As the summer comes to a close, Florida heat only seems to intensify and students begrudgingly walk what feels like a million yards to their next class as their backpacks melt in the sun. High school can never promise a picture-perfect experience, but it’s up to the students to make each year their best one.
This year, students were asked before their first day of school: What are your school years resolutions? Here’s what they had to say:
“My goal is to be on time to my classes this year,” sophomore Aliyah Dania said. “Last year, I was often tardy to my first period class so I would miss the morning announcements and sometimes the beginning of lessons. Because of this, I had to play catch up before being able to just fully absorb the lesson which was really frustrating.”
Dania also plans to keep a clean school record not just by arriving at school on time, but also making sure to remember to wear her belt to school. “A lot of my friends last year would be pulled to the side by deans or have teachers telling them to go to the dean’s office for a temporary belt. The belts are basically just some black rope and it’s pretty ugly; I’ll try to dodge having to wear one as much as possible.”
As for junior Likhitha Selvan, she’s got a plan to stay organized with her rigorous classes and clubs. “Last year, it became difficult for me to balance science research after school with my classes since I had to drive to a college campus to work on my project,” Selvan said. “This year, although I’m still working with that lab, I’m using a planner to map out my time for research, homework and other clubs so that my schedule doesn’t feel as packed. Of course, making a schedule doesn’t always mean things will go according to plan, but having one does help me keep track of my assignments and whatever else I need.”
Finally, senior Rithvik Marri is simply looking forward to all the fun there is to be had his senior year. “Throughout all of high school, I’ve worked hard in all my classes and activities. I’m excited to lay back a little bit after application season to really get the ‘high school experience,’” he said. “Because I’m a big soccer fan, I’m hoping to catch some more games this year and have fun while I’m still here. This doesn’t mean I’m going to necessarily stop working hard, but I want to spend more of my time also just doing what I’ve missed out on previously.”
Although students may all have their different ideas of an “ideal” school year, starting plans to achieve those goals is the first step to success.
