The start of the school year is one of the busiest times for school counselors and college and career advisors. They are responsible for ensuring students are placed in the right courses to meet graduation requirements, meeting numerous scheduling change requests and corrections, guiding students and staff through fall testing, addressing early college admissions milestones, and managing the persistently emerging day-to-day needs of the community.

Amid this frenetic pace, there is rarely an opportunity to step back and dedicate time for students to reflect on how their choices connect to their long-term goals. Yet the beginning of the year is an ideal moment for this kind of reflection as it gives students the opportunity to adjust their plans and focus their efforts while the full year still lies ahead.

In many states, students are now required to create a four-year personalized college and career readiness (CCR) plan no later than their freshman year. These plans promote meaningful goal-setting, outline tangible steps for achieving those goals, and foster collaboration among students, families, counselors, and other key stakeholders. Though intended to be revisited regularly, doing so often gets lost in the daily demands of school life.

A CCR Check-in During the First Weeks of School

To help keep CCR plans relevant and actionable, counselors can share the following list of questions with students during the first week of school. Reviewing goals early allows students to confirm their aspirations still align with their evolving interests, assess whether they are on track, and make necessary changes for the year ahead. It is necessary to work closely with administration and classroom teachers to have such an effort implemented in a manner that has as close to 100% of the students participate while minimizing having students asked to review their plans more than once in their schedule. Best practices have such efforts occur in a homeroom period, specially called advisory periods, or, if necessary, in a class that largely groups students by grade level such as English Language Arts.

During these gatherings it is necessary to give students guidance on whom to contact and what actions to take if they answer “no” to any of these questions below. And as they evaluate their progress, encourage them to update their plans as needed and to share these updates–whether that they are on track and feel more committed to their original goals or anticipate some changes–with their families, coaches, and specific counselors.