The summer holidays are a very distant memory and everyone is back at school – ready for a new year and a fresh start. New books. New Teachers. And perhaps some more new friends!

If you want a good academic year, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tips and advice to excel.

· Make a good first impression on your new teachers. You don’t want to start the year off on a bad foot.

· Take pride in your book work as when revising you can look back at your neat notes and easily find information that will help you out.

· Contribute every lesson – this will get you a good effort grade and a good report.

· Keep a balanced diet and stay active. Not only is this beneficial to your health, it is also proven to promote good mental health.

· Get enough sleep! Don’t doom scroll in bed. The affect on your sleep and focus in lessons is catastrophic. You don’t want to be falling asleep during P1…

· Set realistic goals. Get a piece of paper and write them down. Don’t be unrealistic – nobody is going to get a 1000 good comments in a week. Instead, aim for 10 to 15 good comments. Don’t be over confident; just try your best.

· Ensure your books and school equipment are ready for lesson. Don’t leave it to the last minute – you will get a late mark. In life it is always better to be punctual than late and careless with other people’s time.

· Always bring full water bottles to lessons. Water is essential as you will get a headache or feel tired if you become dehydrated. Your brain need a lot of water to function properly.

• Aden, Y8