With January in the rear-view mirror, students encounter a perilous time of year. It’s about this time when the “steam” from all those lofty New Year’s resolutions starts to fizzle out for some students, and they’re left feeling swept up in another academic semester. What happened to those grand goals? How can you turn things around to not only stay on track but exceed your expectations this year?
In this article, let’s do some brainstorming. Below, find actionable tips for crushing it at school this year.
Set the Right Goals: S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Not all goals are created equally. Some goals suffer from vagueness or unreasonable expectations, while others fail because there’s no real way to track them.
That’s where S.M.A.R.T. goals come in handy. An easy mnemonic acronym, S.M.A.R.T. goals stand for ambitions that are:
- Specific: What exactly do you want? Is it a B-plus-or-higher in Physics 12, a 3.5+ G.P.A. overall? Be specific.
- Measurable: Develop a system to track your progress. This can be a simple spreadsheet with each assignment grade or a written record of your successes.
- Achievable: Don’t be unreasonable. If you aim to get an A+ in a notoriously tricky course like Calculus 12, you may be setting yourself up for heartbreak – and a swift blow to your overall motivation.
- Relevant: Keep your goals relevant to your interests, passions and concerns. For instance, if your dream is to become a playwright, it’s okay to weigh your goals towards your English class performance.
- Time-dependent: Set a clear timeline for achieving your goals, which will enable you to manage your time effectively.
Get Ahead by Adding a Flexible Online Course
One of the best ways to pull ahead in school is to register for an online course. Online courses are flexible and self-paced, which means you can complete them while you take your regular courses.
Because there is no fixed start or end date, you can begin your online course whenever you please and take as long as you need. For instance, let’s say you’re a grade 11 student who wants to take a crack at grade 12 English; you can enroll in an online English 12 course even as you finish your 11th year, setting you up for success next year. Several students use this strategy to get a head start on competitive university admissions processes.
Best of all, online courses are convenient – you can complete them from the comfort of your couch!
Take Upgrade Courses for a More Polished Transcript
If you are displeased with a mark you received this year (or last), consider taking an upgrade course. Again, you can easily complete these classes online, incorporating them into your existing schedule.
Upgrade courses let you take a second crack at classes you’ve already completed. They are shorter than regular courses, and, at the end, the higher of your two marks will appear on your transcript.
With these three straightforward steps, you’re ready for a banner school year. Create effective goals, consider flexible add-ons to your course load at an online school, and polish your lacklustre grades with upgrade classes.