It’s just about that time of the year again. With September fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about “back to school”. The substantial hike in living expenses is accompanied by the stress of assignments, readings and exams. Oh what fun! But the truth is, gearing up for a new school year is pretty exciting.

I’ve always seen the back-to-school period as a great time to re-invent myself. Be it a fresh start in new classes, new profs, new assignments, new friends, or just new gym shoes; they all present opportunities to start over with a blank slate. What better time to come up with a winning game plan on how you will succeed academically, financially and socially?

The end of August and beginning of September is usually a time for me to reflect on past experiences and decide what my direction is going to be for the school year. I usually try to reorganize my priorities, set out some tangible objectives and commit to testing out a new study plan like: spending more hours in the library. While I know throughout the course of the year, seldom will I be found in the library I think a good balance of objectives and interests is key. In this, I’ve always found that a game plan helps to keep me focused and motivated.

Surely, there will be times throughout the semester when you feel like the work in insurmountable and never-ending, but a good plan and set of objectives can keep you driving right through even the most challenging parts of the year.

A great game plan has balance, academic goals of achieving highest marks and performing in assignments are only one piece of this puzzle. Setting out a budget at the beginning of the year can save you from financial woes that notoriously hit hard (for me): 1) each semester, after buying textbooks and 2) after the holiday season. Personally, this is a huge source of stress for me, but I’ve found that planning my budget and setting some cash aside as an ‘emergency fund’ to cover these fluxes is all it takes to make it through the rough patches. Do yourself the favour, plan out your finances today, before the times of economic uncertainty hit!

Last and certainly not least, take the time to connect with friends. Especially if you’re going to school away from home, your friends can be your greatest support network. Take time to enjoy and relax. Get away from the stresses of the studying and working the part-time job to enjoy the student experience. It’s just as important as the other parts of the equation and together will result in a happy and healthy school year!

Hopefully, planning for the school year that lies ahead will work as well for you as it has for me! Feel free to drop me a comment about your strategic plan for this year’s challenges, too!

All the best to 1st-year and returning students!