The 2023 academic year began in earnest when pupils returned to school to pursue their dreams for the future. The beginning of the year always presents pupils with the opportunity to improve where there is need and also to make new resolutions.
New year resolutions can help pupils to strengthen their health, safeguard their mental wellness and also maintain life-school balance. They can help pupils to set goals, work towards personal growth, and improve their lives in meaningful ways.
By prioritising mental health, pupils can maintain mental wellness and avoid burnout, due to academic, financial and personal pressures, which can all take a toll. Some of the resolutions to ensure a progressive year include learning something new such as a language, a musical instrument or a new hobby which will present them with exciting and challenging opportunities into new ventures which can be a rewarding and enriching experience.
The new year also presents an opportunity to leave bad habits behind. This may be a decision to stop smoking or drinking alcohol. On a positive note, volunteering can be a great way for pupils to give back to their communities and to develop new skills and experiences.
Supporting deserving charities will help to boost the pupils' active citizens footprint. Becoming a better citizen also entails giving back in various ways such as donating unwanted clothes to a local shelter. Other ways of helping out can include assisting in serving food at a soup kitchen, collecting blankets or by becoming a mentor or reading buddy to younger pupils.
Time management is of essence as pupils need to resolve on maintaining a healthy school life and personal balance. This can be taking up positive hobbies such as participation in sports and taking care of their physical health. To improve time management skills, pupils can consider the use of planners or by setting aside specific times each day for studying and completing assignments.
By getting more involved in social endeavours such as debating societies or sports teams, pupils can build social networks with other pupils who share their academic or social interests. The importance of organisational skills can never be overemphasised.
Another important resolution is having a sleep routine and sticking to it. The alternative is that sleep deprivation can lead to negative academic outcomes, and result in mood swings, lack of productivity and poor information retention. A stable sleep routine can be achieved by resolving to stay away from binge watching of random programmes on television or the mindless scrolling of social media.
Pupils should not shy away from asking for help either from their teachers, parents or peers. It is also important they start seeing learning as the end goal and not the grades. Such learning can be pursued through avenues such as engaging in meaningful dialogue in discussion-centred courses. Pupils should seek out supplementary sources such as journal articles and podcasts to bolster their understanding of important topics. Study groups are also a great source of learning where the focus is on cooperation and not necessarily on competition.
Regular exercise is another noble goal as it helps to improve focus and decrease stress. Exercise is an essential part of maintaining good physical and emotional health.
Communication is an essential component of success and pupils should strive to be good listeners who can also assert themselves.
It is advisable for pupils to choose internship opportunities when available. This will help them to put what they have learnt into practice. Internships also solidify learning and shape focus while also assisting in understanding the theories and methods they have been reading about. Exposure to the workplace will present pupils with an opportunity to explore career alternatives.
In addition, pupils can attend networking, career events or job fairs to gather information about their intended industry. One important resolution that can never be overemphasised is participating more in class through asking questions and contributing to discussions. This will help pupils feel engaged, to retain and thus internalise information, and establish rapport with teachers and classmates.
It is a truism that one can accomplish anything they set their minds to. The wise words of Napoleon Hill are worth remembering in this regard, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
What is important is that pupils' resolutions are authentic and unique to themselves. To the class of 2023, let this be the year in which you make tangible inroads on the journey to becoming the best you can be.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.