Some people dread all things New Years, but I’m a big fan of it. I like New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, New Year’s Intentions…and “New Year’s Goals” (aka “resolutions”!).
That last bit is probably my favorite part. After all, each time we swap out an old calendar for a new one, we face an opportunity to contemplate where we currently are in life’s many journeys. It’s a chance to reflect on what’s been working and what needs a tweak. Plus, this time of year there’s added social inspiration—or gentle pressure—to finally MAKE that change! Finally, we get an opportunity to forgive ourselves for past mistakes as we turn over a new leaf.
“Out with the old” is only half of the story, after all. “In with the new” is just as important!
Regardless of where you are in high school (or in parenting a high-schooler!), let me help you review your past few months and get a fresh, energized start to the new year. So, clear a nice table surface for yourself, grab a pencil and paper (or open up a fresh word doc), and enjoy this introspective New Year’s Eve ritual.
As you conduct your personal year-end review, here are some questions to ask yourself, some possible problem areas to keep an eye on, and some words of expert wisdom targeted towards the milestones you’re reaching and the challenges you’re facing.
Article Contents
1. Watch this article as a video
2. Questions to ask yourself on New Year’s if you’re a high school…
A. Senior
B. Junior
C. Sophomore
D. Freshman
E. Parent
View the video version of this article:
NYE Questions for HS Seniors
Have you given everything you’ve got to your college applications?
Have you kept up your grades despite said applications?
Have you kept up your interests and hobbies, even though you’ve had so much to do this autumn?
Whatever mistakes you’ve made so far—in the admissions process specifically, or in high school more broadly—forgive yourself. They’re in the past now. Focus on staying true to yourself and putting your best possible foot forward for any remaining applications you have. And try to take time to cherish your last eight months or so at home.
Juniors: New Year's Reflections
Have you kept up with your increasingly harder homework and classes so far this year?
Have you begun to hone in on which colleges—or at least what types of colleges—you’d like to attend?
Have you thought about the major theme(s) of your high school life thus far?
Have you been plugging away steadily at your Digital SAT or ACT prep, keeping you on track to hit your target score?
Don’t let it get you down if you haven’t performed as well as you know you can. You have the rest of this academic year to change your story—and the story of your transcript!
And if you’re behind on your test prep, this coming semester is the time to really dial it in! (BTW, this is the perfect time to contact me if you need help with that.)
10th Grade New Year's Thoughts
Have you started to figure out what your passions are?
Have you been taking the most challenging classes you possibly can?
Have you improved upon your 9th grade GPA, stayed the same, or fallen behind?
Have you let social drama distract you from your school work?
Remember: whatever slip-ups you’ve had recently, they’re over now. You can’t change history. However, you CAN change the note on which you wrap up this school year! Strengthen your academics, if need be, and make progress in your extracurriculars.
What Freshmen Should Ask Themselves on New Year's Eve
Have you learned how to stay on top of the more intense rhythm of high school homework?
Have you put yourself out there to make new friends?
Have you started exploring new clubs and hobbies and extracurriculars to see if they’re a good match for you?
Have you pushed yourself to get outside your comfort zone?
Even if you feel like you’re still figuring out this whole “high school” thing, you’re only one semester in. Don’t be hard on yourself. Instead, make it a point to enroll in the most challenging classes you can for Junior year, and to try out new activities until you find the ones that make your heart sing.
New Year's Questions for Parents
Have you learned to keep calm and stay supportive when it comes to your high schooler’s test prep and/or grades?
Have you sought outside support in what you can’t or don’t have time to do yourself? (Tutors, standardized test prep experts, college counselors, etc.)
Have you learned to balance the need to keeping your kid safe with the need to give her the room to spread her wings and find herself?
Have you stayed on top of information you need to know about the SAT, ACT, and the college process?
We all have moments when we don’t act perfectly in line with our idealized version of who we are, so don’t dwell in the negative (notice a theme here?) if you had some parenting moments you wish you could do over. Raising a teen is challenging!
That said, leave 2024 in 2024, and starting tomorrow, aim to do and be better. Not perfect, just better.
Conclusion
No matter where you are in the trying college admissions journey, I hope asking yourself these questions gives you the opportunity to pause, reflect, and course-correct.
And if you need help making that course-correction happen, I’ve got 15+ years of experience with every stage of this process. Until then, I’m wishing you a joyful, safe, and fruitful New Year, full of all the opportunity and success you can envision.
