My goals for the next academic year

Every September, thousands of university students prepare for a new academic year, filled with fresh starts, new opportunities and exciting times. This makes September the perfect time to think about what you want from the months which lie in front of you. Whether you have academic goals based around what you wish to gain from your degree, or you hope to work on your personal development – setting things that you want to work on can help to give your life structure and a plan. Three writers share the goals that they have for the academic year ahead. 

Adam Agowun

Having my year abroad cut short and spending the last six months at home has given me plenty of time to evaluate what my goals for this upcoming academic year are.

Given that I’m going into my final year, the obvious main goal is to graduate. I’m trying to start my dissertation work and some reading beforehand so that I can go into final year prepared, and also because if I didn’t keep my brain active – I’d rot.

However, I’m also doing this so that I can achieve my secondary goal for the year. My entire degree has been marred by personal events which had made me promise myself that I am actually going to enjoy final year.

At the end of the day, life is made for living

This might be a bit hard, given the corona situation and the fact we’re not really having Fresher’s Week this year, but it’s something I’m going to try, nevertheless. There is chatter amongst some of my friends (who are all in couples) to try and get me into a relationship this year, but que sera, sera.

At the end of the day, life is made for living, and while personal circumstances have held me back in the past, this year, all bets are off. Just watch me.

Noah Keate

This year will mark my move to off-campus housing accommodation for the first time. My aim is to develop confidence in understanding the property world. From paying rent to managing utilities, maintaining the garden to installing the broadband – I hope this year will teach me skills that equip me for the property ladder after university.

To me, this demonstrates how our formative years at university teach us things far beyond the confines of our academic degrees. If there are housing challenges, I hope my communication with my housemates is effective and ensures matters are promptly dealt with.

Time management is an essential skill for adult life

Living off-campus also means I’ll be commuting by bus to campus. Previously, all my commutes, from primary school to sixth form, were only a short walk away. I’d never needed to use public transport before, I only relied on myself.

Now I’ll be needing a reliable bus service and must factor in the journey time. My aim is to avoid frustration if things go wrong and I arrive late to university on some occasions. If I can find a way to be productive on the commute, that will be an added bonus. Once again, time management is an essential skill for adult life. We’ll take part in only so many seminars, but bus journeys will most likely form many hours of our working life.

Lucy Martin

As I begin my final year at Warwick, I’m filled with anxiety about the pressure that comes with this year’s final exams and the huge weight of the dissertation which looms ahead. However, I also feel a sense of the finishing line which is just out of reach.

I have many academic goals this year. I want to do well in my dissertation, to thrive in my essays and seminars, and make sure I apply to all the master’s degrees and grad schemes that I want to do on time.

Yet, I don’t want my final year to be all about academics. The main goals for this year for me are all about personal growth and saying goodbye. I want to continue to work on myself, forging my personality and characteristics into the fully-grown human, ready to go into the workforce, that I want to someday be.

Most of all, though, I just want to be happy

I also want to enjoy every last moment at Warwick. It’s cliché but it feels like only yesterday that I dropped my bags off in my Jack Martin room and met my flatmates. This year, I want to thoroughly adore every moment living with my best friends for what might be the last time in my life. I want to soak up every aspect of the campus and hopefully enjoy studying in all of my favourite places, as well as getting to do all of the things I’ve loved so much about Warwick.

Most of all, though, I just want to be happy. The last few months have been difficult for all of us and I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health. This year, I want to be content with myself and not get so worried about everything that will inevitably go wrong.