Whether you are just starting university or just beginning medical school, there are simple things every student can do to ensure their school year gets off on the right foot. Most of this advice is generic and old, but despite how many times you have heard it before in the past, it’s always good to take wise advice and put it into practice.

School is more than just getting good grades. It is a place where you can grow and mature as a person, pursue your interests and experience life. And by preparing yourself for an academic year, it is possible to have good marks and a good time at school. So here are just five tips that I always consider when September comes around. I hope you find them as useful for you as it has been for me.

1. Set Goals

If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.  ~Lawrence J. Peter

One of the most important activities that anyone can benefit from is frequent goal setting. If you don’t have an end destination in mind, life often takes you whichever way it wants, often not to your liking. Do you want to achieve a certain grade point average? Do you want to get to know a few professors that could write you references in the future? Do you want to live healthier, socialize more or try something new? Without setting concrete goals down on paper, goals rarely actualize by themselves.

If you’ve never picked up this habit of setting goals, one effective system to follow is the SMART Goal Setting. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Success doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a focused and concerted effort to actualize your dreams.


So if you haven’t so already, take a few minutes and a piece of paper to jot down your top three to five goals you want to accomplish this school year. Be realistic yet strive to do your best. You’ll find your goals will change from year to year, so I always have a few short-term, mid-term and long-term goals. I adjust them often. Goals act as a compass for our actions. Often when we’re lost or confused about what to do next, all you have to do is to look at the goals you have set out to do to realize where you should go next. Read the rest of this entry »