Back to school tips for children

1. Begin to wrap your minds around school. Double check with your parents that you have all the supplies needed for you to begin school.

2. You should have already reformatted your sleep time. Get to bed earlier and wean yourselves off the games and distractive devices which may have saturated your time during the summer break.

3. Get an agenda! During the school year is such a busy time! Between taking tests, doing homework, attending activities and school events, it can be really hard to keep track of everything. By keeping an updated agenda, you can better manage your time and know what you have to accomplish. Having an agenda will definitely help you with time management. Time management is the key to being successful and staying on top of everything you need to do!

4. Know your course syllabus… Knowing your class schedule is very important to being successful in the course you will be taking. Teachers will typically hand out your syllabus in class or post it online. I strongly suggest keeping it in a safe and convenient place so you can frequently view it. Knowing when you have papers and projects due is also important for passing the course and keeping up your grades. Having the syllabus will allow you to plan ahead and give yourself proper time to complete every assignment and get great grades!

5. Do not procrastinate… This is something that we have all been guilty of at some point in our lives, and we have all suffered the repercussions of it. Bear in mind that a habit is created in three weeks, so if you study for every course you are taking daily, in 21 days that will be a new habit for you. Dedicating a little bit of time every day to the courses you are taking is definitely going to positively impact your grades and make you a better student!

6. Know what is expected of you – It is very important to know what your teachers are expecting from you. Pay attention to what the teacher is saying about the workload of the class and what they are hoping for you to get out of it. Teachers are supposed to want you to succeed, so most likely, they will provide you with what you need to do to thrive. Knowing their expectations and achieving them will help your year start smoothly. Always remember that communicating with your teachers is essential in understanding their expectations.

7. Get involved… Getting involved with your school community is great, because you can pursue your interests and meet peers who have the same and similar interests as you. Many studies have shown that students who are involved in sports and school activities are able to achieve higher GPA’s. If you enjoy playing sports, try out for the school team. If you are a musician or actor, then join your school band or theatre company and share your talent with your fellow peers. Join clubs that you are interested in and attend all the meetings. If your school doesn’t have the sports you play, a club you want to join, or a music programme, then talk to your school administrators and see if you are able to start your own! It is amazing to have something that you are passionate about and enjoy doing, so – never be afraid to pursue your interests.

8. Figure out what type of learner you are… We all have a unique way in which we learn! There are three main types of learning styles, which are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Knowing what type of learner you are is going to help you be a better student and have better studying habits. When you are able to determine the type of learning style that is best for you, you will find better results when you are studying and it will result in higher test scores! I highly encourage you to do some research and determine the type of learner you are, so you can personalize your studying.

9. List your academic goals… Write out a list of goals that you want to achieve for the upcoming school year! Do you want to improve your grades? Or be at the top of your class? Decide in your mind that you can achieve all the goals you have set for this year! When you write down every goal you are able to plan and realize what you need to do to prepare for them. Having that list can be a driving and motivating force to help you work to achieve those goals.

Remember, every new school year is a opportunity for a fresh start, new friends, and to make it count. You have the potential to make this year one of the best ones yet!