked. The summer arrivals did not impact the squad in a major way (aside from goalkeeper André Onana , who has eight clean sheets, tied for fifth most in the league) and as a result, many areas have been exposed. Rasmus Højlund is talented, but he is not the finished product, which is evident after only getting nine league goals.

Meanwhile, it's fair to say Real Madrid exercised foresight when they allowed Casemiro 's exit because his engine is running low, exacerbating United's issues in midfield. And defensively? The injuries didn't help -- especially to Lisandro Martínez -- but it's not like any replacement was strong enough to put together a good run. Ten Hag changed his center-back pairings 14 times this season. That to me says vulnerability.

Lastly, Man United are currently set to finish the season with a minus-3 goal difference, which will be a first for the club since the start of the Premier League, having last finished with a negative goal difference in 1989-90.

All of these facts force me to give Man United a poor grade for 2023-24, and it should come to no one's surprise.

Manchester United have spent more match time in a losing position in the Premier League this season (931:09) than they have been in a winning position (929:47). #Mufc pic.twitter.com/2p9Hjy2Blo — Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 7, 2024

Manager of the season: Unai Emery

How's this for impressive: Emery's Aston Villa achieved Champions League qualification for the first time in Premier League history since the competition allowed qualification to three/four teams. It's the first time they will be in the top European tournament in more than 40 years.

This season, they also achieved more Premier League points than any other Aston Villa side since the calendar was reduced to 38 games. They also delivered some impressive victories, including the double over Arsenal and perhaps the best performance of the season back in early December, when they didn't just beat Man City but outclassed them in almost every statistical department.

All of this and more was done in Emery's first full season with the club as he only joined in October 2022. To add more context, the Basque manager did it with a depleted squad as he had to deal with two ACL injuries for the entire season ( Tyrone Mings , Emiliano Buendía ) -- plus a third ACL injury in February ( Boubacar Kamara ) -- and other major absences from key players including a two-month spell for Pau Torres and a stop-start season for Jacob Ramsey .

In fact, for the entire campaign, at least three key players were always missing. But Emery's mantra of zero excuses permeated throughout the training ground, thus energizing them to a record-breaking journey. When it comes to helping a player understand his role, how to best utilize it, and do it in rapid speed, there might not be a better manager in the Premier League right now than Emery, who is also a master at in-game tactics, which is one of the hardest things to do in modern football. Now, thanks to his leadership, the Champions League beckons.

Runner-up: Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola