The phrase "to meet the standards" means to fulfill or satisfy a certain level of quality, performance, or criteria that has been set by an authority or organization. It implies that something is being measured against a predetermined benchmark and must meet that standard in order to be considered acceptable or successful. For example, if a student studies hard for their exams with the goal of meeting the standards required to pass, it means they are working towards achieving a level of knowledge and understanding that meets the expectations set by their teacher or educational institution. Similarly, a company may strive to meet industry standards in order to be competitive or maintain a certain reputation. Overall, "to meet the standards" is an expression used to describe reaching a specific level of quality or performance that has been established and agreed upon by others.