Preparing For September
Prepare. Plan. Achieve

Step 1 - Reflection 

In order understand how to best prepare, you first need to understand what did and didn’t work for you in the past. While you’re out of school, take your time to reflect on your past year - what went well, what do you wish had gone better?  Think about the habits you formed and relied upon in your past school year.  Did they serve you well?  Did they allow you to be as successful as you could be?  Or, perhaps, did you find that there were several areas where better study habits might have made your life a bit easier, and your marks a bit higher? 

Once you have pinpointed the areas you felt strong in, and the areas you need improvement in, make a plan. What will you do next year to improve? What habits do you want to keep, or use more frequently? How will you keep yourself accountable, and not fall back into bad habits? 

When you return to school in early September, setup a meeting with your guidance counsellor. Go over your reflection process with them - ask them for their thoughts, and if they have any tips or strategies that may help you make the coming year your most successful one yet. Ask if you can have regular check-ins with them, they can be an invaluable resource in not only providing strategies, but also keeping you honest along the way. 

Step 2 - Plan. 

Once you have identified what approach works for you, you now need to get down to specifics. What do you want this year to look like for you? Do you want to improve your overall average?  Do you want to become more active in extracurriculars? Do you want to get your assignments in earlier?  Do you want to work on your community service hours?  Whatever the goal is, and likely you will have more than one, write it down. Post it in a place you look at regularly - your mirror, on your laptop, on your binder - anywhere you will regularly see it so it will be a constant reminder. It will help keep your goal in mind so that whenever you are making decisions, so you can make sure that they are being made with your goal in mind. 

Keep in mind the SMART Goal making plan - make sure your goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. 

Once you have a goal, and a plan for how to achieve that goal, make sure you have someone who knows what your goal is, and with whom you have set up regular check-ins. This might be a parent, a sibling, a friend, a coach or your guidance counsellor - whoever it is, make sure they will keep you accountable! 

Step 3 - Do it! 

When September finally rolls around, don’t let yourself fall into bad habits! Use your supports - family members, friends, teachers and your counsellor. Let your support network know about your goals, and ask them to keep you honest. If your goal is to get your assignments submitted in a timely manner - tell your teachers on the first day, ask them to help. For instance, if you would like to get more of your volunteer hours, meet with your guidance counsellor early and ask for help in finding opportunities that suit your interests and availability. 

Step 4 - Review, Reflect and Revise 

Perhaps the most important part of goal setting for the new school year is never be afraid to change your goal! Life changes. A plan may seem excellent in August, but because something happens, you may find the plan is no longer feasible. Don’t be afraid to change and adapt, making alterations as necessary to ensure your success in the new environment. Use your guidance counselor and other trusted supports to help you in making these adjustments. 

Your plan for success in the new school year should not be set in stone. You should be constantly reviewing what your goal is, and why you set it. If the plan is not working, revise it based on your progress. Treat your plan as a living thing that can change and adapt to the situations you face, allowing you to navigate potential obstacles so that you can successfully reach your goal.