How to Improve Yourself for the School Year

By Josh Baker on July 28, 2019

Did you ever wish you could just start over? Hit the rewind button and do things differently. We all know that is not possible, so if we cannot rewind, maybe we can just restart.

The best way to start this process is by reviewing what you have done before that you should not do in the future. Examine what made you unhappy and what brought you joy. This will help you narrow down the things you want to change. For example, if you went to bed too late last year night after night, maybe shut off your phone, turn off Netflix, and set an earlier bedtime this school year. If you waited too long to start assignments, consider starting them as soon as they are assigned, which will give you more time to finish them. Another option is to break down large assignments into smaller more manageable ones.

via pixabay.com

But for some of us, academics are not the only thing we would like to change in our college days. If you wish to expand your social life at school, perhaps you could check out if there are any clubs that appeal to your interests. Being open-minded to new things is not easy, but it is worth the effort. Change takes work.

Once you have your list of what you plan on avoiding and/or improving, you can then move on to revel in the fact that you can simply keep doing the things that you did do well. You are not reinventing the wheel here. You are simply improving it. For example, I often visited my professors and tutors during office hours to get some extra guidance on projects and assignments, and it really paid off. So I will keep that in mind for the rest of college as well.

It is also useful to keep an agenda book with you at all times. This will allow you to keep track of assignments and events in an organized manner.

Do not psych yourself into having another difficult year. You need to alter your mindset and believe that change is possible. There is a famous journalistic quote that says, “the most dangerous words in the English language are ‘that is the way we have always done it.’” You are in charge of your decisions and how you react to your surroundings. If you do not like something, then change it. If you do not try to make something better, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Change does not happen overnight. Small changes every week can add up to a great school year. We all deserve that.

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