The fall semester has officially arrived and transitioning back to school after summer can be a tough challenge. Late-night binge watching and the excitement that summer brings is now about to meet those early mornings and assignments with looming deadlines. But don’t fear, because I have some tips for you to prepare yourself for classes and ways that you can make the transition from summer break to school easier.Â
Managing your sleep schedule will probably be the most difficult part about returning to school. Now that school is back, you will have to adjust to going to sleep and waking up earlier than you may have over the summer. To help manage that change, you could try listening to sleep sounds, like white noise or ambient music, or journaling before bed to clear your mind. You could also set your bedtime 30 minutes earlier each night to gradually fix your routine.
I also recommend that, if you are a returning student but are new to your class locations, you get up early on the first day to find your classes before they start. If possible, you can also try to find your class location the day before you have class as well. This helps to make sure you aren’t running around in a frenzy before your classes start.
Some classes can be back-to-back with a short timeframe in between them, and some professors may count you absent if you’re not there on time. So, you want to be sure that you know where to go so it doesn’t cost you when the semester starts.
Having the tools and supplies needed for school is also very important. Supplies like your class books may take weeks to arrive, so don’t wait until the first day of school to order them; delays can happen, especially when most people are ordering at the same time.
If the bookstore is low on books or is out of your price range, you can search for copies on Amazon, Thriftbooks, Abe Books, or World of Books. These companies may offer cheaper prices than what you may pay in the bookstore and may arrive sooner as well.
Running into financial problems, like FAFSA, can be distracting. I recommend you check your eStallion account on the ABAC website before classes start and talk to Financial Aid, which is located on the first floor of Carlton, with any questions about charges, scholarships, and grants. It’s better to square away your finances as soon as you can than to deal with it when the semester starts, because you will already have enough on your hands.
Extracurricular activities are also something I would look at, especially if you want to hit the ground running once the semester starts. There are several clubs and activities at ABAC that you can get involved with that can benefit you in your chosen field. To look at clubs before classes start, check out the Campus Life section on the ABAC website. There, you’ll find a list of clubs and organizations along with contact info for advisors and presidents in case you’re interested. Getting a head start on looking at some of these wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially if you have a certain one in mind.
Lastly, set goals for what you want to get out of the school year. Setting goals like staying organized, avoiding procrastination, and regular attendance can be easy to write down, but applying them can be hard to do. This is where optimizing time management and planning comes into play. If you plan out your day and set a schedule of when to get things done, then you are more likely to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. By setting goals and planning out how to achieve them, you can stay motivated and provide a sense of purpose, especially when classes may seem hard at times.
Having goals and finding tips and tricks to help you prepare for the school year not only gets you ready, but it also provides you with a sense of confidence because you feel as though you’re ready to take on the school year and to put your best foot forward. No matter what comes your way this school year, with proper planning and execution, you can be better prepared to take it on and be ready to achieve anything that you set yourself towards.