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New School Year Resolutions:
Attainable & Maintainable Goals!
Greetings!
We are all familiar with the resolutions made on January 1st.
Ambitiously, we make plans to improve in various areas: exercise
consistently, read more, complain less, recycle, etc.
Unfortunately,
by February, we start making exceptions, excuses, and decide that maybe
it really is true that weekends don't count.
In the world of
education, September is the mark of another kind of new year - the
academic school year. This is an exciting time that
always felt full of potential.
Most students tend to start the year off strong. Each class is organized into
separate binders. Highlighters and planners are used to meticulously track every assignment and exam date. Students commit to
clubs during lunch and a job during the weekends and most likely a sports practice is also crammed in there!
Then, late October happens. Much like the
attack of February on the commitment to New Year's Resolutions, you will
find yourself skipping club meetings, scheduling work more sporadically,
and stacking returned tests, papers, and other assignments in to
teetering piles on your desk.
Now, for my advice to students...
Students,
as you start this new school year, take a few minutes to consider the
upcoming year.
- Do you have goals for this year? Write them down. Show them to your parents. Ask if someone if they will help you stick to them.
- Are they attainable AND
maintainable, or have you set yourself up to compromise quality of
commitment for quantity of activities?
- Be realistic! Know your strengths and weaknesses! Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Remember, success is built by
integrating on-going actions and dedication over a long period, not by
attaining goals for a short lived spurt of time. (Also, colleges care
WAY more about the depth of a student's activities then their breadth).
Good luck this year! I believe you can do it. Just keep your eyes on the road ahead. Learning is fun!
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Aspire to Excel!
