As midterms are moving into the rearview mirror and the new semester begins, each student is given a clean grading slate. Even though you may not have done so well the last semester, there is still hope to improve your performance for the new one. Here are a few steps to start the new semester off right!

 The first step is to think back to any mistakes you may have made last semester. If you forgot to study for a quiz or you never turned in a project, you can always learn from mess ups and work to fix them. One of the biggest errors you can make as a student is leaving zeros in the gradebook. Ms.Balazs, a junior and senior English teacher, said, “A zero is really hard to cancel out – just mathematically – it’s much easier to pull up a 30, than it is to pull up a zero.”

 Step two is setting a goal for what you want to accomplish in the next semester. Do you want to get all A’s this semester? Do you not want to miss a single day of school? Making sure to have a written an attainable goal will give you a higher probability of accomplishing it. Writing it down and seeing it everyday will give you a constant reminder of what you want and how you are going to get it.

 For step three, you need to start getting more organized. Going through all your binders and removing anything that you do not need anymore is a good way to start the semester. Over time things are going to get more unorganized, but starting off clean will help keep everything under control in the long run. Start by becoming more organized by removing anything that is extra or scrap that you never use. Next, get a system in place. Having a place for everything and making sure everything is in its place is important to keeping your clean binder up and running. Lastly,  keep your binder in the best shape possible as long as you can. Following these steps will surely to give you the easiest road to success and accomplishing your goals.

 Step four is to leave time to relax and stay calm. Even though staying on track and keeping up with school is important, your mental health is still a top priority. When asked about why having personal time is important, junior Jasmin Andrade said, “We need time to breathe, and we need the time to make sure  we aren’t stressing ourselves out.”  Make sure not to leave too much time for relaxing; there needs to be a balanced time for both activities. This balance, though hard to achieve, is one that will help you do your best in school and achieve your long term goals.

 Step five is to be prepared for whatever is thrown at you and to know that you are ready for it. Being prepared can mean anything from having everything you may need with you throughout the day to going the extra mile and stepping outside the box on some projects. With so many variables in play, knowing exactly what to expect is hard. Just take comfort knowing you are prepared for whatever school may throw at you now that you have these five simples steps.