It’s the third week of 2024 and the perfect time to set goals for the rest of the year. If you’re a student, planning, organisation, determination, and time management will be key to your academic success.

Whether you’re a high school or college/university student, approach this year with a fresh mindset and leave the burdens of 2023 behind. If you didn’t achieve the grades you needed last year, apply yourself more this time. Tell yourself that 2024 is your year, and fully commit yourself.

Importantly, make time for rest and recuperation and try to create a balance between your academic pursuits and your overall physical and mental well-being.

Between 2020 and 2021, I worked hard as I completed my first master’s degree at CPUT. While I strove for success and fostered all the facets of determination and perseverance throughout my journey, I often neglected myself. I would go days without having a good night’s sleep. Energy drinks and fast food were my best friends. In 2022, when I graduated cum laude, I may have obtained a wonderful academic win, but I was also worse for wear and felt unfulfilled.

Since then, I have learnt so many lessons about the importance of rest, practising mindfulness, and building my self-worth on more than just academic validation. As you approach your studies in 2024, be present, purposeful, and prepared. Have clear goals in mind, but don’t neglect yourself to achieve them.

Here are some healthy habits I will try my best to foster this year. Maybe they could help you too:

1. Build a healthier relationship with food
Don’t stock up on junk food simply because you have exams coming up. As the runners say, food is fuel, and making better choices about what you consume can only benefit you in the future and help your body and mind stay healthy.

2. Rest, but don’t procrastinate
Regular sleep is vital. While there may be nights when burning the midnight oil is essential, don’t make this a habit. While procrastination hinders productivity, shorter bouts of regular rest will not.

3. Time management is a learned skill
Discipline is key, and knowing that your mobile devices can either help you or lead to destruction is important. Have dedicated study times and stick to them. Sit at your desk or table with a pillow behind your back for support and comfort.

Educators weigh in
I reached out to three educators. Emily Basson is a teacher at Wittebome High School. Dr Sisanda Nkoala, a media lecturer at CPUT, and Prof Izak van Zyl, the director of postgraduate studies at CPUT, shared their views on how vital it is to balance academia with your well-being.

Miss Basson emphasises the pertinence of proper planning from the beginning of the year:

“In my view, every student must learn from the onset that a study timetable forms an integral part of their academic career.”

Dr Nkoala notes that students need to understand that rest plays a fundamental role in their success:

“Students are multifaceted beings. So, you have got your body, your mind, and your spirit. Often, when we engage in academic pursuits, we just focus on the mind as a physical thing, forgetting that it is also spiritual and emotional. We think of rest as a luxury, forgetting that it’s a must. That mindset needs to be adapted.”

Prof Izak van Zyl believes that taking small mental health breaks after focusing on tasks for short blocks of time is effective for success and productivity:

“I recommend short blocks of work. For example, focus 25 minutes without task switching because that affects your cognitive load. Then take a quick breather to just sit with your eyes closed and breathe or take a quick walk.”

Successful students offer tips.
I also chatted with a few recent graduates, who shared which strategies they followed to accomplish their goals:

Sinazo Geza, an economics graduate from UKZN, believes in prioritising tasks to avoid becoming overwhelmed:

“I would review the progress of my work. I also had effective time management to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the workload.”

Nwabisa Mlandu, who holds a master’s degree in neuropsychology from UCT, says the organisation helped her obtain her dreams:

“I managed my time well and kept an academic calendar to note down all my deadlines.”

Lisa Nqala, who has a master’s degree in accounting from CPUT, suggested that commitment is crucial:
“Have a vision board or a clear vision of where you want to be in your career in the future and start working on that.”

Get ready to hit the books this year. In 2024, we are coming for all the prestige while taking great care of ourselves in the process!

What changes do you plan to make in 2024 to ensure you make this academic year the best of your life?

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