It’s been a hot minute since you set the alarm, packed your backpack and made sure that your homework was done. It’s August and you might be getting ready to go back to school or university or have a student at home who needs to get things in order before they do.
Most of us remember how excited we used to get when our parents told us we we were going shopping for a new backpack and pencil case. A fresh set of colored pencils was on every kid’s wishlist, but that was usually the extent of what we wanted from the new year. We wished we could skip classes, exams and boring homework and go straight to winter break and then summer break.
Now that we’re older and (hopefully) wiser, we wish we knew then what we know now, that with a little planning and organization we could have gotten so much more out of our time in school and university. So, we’re passing on some tips that might help you out.
Plan ahead
Some schools provide you with a homework planner, but if you don’t have one, then create your own. Writing down everything that you need done makes it easier to prevent forgetting. Use the weekend to set it up for the new week.Note down what you think you need to get done in the new week and what exams you might have scheduled. This will help you feel better prepared instead of overwhelmed. Starting at the beginning of the year, means that by the time the going gets tough, you will have a routine in place for when you need it. Include other extracurricular activities, holidays and test scores, so you have a better perspective on your performance overall.
Reset your desk
Clean up your desk or studying space before the year starts. Get rid of any papers or books that are no longer necessary (recycle, please). Check that all of your tools are in good condition, dry pens, broken rulers and non-functioning calculators can all go. We also suggest choosing a positive affirmation for the week. Write it out and hang it or tape it on the wall where you can see it, so you set your weekly intention. Commit to resetting it at the end of every weekend, so you always start the week fresh and ready to go.
Jump on to #StudyTok
One of the best resources for study tips, ironically, is TikTok. There’s an incredible amount of content that offers great tips that will help you with almost every obstacle or challenge you might face. It also helps you realize that there’s a large community out there that cares about studying and achieving good grades. While we don’t want you falling down a TikTok rabbit hole, but a little inspiration with funky background music won’t hurt.
Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash.
