By Carly Cantor
It’s the beginning of the school year, and kids are already stressed. Personally, I think back to school is hard because of how drastic of a change it is from summertime relaxation. School is difficult and demanding, it takes up a lot of your time. Nobody enjoys that, let’s be honest. However, I do think it is important to make it a main focus. There’s balance in that, though. You could dedicate some of your time to your studies, and the other to talking to your friends. Time management is one of the largest issues students have, and it’s also one of the most important.
When I was younger, I would always look up back to school tips on the internet. I would always hope there would be some sort of guide, and there are many of them. However, none of them really got me what I needed. Usually they were along the lines of what to wear, or tricks to eat in class. There was a lack of study videos or anything actually educational. I realize now that this was an issue, and I was always so focused on aesthetics rather than trying to better myself.
I strive to be what younger me lacked, or rather be the guide that I needed. I was never studious, I never enjoyed reading or anything that could possibly increase my knowledge. But, I child, so it does make sense. In this article, I will take on this role. The following list will be the tips I could have used, the tips that I think are critical and that everybody needs.
- Time Management. I cannot stress enough how important time management is. Cramming for that exam will not help you in the long run, you’ll forget everything. Instead of that FaceTime call, put some time into your next homework assignment you know you’re procrastinating. You don’t have to cut your free-time out of the picture, just substitute the unnecessary amounts of time.
- Take Notes and Study Them. We all forget things our teachers say in class, then next thing you know it ends up as a question on a test. Taking notes is essential to learning. Notes record everything you’ll need to know in an easily accessible way, and sometimes teachers even let you use them on assignments or quizzes. Studying is not only paramount, but it can also be somewhat fun if you have a study group. I can guarantee you that writing things down makes it so much easier to remember.
- Always Check Your Assignments. Even if you know you’ve accomplished everything you needed to do, double check. You never want to miss anything. It’s never a good look to have make-up/late work when you aren’t absent from the class.
- Be Nice To Your Teachers, Make Them Like You. If your teachers like you, they may let certain things slide. It’s also just much easier to make conversation in class with them when they like you. Simply pay attention, don’t annoy them, do your work, and be kind.
- Do Things In Advance. I don’t recommend always following this rule, usually your teacher will specify whether or not you should wait to complete your assignment. If they give you the okay, complete things early. It makes life a lot less stressful and gives you more liberty to do what you want.
- Have A Routine. This could apply for many different things. You could have a certain playlist you study with at a certain time of day, or something more complex. In any case, routines help keep you on task and doing what you need to do. Put together an organized routine and you’re set.
School will always be stressful, no doubt about that, but hopefully this advice will help you this year. If you truly stick with it, you’ll be completely fine.
Sincerely, your local teen talk writer, Carly Cantor