The more discrete and actionable you can make the steps of an educational goal, the better.
After graduate school, I had to decide to call myself a musician. It took getting used to, and I think the reason is that I was used to calling myself a music major or a music student. Where’s the line between “studying music” and “musician”?
The line is nebulous, and even with the title “Master of Music” I, like many others, had trouble transitioning into calling myself a musician. I had so much respect for the musicians I knew, and I honestly didn’t know if I had done enough to earn the title. In retrospect, I had done plenty. But how to know?
One of the things I think kids like about the Scouts BSA program is the way the drill down to discrete skills that can be mastered and then awarded. Learn certain specific swimming skills, and you’ve earned Swimming Merit Badge. Master a list of skills, and you achieve a new rank.
That’s not what a career is like; it’s not even what school is like. The requirements for Spanish 1 are fairly specific, but also a little unclear: I can “achieve” Spanish 1 on a lot of different levels, so what I’ve done and what you’ve done may not be even close to identical.
I love discrete, achievable goals on the way to mastery. Make them specific and actionable. Make them attainable and recognized. Make them self-paced: you can complete them as quickly as you want and as slowly as you need.
Do this, and it’s much easier to know when you’ve attained mastery.