Each September, a new school year begins, a new stage that you can face with motivation and a desire to learn to make the most of it, both academically and personally.
Starting a new school year can cause concern, especially if you have changed school or are beginning a new stage in your education. However, changing school, teachers, classmates, pedagogical line, or complexity of content will allow you to exercise your ability to adapt and be open to new things. Although the first few days may be a little hard, you will gradually adapt to your new educational community.
New school year
If you are starting a new educational stage this academic year, you will certainly notice changes in the methodologies, the type of content, or the level of demand. You must know from the beginning what objectives you have to achieve in each subject to organize yourself better and get the most out of your studies.
Remember that it is essential that you manage your study time correctly and do not leave your decisions to the last minute to pass each academic year successfully.
Tips for an excellent start to the academic year
Here are some tips to help you get off to a good start:
- Set yourself some goals. Improving your grades, combining your studies with other hobbies or a job, taking a study or internship abroad, etc., are objectives that can guide your learning. Be clear about what you want to achieve during the course and be flexible to adapt to different situations that may arise.
- Get organized. Each school year requires an initial organization. Create your study plan considering your extracurricular activities and the time you need to dedicate to the different subjects. It is a good idea to review and update your planning throughout the year, as there may be challenges that you did not foresee at the beginning of the course.
- Try to stick to your planning. You may want to choose a resource that allows you to check that you are sticking to your study plan. There are now free apps such as Google Calendar or School Diary that you can use to keep track of your schedule on your smartphone. If you prefer, you can also use the traditional paper schedule to organize your tasks.
- Prioritize your tasks. You may need to combine your studies with other activities, such as music, dance, sports as an elite athlete, or a job. Taking into account the academic goals you have set for yourself, decide which activity will have priority at any given time to schedule them correctly.
- Ask for help if you need it. If you detect that you are struggling in any subject or are not achieving the goals you have set for yourself, do not hesitate to ask for support. You can ask your classmates, teachers or your family for help. You can also take remedial classes or look for an essay writer free to improve your writing skills.
- Take advantage of learning opportunities. Diverse and unexpected learning opportunities and contexts often present themselves both inside and outside school. If you have the opportunity to do an internship, go to an exhibition or help your family with some tasks in the family business, see it as an opportunity to learn beyond the official curriculum. These extra activities and tasks will surely help you develop transversal skills that will be very useful for your academic and professional future.
- Remember the importance of the average mark. If you want to access the higher educational levels more freely, you are going to need good final grades. Don’t forget that preparing in time for each exam will positively affect the marks you obtain during the course.
What to do if this is your final year of school?
If this year is your final year of school, you have an added challenge: making decisions about your academic future. Deciding your academic pathway takes time, as you have to know your interests and abilities very well and inform yourself in detail of all the options available to you. It is a decision-making process that should be started as early as possible.
So, before starting a course that is crucial for choosing an academic pathway, you should have calmly analyzed what you are like and have informed yourself of all the available options for continuing education. The earlier you make your decision, the less risk you run of missing out on a course of study because you didn’t arrive in time to take a preliminary test or because the enrolment period has expired, for example.
Your educational institution will probably be able to offer you guidance in choosing the studies that meet your interests and allow you to develop your potential. Find out about this possibility and, if it is not enough, do not hesitate to continue looking for guidance resources in other contexts.
To decide your academic and professional future, you are going to need 3 simple steps:
- Know your skills, needs, and preferences.
- Look through the available educational programs.
- Analyze the job market to determine the most needed professions.
Each person needs different time and resources to decide about their future, so look through all the resources available to you and take advantage of all the opportunities that allow you to get to know yourself and the programs or professions that interest you most. Good luck with your studies!