93. Starting Fresh: How to Thrive This New School Year with Three Easy Steps

Embrace a Fresh Start: Top 3 Tips for Your New School Year!

In this episode of the College and Career Ready podcast, host Sonia Cacique, shares invaluable insights to help students make a successful transition into the new school year. Sonia discusses the top three focus areas that can enhance your academic and personal growth.

Don't miss out on this chance to start a fresh new school year and make meaningful strides in your educational journey. Tune in for actionable advice and inspiring tips to kick off the year on the right foot.

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"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

Transcript

Sonia Intro: 0:01

Welcome to College and Career Ready, the only podcast that helps students transition from high school to college and college to their career. My name is Sonia Cacique. I'm a former educator, certified school counselor, career coach, and founder of Discover U. Together, we will redefine what it truly means to be college and career ready. And with our community, you don't have to do this alone. So come with me and let's get started.

0:35

Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast, the show that helps you navigate your educational journey while preparing for a successful future. I'm your host, Sonia Kasike, and today I will be discussing the top three things that you can be focusing on this new school year and that you can work on starting today. I can't wait to start our conversation. We will explore how to make the most of this opportunity by connecting with others through clubs, groups, and events. and internships and how you can create a new identity for yourself this year. Listen, being a student has many advantages and one of them is that every year you can start a fresh new start. Whether you're starting college, returning to high school, or even entering a new educational environment. This episode is packed with tips to help you kick off the year on the right foot. Now, before we get started on today's episode, I want to share with you that the best way for you to help me spread the word of the College and Career Ready podcast is by sharing it with your friends. family, local community, and teachers. This is a podcast that is serving our community of parents, students, and educators. So if you think of anyone that could benefit from an episode or from our podcast, make sure to send them a direct link. And if you want to get extra bonus points on my end, rate and review our podcast By going on Apple podcast or Spotify and five star reviewing our podcast along with your personal added touch in the comment section. Thank you so much for being here with me. I am so close to getting to my 100th episode, which speaking of the 100th episode, I wanted to tell you that I will continue to serve all of you through the college and career ready podcast, but I will be taking a pause after the 100th episode and upon returning, I will be focusing on mini seasons. Now the mini seasons will be very specific to topics that interest you. That is why I am looking for your questions. feedback. I want you to email me at info at college career ready dot o r g or you can send me a dm on linkedin or instagram and share with me what topics have you enjoyed the most or what topics you look forward to. And I will continue to serve my students through discover you. College and career coaching, especially through our career connections course. So if that is still of interest to you, we will continue to offer that course to all of our students. But I wanted to give you a heads up because we are only, I guess, after this episode, only seven episodes away from reaching our 100th episode. And I have some really amazing guests that will be with us these next couple of episodes. So stay tuned My friends, so let's get started with today's episode. I am going to be talking to you about how to embrace this fresh new start. Now listen, it has been several years now that I have started. Ben embracing my career journey and a fresh new start almost feels like getting a new job. When you get a new job, it's almost like you have a fresh new start. You have a blank canvas and you get to recreate yourself. Well, guess what? As a student, you get to do that every single year. How lucky is that? It's a chance to hit the reset button, leave behind any challenges or struggles from the previous year and set the tone for the year ahead. Whether last year was a success or not, this year is an opportunity to redefine who you are and what you want to achieve. Take a moment to think about what worked well and what didn't. Maybe you struggled with time management or perhaps you didn't push yourself out of your comfort zone as much as you would have liked. Reflecting on these points can guide you in setting new goals and intentions. Grab a journal, grab your phone and answer these questions. Ask yourself, what kind of student do you want to be this year? What skills or habits do you want to develop? How can you get more involved in your school or community? This is a time to start over. And while you're at it, you might want to evaluate what didn't go right last year. Because sometimes looking back, you know what they say, looking back can give you a 2020 vision So think about what went wrong, what areas you could have improved, and who you want to become today. Answering these questions can help you build a roadmap for your personal and academic growth. Now that you've got a vision for your year, it's time to start making connections. Building a network is one of the most valuable things you can do during your school years. It's not just about making friends. Okay, that's important too, of course, but beyond that, It's more important, or just as important, to surround yourself with people who can support, challenge you, and inspire you. First up is clubs and groups. Whether you're passionate about sports, arts, science, or social causes, there's likely a club or group that aligns with your interests. These organizations are a great way to meet like minded people and develop skills that can enhance your academic and career goals. And guess what? You can attend one just to see how it feels. Attend several of them. Don't feel like you have to be committed just because you go once. Give it a try and see how it feels. Don't be afraid to try something new. Joining a club outside of your comfort zone can expose you to new perspectives and opportunities you never considered. And if there's no club that fits your interests, consider starting one. Leadership experience is a fantastic addition to any resume or college application. Start seeking resources or people within your college that can help you start a new club or group. Internships are another powerful way to build connections. They offer real world experience and a chance to apply what you've learned in the classroom and an opportunity to meet professionals in your field of interest. Even if it's just a few hours a week, an internship