Academic New Year's Resolution: Attainable and Maintainable Goals

We are all familiar with the resolutions made on January 1st. Ambitiously, we make plans to improve in various areas: exercise consistently, read more, complain less, recycle, etc.

Unfortunately, by February, after two months steadfast commitment, we feel like it is “too much” and start making exceptions, excuses, and decide that maybe it really is true that weekends don’t count.

In the world of education, September is the mark of another kind of new year – the academic school year. As I can recall, this was an exciting time that always felt full of potential. A new year meant new classes, new teachers, new private SAT tutors, and a new opportunity to start off “fresh” with academic organization, sports, and extra-curricular activities.

Like most, I would always start off the year strong. Each class was organized into separate binders, I had highlighters and a planner, and I would meticulously track every assignment and exam date. I would commit to clubs during lunch and lifeguarding during the weekend, and anything else was crammed in between school and the 25 hours of swim practice during the week.

Then, late October would happen. Much like the attack of February on the commitment to New Year’s Resolutions, I would find myself skipping club meetings, scheduling work more sporadically, and stacking returned tests, papers, and other assignments in to teetering piles on my desk. While I never completely abandoned my efforts, by the end of high school I noticed one thing: no matter the number of promises I made or the strength of my intent, I always ended up only seriously committed to two or three goals come June.

Now, for my advice to students…

Students, as you start this new school year, take a few minutes to consider the upcoming year. Do you have goals for this year? Are they attainable AND maintainable, or have you set yourself up to compromise quality of commitment for quantity of activities? Remember, success is built by integrating on-going actions and dedication over a long period, not by attaining goals for a short lived spurt of time. (Also, colleges care WAY more about the depth of a student’s activities then their breadth).