Education & Languages review
Setting Smart Study Goals review
A $17.99 ebook applying SMART goals to studying, credited to a doctor with an invented PhD.
Pass
SMART is a management acronym from the early 1980s that has been explained free in every textbook, classroom and blog post since, so paying $17.99 for it in a study context is hard to justify on content alone. What the book adds is the application to revision, which is a small increment. The credited doctor holds a PhD in Student Psychology with twenty-two years of experience, one more invented degree in a catalogue built on them, and no source is given for the framework it borrows. Any school study-skills page covers this in a page.
- Price
- $17.99
- Billing
- One-time payment
- Best for
- Nobody: SMART is a free framework explained everywhere
- Not for
- Students who want more than an acronym
Setting Smart Study Goals at a glance
The contents are what SMART goals are and why they work, step-by-step instructions for setting study goals, breaking large objectives into smaller steps, tracking progress and accountability, and adjusting goals without losing momentum. It is an instant download of unstated length, the order form is the only description, and the price is $17.99 against a printed $47 with 60 days for a refund.
- Format
- Ebook, instant download after purchase
- Length
- Not stated: the order form gives no page count
- Contents
- What SMART goals are and why they work; Step-by-step instructions for setting effective study goals; How to break big objectives into smaller, manageable steps; Tips for tracking progress and staying accountable; Ways to adjust your goals without losing momentum
- Price
- $17.99 one time, listed beside a regular price of $47
- Refund window
- 60 days on the order form
- Credited author
- Hina Sarwar
- Credited co-author
- Dr. Sybil James, described as holding a PhD in Student Psychology with 22 years of experience
- Readership claim
- Claims 356700+ readers
- Sales page
- None: the Digistore24 order form is the only description
- Seller
- GhulamBooks, listed as the merchant on the Digistore24 order form; no website, address or phone number is given anywhere. Digistore24 Inc. is the reseller of record.
- Digistore24 ID
- 633817
One acronym, one ebook
The SMART framework, applied to study goals, with tracking and adjustment.
The framework itself is public and decades old.
Borrowed without attribution
SMART dates from management literature of the early 1980s and is not credited here.
The ebook presents it as its own subject rather than a cited framework.
The co-author's degree does not exist
The listing credits Dr. Sybil James with a PhD in Student Psychology and 22 years of experience. No university awards a doctorate in that, and it is the pattern across all 84 titles from this seller: each book gets its own doctor with a PhD in exactly that book's subject.
Three of those names appear twice with different doctorates and different decades of experience, so the credentials are generated rather than held.
The rest of the numbers are decoration
Claims 356700+ readers, although the seller has no website, no catalogue page and no way to check. The $47 regular price sits next to $17.99 on every title in the catalogue and is never charged.
The reviews carry first names and US or European cities, which cannot be verified either.
Pros and cons
What works
- Practical, narrow application
- Includes tracking and adjustment
- 60-day refund window on the order form
- Instant download, no add-ons in the cart
What does not
- Charges for a free public framework
- No attribution for the framework
- Co-author credited with a degree that does not exist
- Permanent $47 anchor price
- No sales page, author bio or sample
Setting Smart Study Goals FAQ
What does SMART stand for?
Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, a public framework from the 1980s.
Is it school-specific?
It applies the framework to study in general.
How much does it cost?
$17.99 as a one-time payment, with no sales tax added for a US address.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, the order form shows a 60-day money-back window.
Who wrote it?
The listing credits Hina Sarwar, with Dr. Sybil James as co-author. Neither has a verifiable profile, and the doctorate given is not a real academic field.
The bottom line
SMART is a management acronym from the early 1980s that has been explained free in every textbook, classroom and blog post since, so paying $17.99 for it in a study context is hard to justify on content alone. What the book adds is the application to revision, which is a small increment. The credited doctor holds a PhD in Student Psychology with twenty-two years of experience, one more invented degree in a catalogue built on them, and no source is given for the framework it borrows. Any school study-skills page covers this in a page.
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