Back to School Tips

Hey ladies! School is back in session. Or is going to within the next few weeks. Smile! Education is good. Even though it may seem tedious, hard, or it may feel like it's going to be a long year, we need to be grateful for the opportunity of getting our learning on. So here are some advice for those of you going back to school.

Establish a sleeping pattern. Unless you have reason not to, there's no doubt you slept late and slept in this summer. And you deserve it after a year of hard work in school. But school is back in session, and your body needs to get used to the idea of sleeping early and waking up early.

At least a week before school starts, establish a good sleeping pattern. Give yourself a bedtime and stick to it, making sure you get enough hours of sleep. Set up a waking up time. What time does your first class begin? How long it will take you to get ready? How long it will take you to get to school? Answer those questions and you can determine what time you need to wake up. Don't forget about morning traffic! With the working bees and students all on the road, morning commute can take longer than you think.

Eat breakfast. This is solid advice for everyone at anytime, but even more so for back to school-ers because you need that boost of energy to prepare your mind and body for school. Eating a good and well-balanced breakfast will prepare you for the day ahead. It will keep you sharp, alert, awake, and enthusiastic. Remember, what you eat affects your body, which affects your attitude, which affects your school work and grades.

Plan your lunches. Since we started talking about food, let's talk about lunch. If you want to stay healthy, you need to plan your lunches. School lunches, especially in high school, are notorious for being bad for you and your wallet. Plan ahead. You can find out what the healthy options are in your school cafeteria, or you can pack your own lunch. We like the latter. Packing your own lunch gives you more control over the ingredients and portion size.

Extra tip! Pack your lunches the night before so you don't have to worry about it in the morning.

Scout out your school. If you're going to a new school, or your school renovated, scout out the locations of your classes ahead of time. Also find out the locations of: restrooms, locker rooms, office, and student parking lot (if you drive). In college? Also look for the library, bookstore, student lounge, and cafeteria. Yeah, we just talked about school cafeterias, but fortunately, many colleges offer healthy options. But even if they don't, the cafeteria have lots of tables and chairs where you can study or hang out.

Pack light. The first day of school is usually filled with school rules, class rules, and more rules. Okay, it's also filled with paper work. Students are trying to get their classes, teachers are figuring their class rosters, and everybody is just trying to get organized and familiarized with each other.

So carry the minimal amount of items you need until you know what each teacher requires you to have. The minimum you'll need that first day: 1 notebook, 1 pen, 1 pencil & eraser, 1 binder/folder, your class schedule, and any forms you might still need to turn into the school.

Start an organizer. We're not all organizer people. To some, having an organizer or planner is daunting or a burden. But it can make life so much easier. That's why the sooner you start having an organizer, the better you'll be at keeping one.

First pick one. Sometimes school's provide them for free or a small fee. But you'll need an organizer that has a calendar and a place to jot down notes. If you're not the organizer/planner type of person, go for a pocket-sized monthly calendar. It will give you a view of your month, and it has space to jot down assignment due dates, important appointments, etc.

Tech savvy? There's an app for that! And you don't need a smartphone. Most cell phones have calendars where you can input events and set alerts or reminders. Have an early start to an organized life, and your school year will go by much smoother.

Set out your clothes the night before. This is a good idea to do throughout the year so you're not scrambling in the morning, wondering what to wear or moaning that you have nothing to wear. Mornings can get hectic. The pressure of getting to school on time can make your favorite t-shirt disappear and socks mis-match. Prepare your outfit the night before when you have time and a clear head.

Read a book.  In summer??? Yes! To get read for school, read a book one or two reading levels below your reading level. For example, if you're in high school, read a book meant for middle school kids. Why? Because your summer was most likely filled with lots of TV, Internet surfing, and video games. Or it was filled with days of doing nothing. Reading a book will get your brain neurons firing. Reading below your level will ease your mind into the workout your school will give it.

Plus, many students start to hate reading because they don't like the books their teachers pick. But there are actually many books out there that are enjoyable. Giving your brain this reading exercise will not just clear the dust and cobwebs from months of leisure, but you might rediscover the joy of reading...or at least get used to it since you'll be doing a lot of reading in school.

Be positive. Your attitude affects everything. Being positive creates the right environment to reconnect with friends and classmates or make new friends. Being positive helps you establish a good relationship with your teachers. Being positive will energize you throughout the day, and it can turn a bad day around.

But how can you be positive, especially if everything seems to go against you? First, smile. Even if you have to force yourself to do it, smile. One smile can infect your whole body language and outlook. Before you know it, you are finding things to smile about. Greet others happily. A "Good morning!" can go a long way for both you and the other person. Avoid negative people. You're not always the influential party. Sometimes, others are influencing you...in good ways and bad. You don't need negative people adding stress, worry, and bitterness in your life. You don't need people who put you down. Find and keep positive friends and company who uplift you and encourage you towards the better things in life.

And part of the better things in life is a good education. So get excited about going back to school! And we hope these tips will help you do just that.