10 Tips for a Smooth Sailing First Semester
10 Tips for a Smooth Sailing First Semester
By Gabrielle Labourier
Heading back to school in September can be daunting.
You’ve not been to school in a few months, you might be moving to a new school or you may have been home-schooled until now. Chances are, most students will feel the same, they’ll be overwhelmed and anxious. There are a few things you can easily do to help your kids get back in the groove and enjoy their new school year. There's no need to wait until school starts to get help. Schools will often be open by late august and available to address any concerns you or your child might have. This is the perfect time to let the school know about any needs your child may have, as well as asking for more information, no need to wait until the first day.
If your child is nervous about heading back to school, having a new classroom, and a new teacher, consider rehearsing this new situation. Do a test run a few days before school, set up their backpack, pick out a first-day outfit and pack a lunch. Take them to the new school, have them visit the classroom so they know what to expect. Teachers know that students are nervous, and they’ll often do what they can to help ease nerves and make the new year go as smoothly as possible. Communication is essential, find out what worries your child and talk things out until you find a solution. Help them feel better by pointing out all the positive aspects of this new school year, they’ll get to see their old friends or make plenty of new ones and they’ll get to go on new adventures with new people while learning!
There are many things that kids and teens can do to make the most of their school year and work efficiently:
- Buy a good planner to keep track of homework, activities, meetings, and exams so that you don’t miss anything and can easily plan your week.
- Make sure to set timelines if you have a big project. Schedule time slots for your project based on how long it takes to complete, that way, you won’t find yourself panicking the night before it’s due. Figure out how much you need to write per day or per week to stay on track and stick to that plan!
- Stay organised all year. It might be tempting to just throw a piece of paper into your bag but that won’t help anyone. Keep all your notes sorted and filed accordingly.
- Find a routine that works for you. Some people like to do homework as soon as they get home, others need a snack and a break first while others prefer to work after dinner. Whatever works best for you is okay, but make sure to do it regularly, having a routine makes life easier to plan.
- Create a distraction-free work environment. You might prefer working in your room, in the study or in the kitchen, but wherever you decide to work, make sure you’re not getting distracted every 5 minutes by something going on around you. Turn off your phone and focus on your work.
- Read over your notes every day after school, this will help when it comes to studying or if you have a surprise test. If you have any questions, ask your teacher during the next class.
- Don’t cram before a test! Study regularly beforehand and you’ll remember what you learnt for much longer which will come in handy during exams.
- Don’t let one bad grade get you down. It happens to everyone and won’t be the end of your life, you’ll have chances to improve your average so don’t give up just because you slipped up once.
- Make friends in every class you have. You might already have a great friend group but having a friend in each class is important in case you miss a day and need to catch up or if you want a study buddy before tests.
- DON’T PROCRASTINATE!!!