With the start of the new year, you might be thinking about where the year will take you and what you might want to achieve – especially if you’re in your last year at school! We want to invite you to have a think about what is important to you for your year ahead and to start to think about how you might get there.

Before you do anything, it’s a good idea to clearly define what you want to achieve. Some of these goals may be maintaining or improving your grades, participating in extra-curricular activities, joining a new club, making more friends or even simply getting more organised.

Next, write down all the things you could do to help you with the goal you’ve chosen. It can really help us to get all our ideas down on a piece of paper – even if they do feel a bit silly! Hopefully you will see some things that are achievable. When you have your list, re-order them into options that make the most sense for you; things you think you will be able to do, and then try to focus on the top 2 or 3 options for the year.

If your goal is maintaining or improving your grades, some of the options you might write down could be to participate more in class; stay engaged with schoolwork by keeping on top of your homework; you could ask your teacher for extra help, or you might want to establish a good routine to manage your time after school.

Perhaps you’d like to be more organised? Being organised can reflect heavily on the outcome of your final grades and it can make a huge difference on how your school year pans out. We know that life as a student can be very busy, so to stay on top of things and to stay on track it’s important to develop a routine – this is where you include tasks such as when you’ll do your homework, when you’ll exercise, etc. If things feel like they’re a bit too much to handle, then break down big tasks into smaller tasks – this makes your projects more manageable and less overwhelming.

If you’re looking to increase your confidence, or maybe make some more friends, this could be a non-academic goal you want to set yourself. Soft skills and personal development are important, too! Why not take a look at what your school has to offer and try joining a new club or sport, this can help you with meeting new people, broadening your friendship circle and learning how to interact with a more diverse group.

Most important thing of all is to take one step at a time. Don’t forget that your journey as a student – and in life, too – is always about progress, not perfection. And never forget, we are here to help you every step of the way.