Time management is important. She advised drawing up a timetable and sticking to it. Divide your days up into 1 1/2 hour time slots and work out where you spend your time. For example from 8am to 4.30pm, you are probably in school, so you can block out that entire time frame.

Then put in all your extracurricular activities and find out where you have free time. Divide this time between homework and study, exercise, friends and relaxation time.

'It's also important to put down around 20 minutes a day to go back over your work and summarise what you did in class that day,' Simpson said. By doing so, you'll save hours when it comes to exams because you'll have already revised and made summaries of your work.

You are what you eat, as the old saying goes, so work towards healthy dietary habits. Eating breakfast is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, according to Sylvia Lam See-way, a dietitian at Qualigenics Diabetes Centre.

She said a well-balanced breakfast can improve your school performance, concentration and muscle co-ordination.

Lam recommends kick-starting the day with a high fibre breakfast, such as cereal with soy or low-fat milk, or a sandwich with egg and ham or tuna.

If you eat out for lunch, have at least one cup of vegetables, a small serving of meat - no more than 113 grams per meal and preferably white meat such as fish or skinless chicken - with a carbohydrate such as rice or pasta. Lam suggested having a roast turkey sandwich, sushi or wonton noodles with vegetables for lunch.

Follow a similar guideline for dinner. 'Try to avoid deep fried food. The best cooking methods are poaching, stewing and grilling. Also avoid adding lots of sauce because they contain fat and salt,' Lam said.

If you like to snack, try unsweetened dry fruits such as raisins, or cereal bars, Japanese rice crackers and pretzels. 'But remember to eat in moderation,' Lam said.

Aside from eating healthy food, regular exercise is an essential part of keeping fit. To lose weight, James Yau, a personal trainer from Fitness First advised doing an aerobic activity such as cycling or jogging for 30 minutes, five days a week. He also recommended doing push-ups and abdominal crunches at home.

For an overall image change, consider getting a makeover. Think about the looks you like best. Fashion designer Eve Roth Lindsay from Savvy Style, Colour Me Beautiful suggested picking someone that carries the look well and use him or her as your inspiration.

'Get a photo of them and put it in front of a scrapbook. Start collecting photos of all the looks you like and use them as a guide to create your own personal style,' Lindsay said.

Before you start shopping, clean out your closet by getting rid of clothes you think you'll probably never wear. Then fix anything that's ripped, stained or too long.

And remember to use your money wisely. 'Something you wear all the time is the best place to spend the most money. Spend a little on the super trendy things that you won't want to wear next season and most of your budget on things you wear all the time such, as jeans,' Lindsay said.

SYP wishes you a happy and healthy New Year!