With graduation approaching and academic pressure building, senior Maria Abuirbaleh is not just thinking about finishing high school, she’s focused on pushing herself further, both in and out of the classroom. As the new year begins, many students set resolutions with high expectations, but staying committed often proves more difficult than expected. 

From academic goals to personal growth, the challenge is not just setting resolutions, but maintaining them through obstacles and setbacks. 

“My New Year’s resolution was to stay on track for graduation and reach B2 level in Spanish,” Abuirbaleh said.

While her goals are clear and determined, the path to achieving them has not been without challenges. 

“Yes, I felt like giving up mostly with Spanish because once you get to the B1-B2 level in learning a language, progress starts to feel slower and less visible,” Abuirbaleh said. “It can make you feel like you’re not improving even when you are.” 

Despite moments of doubt, she has developed strategies to stay consistent and keep moving forward.

“My routine is basically that I never let school work pile up and try to finish most of it during the school day,” Abuirbaleh said. “For Spanish, I follow a language immersion, so most of what I consume on my phone is in Spanish along with grammar studying on the side.”

Looking ahead, she believes that maintaining discipline now will shape her future success. 

“My next step is to go to university and major in biology,” Abuirbaleh said. “For me, success is about genuinely putting in your best effort, not just the grade you get–time management, consistency matter more than intensity.”