From Overwhelmed to Organized: Planning for a Successful Semester
Overview
From Overwhelmed to Organized: Planning for a Successful Semester
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Zoom (virtual)
Presenter: Dr. Shubhi Sachdeva
Recommended Audience:
All CAD students
Purpose of Session:
Students often juggle multiple priorities school, work, family, relationships, finances, and personal well-being. This interactive workshop will help students step back and identify what they want to accomplish across different areas of their lives, then turn those priorities into realistic plans.
Students will learn to transform broad goals into SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) and break them into smaller, manageable actions. They will then practice backward planning from important deadlines and milestones and use those plans to build a realistic semester calendar that reflects their academic, work, family, and personal commitments.
The goal is to help students develop a practical planning system they can revisit and adjust throughout the semester.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the workshop, students will be able to:
- Identify and prioritize goals across important areas of their lives, including school, work, family, and personal well-being.
- Apply the SMART framework to turn broad intentions into specific and achievable goals.
- Break larger goals into smaller, actionable steps and milestones.
- Use backward planning to work from deadlines toward what needs to happen each week.
- Create a realistic semester calendar that integrates deadlines, responsibilities, milestones, and time for themselves.
- Use their calendar as a flexible planning tool, revisiting and adjusting their plans as circumstances change.
Session Style/Length:
One-hour interactive, hands-on workshop with brief instruction, individual reflection, guided planning, and optional peer discussion. Students will work with their own real-life goals and calendars throughout the session and leave with SMART goals and an actionable semester plan.
Those who complete this RSVP form will receive an email with the Zoom link.
The Department of Child & Adolescent Development welcomes persons with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. Please contact Disability Programs & Resource Center at dprc@sfsu.edu or Chelsea McNutt, from CAD, at cmcnutt@sfsu.edu as soon as possible so your request may be reviewed.