3 Things To Do Before Starting Any School Year

By Kyle Grappone

Summer vacation is a time for relaxation. It is time to take a mental break from the previous school year and allow yourself to enjoy the company of family and friends. However, like it or not, the next school year is right around the corner. I am not trying to be a bummer. I am trying to help you avoid the mistakes that past students have made.

Many of my college-age coaching clients often speak about how they wasted their time in high school and never thought about preparing for college or the real world. A lot of my friends and co-workers say the same thing. It is very easy to float through school and do just enough to get by. The key is to plan and ensure that each year has a purpose and is helping you build towards the future you want.

Today, we are going to talk about three things to do before starting any school year. The great thing about this list is that it can be used over and over again. Regardless of where you are in your educational journey, these three tasks can be completed each year to ensure you remain on track and prepared for the next steps in life. These are valuable habits that you can start now and will reap long term benefits for years to come.

Determine What You Are Working Towards

When I was in high school, I had one goal. Survive. Looking back, this was a pretty stupid mindset to have because it did not motivate me to do anything. All I tried to do each day was pass my classes with the least amount of effort possible. I treated each school year like they were identical, and like a chore, I had to complete. My result was a rude wake-up call in college when I lacked the studying habits and discipline to succeed in my classes.

Take a look at the upcoming year and discover it’s purpose. If you are a high school freshman, this year is dedicated to building a strong GPA, solid study habits, and exploring new friendships and opportunities. If you are a sophomore or junior, you are working through the college application and selection process. If you are a senior, you are choosing a college and preparing for what’s to come once you get there.

What are you working towards this year? What is the purpose of you being in class? What skills do you need to develop to reach your goals? Take the time to understand what specific goals you are working towards. This allows you to put together a clear path to success and supplies you with motivation throughout the year. This purpose and motivation are critical when you are sitting in a class you do not like or feel like slacking off halfway through the year.

Perform An Educational Audit

Before you enter the new year, there is always something of value to learn from the one that just passed. In my book, To The Next Step, I require the reader to perform this type of audit before the beginning of each new year. The purpose is to look back on your classes, grades, and habits to see what worked and what needs work.

The most important aspect of this audit is to understand what classes you did well in. This will help clarify what you are interested in and what you enjoy learning about. These findings can prove useful when you are starting to research possible majors and colleges. You also need to understand what classes you did not do well in. The reason for this is twofold. One, it allows you to pinpoint where the biggest threat to your GPA is going to be and how to plan to fix it. Two, it gives you insight about what you do not enjoy in school and what you will most likely not enjoy studying in college or working out in the real world.

Calculate your yearly and overall GPA. Understand exactly where you are, and set a goal for where you want to be next year. Again, this will motivate you to push past the temptation of being lazy and develop a mindset that allows you to reach these goals. Also, as you research colleges, you will begin to see what type of GPA they are requiring. You are much less likely to get caught off guard if you have been monitoring your grades and working towards improving them each year.

Take Over Two Tasks Your Parents Currently Do For You

This last one has nothing to do with academics and everything to do with preparing for the real world. A major downfall of college students who go away to school is their inability to perform basic life tasks once they are on their own. Even college graduates who move out are often overwhelmed with stress regarding making doctors appointments, going grocery shopping, budgeting their money, and other adult tasks that come with growing up.

If you are a current student, as soon as you are done with this blog post, I would like you to make a list of every single task your parents currently do for you. Then, at the start of each school year, take two responsibilities from that list and commit to owning them. For example, when the new year starts, commit to making your own lunch and scheduling your own doctor’s appointments. These are two simple skills that if learned now, will make life a lot easier for you down the road.

The tasks you choose are entirely up to you. My advice would be as a high school student choose tasks that you know you will have to do in college. As a college student, select tasks that are waiting for you in the real world. It is much easier to transition into becoming a responsible adult over several years then to attempt to do it all at once.

Conclusion

It is never too early to plan for the future. The easiest thing in life to do is not to care or care just enough to get by. That might work now but trust me you will come to regret it later. My advice, based on the regrets and missteps of past graduates, would be to attend school with purpose and passion. Outline your goals before each school year and develop the mindset and work ethic you need to achieve them.

About Kyle

Kyle Grappone is an educational coach helping students prepare for the next steps in life.