School and College: Being Prepared

[Mel]

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 2 (August 2009).

School and College: Being Prepared
By Jessie and Katrina


Starting, or going back to, school!

Whether you're starting upper level school or going back for your fourth and final year, school is all about what you make it to be. If you throw yourself into learning and making friends, you'll be prosperous in school. With that said, know that now is not the time to slack off! There are a few different things about going back to school or even starting school that we sometimes don't consider in the summer.

Firstly, lockers! Lockers are an important part of school in many different countries, and can either be used to a student's success or to his or her detriment. If possible, try to bring a locker organizer to orientation so that you can go ahead and stick it in your new locker as soon as you receive your assignment without having the stresses of the first day of school. Throughout the year, try to actually utilize your locker when managing which books to carry to which class so that you don't hurt your back carrying too much!

Secondly, finding a place to sit in the lunch room! This is cliche, certainly, but it's something that everyone has struggled with at one point or another. If you find yourself facing a lunch room full of students you hardly know, unsure of where to go sit, branch out and sit with people you don't really know as well. I know this may seem intimidating, but the lunch room can be a great portal to making new friends! Eventually, you'll become one of the "regulars" at the table, and then you'll be the one welcome new students to your table.

Finally, using a planner. Unlike college students, you're balancing six or seven classes a day. Anyone who is able to manage that without a planner is beyond me! Pick up a cool planner at the store a few weeks before school and really practice using it for everything. Write down birthdays, days you have off from school, days you plan to take vacations on, and everything in between. Once you actually start getting to classes, you'll be so used to using your planner, it will hopefully be second nature to go ahead and write down your homework assignments. Though it may seem annoying at first, it will definitely save you a lot of stress in the long run.

The most important thing about school is just to try to make light of things. Really dig into the work teachers are giving you, but don't stress yourself out too much. Utilize deep breathing techniques and just remind yourself that in the end, you'll have to work hard, but if you do, things will be okay.

Going (back) to college/university!

Starting college (or, for you Brits, university) is both exciting and scary, all at once! You are about to begin an entirely new period in your life. Chances are you’re moving away from home for the first time and will be living in on-campus housing. You probably already know the basics of what you will need to take with you when moving into your dormitory. Clothes (including socks and underwear!) and personal care items like soap, shampoo, and other toiletries go without saying. There are a lot of things that are easy to forget, though, in the excitement of preparing for school.

Using office supplies to stay organized. Keeping organized can be hard, especially when you are adjusting to a new way of living. To make things easier on yourself buy a day planner. You will want it to have enough space to write down things like homework assignments, due dates for papers, exam dates, reminders for social functions and meetings, and anything else that may come up!

Other office and study supplies you may find useful are sticky notes, highlighters, colored pens, and folders. Use cups or bins to keep your desk organized and free of clutter, and folders or binders to keep your papers in order. Making sure your papers for each of your courses are separate will alleviate the stress of finding what you need, when you need it. You might also want to invest in a magnetic dry erase board or cork board for your wall. These are usually fairly affordable and are great for pinning up reminders, important papers, phone numbers and email addresses, or whatever else you need to remember!

How could I forget? When you are moved into your dorm and all settled in, you will probably begin to notice you have forgotten a lot of things. In an attempt to avoid this, try making some lists. One list could be “things I used every day.” Go through your daily routine and write down the things you use, like a tooth brush, deodorant, and cell phone. Another list will be of things you use often or infrequently. Accidents happen and you may need Band-Aids, for example, and although you may not use them every day, Q-tips really come in handy. Don’t forget the cords to your electronics!

If you do forget things, chances are you will have the opportunity to get them later. If you are going to school far from home and will be traveling by plane or train, you may actually prefer to go shopping once you have arrived. Traveling lightly is much more convenient than packing an entire life into a suitcase or two.