can provide invaluable insight into your future career path. And if you are not looking for that commitment yet. You can also volunteer, look at volunteer opportunities where you might only have to go a few hours and get some real world experience. If you're unsure where to start, talk to your school's career center or a counselor that can help you find opportunities that match your goals. And as always, you can join our Career Connections course. When it launches again. So if you want to know when it opens up again, make sure you visit collegecareerready. org forward slash course and sign up on our wait list. And the third thing that is important and that I think anyone can do beginning of every school year is creating your new school year identity. All right. So many of us put new year's resolutions and. You know, we think that we have to wait until January for a fresh new start, but guess what? You can do that in August or September of every year, or honestly, you can create that three times a year if you are in a fall, spring, and summer class schedule. All right, but since this is the month of August going into September, you have a fresh new school year start, and you have the chance to craft a new identity. One that reflects your goals, values, and aspirations. It's about being intentional with how you present yourself and the choices you make. Think of this as an opportunity to brand yourself. How do you want to be perceived by your peers, teachers, and future employers? Start by setting clear intentions. Don't worry about what you did last year. Now we've already reflected on that on the first day. On the first topic that we mentioned, and now it's time to regroup, recreate, and start over. You get new teachers, new students in your class, and new opportunities. Maybe you want to be seen as a leader, a collaborator, or someone who's always curious and willing to learn. Identify how you want to be seen. Describe, write down how you want to be identified by others. Your identity isn't just about the big things. It's also in the small details, how you manage your time, how you approach your studies, and even how you interact with others, all contributes to the person you're becoming. As you go through the year, stay flexible. Your identity can evolve as you gain new experiences and insights. As I mentioned earlier, I'm going through a new season of my own life. And it is time to regroup, reconnect, and plan for the future. The key is to stay tuned to your values and be open to growth. I even had a conversation with one of my students just last week that was reflecting upon some of the experiences that she's gained over the summer and even identified some commitments that she had already made that she's thinking on regrouping and Figuring out if it serves her in her own and personal journey and that's okay. It's always important for us to stop, evaluate who we are, where we're at in our season of life, and what we want for the future. I would encourage you to ask the question, why? Why did you say yes? Delete. Why would you consider that as an opportunity? Why would you attend that event or why you would reach out and accept that commitment? These questions are important and can help you in your personal and career growth. As you go through the years, stay flexible. Your identity can evolve as you gain new experiences and insights. The key is to stay true to your values and open to growth. All right, my sweet friend, I hope these three tips will encourage you and motivate you. Remember, it's time to embrace a fresh new start. And how do you do this? Let By asking yourself, reflecting on your past and deciding on what you want for your future. And your future starts today. You can start planning for that today. How you want to be seen for this new school year and you can decide on what you want to plan for and how you want to take on this new school year. You want to build connections in the process by joining clubs, groups, and internships. I cannot stress this enough and we have had plenty of guests on the college and career ready podcast that have shared with all of us that they didn't get to where they're at. If it wasn't for the groups, the experiences, the people, the network that they build. Throughout their educational journey. This time is a time to explore, and this opportunity can be offered to you. If you start building your connections today. And then last but not least, we've talked about how you create your new identity. Forget about what people said about you before you have the opportunity to be a new person. Seek new skills, develop new abilities and develop yourself anytime you want. And what a great way then to do that. Then in the beginning of the school year, where you're having new teachers, new classmates, maybe even new environments or a new school, this is a new chapter in your life. A book is created by chapters. Your life is created by chapters and guess what? Chapter one will not be the same as chapter two. And it is important to know that is okay because you are evolving and changing. We all change. If someone hasn't mentioned that to you yet, let me tell you, news alert, you will not be the same person a year from now. Why? Because you'll have new experiences, new people you've interacted with. new skills that you have developed for yourself that will help you to continue to grow. So don't say that who you are yesterday will define who you are today or tomorrow. You have the choice honestly every single day. However, what better opportunity to start fresh other than a new school year and you have that opportunity today. All right, my sweet friend, a new school year is a time of endless possibilities by setting clear goals. Making connections and being intentional about your identity. You're setting yourself up for a year of growth and success. Remember, it's not about being perfect. It's about progress and making the most of the opportunities, right? In front of you. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the college and career ready podcast. If you found this helpful, please share it with your friends and leave us a review. Stay connected with us on social media. My two favorite hangout places are LinkedIn and Instagram, and you can always send me a direct message or email me at info at college career ready. org. Connect with me anytime for more tips and resources to help you succeed this year and the years to come. Until next time, my friend, keep striving, keep growing, and make this school year your best one yet. I'll talk to you next week. Adios. Thank you for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much to me if you share it with a friend, a colleague, or your own community. If you share it on social media and tag me, I'll make sure to personally thank you. My two favorite places to hang out are Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out our show notes for a direct link. I'm so thankful for each and every one of you. And as always stay well, be present and enjoy the journey. I'll talk to you next week. Adios.