New year Resolutions
The New Year is a great time to reflect on the changes we want to or
need to make. If you’re a student looking at ways to improve yourself
and make the transition to college easier, International College
Counsellors offer a few more resolutions you might want to add to your
list.
* Stop procrastinating. How often have you underestimated how much
time it will take to get something done? Then, how sad are you when you
don’t have the time to do your best. At some point, the procrastinator
has to write four college essays in one night – on top of completing
schoolwork.
Usually, this doesn’t turn out so well. If you finish a project
earlier than you thought you would, then consider yourself ahead.
* Try something new. School is a great time to spread your wings.
It’s about new experiences and self-discovery. Want to try a new sport
or activity, go ahead and try it. You’re not expected to leave school
knowing exactly what you want to do, but this is a chance to start
narrowing down your interests. You’ll never know what you like – or how
good you are at something – until you try something.
* Banish the self-doubt. Doubting your own abilities only holds you
back from achieving what you want to achieve. Just say no to these
thoughts and others like them:
“I can’t do this.”
“I’m not as smart as my classmates.”
“I’ll never get better than a 2.7 grade-point average.”
“I’ll only get into a community college anyway”
“There’s no point in thinking I’ll get into my first choice college.”
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* Don’t do it all. It’s better to concentrate on a few things and
excel in them than if you join every sport, activity and club that you
can cram into your schedule. Anyone can join 10 clubs and be marginally
involved in them all. Schools are looking for commitment that shows
you’re willing to stick with something and make the most of it.
* Keep a calendar. Deadlines creep up quickly. And the closer the
date, the more you’ll feel the pressure. Most students don’t do their
best under pressure.
And colleges, scholarships, federal aid, and standardized testing
services are not going to be sympathetic to any excuses you have about
missing a deadline. If you miss a deadline, you miss an opportunity.
* Commit yourself to getting good grades. Good grades are entirely
necessary to get into a good school unless you’re a top notch athlete.
The best case scenario is that you have good grades from the beginning.
* Take standardized tests early. You won’t know how high you can
score until you take the test. Wait too long and you won’t have enough
time to retake it. And many things can affect your test score on any
given day, including the state of your health, and you can’t plan not to
get the flu or food poisoning.
* Be excited about going to a higher form. Wherever you go you’re
going to meet new people, learn new things, and have a great time.
That’s reason enough to be excited. safety.
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