Tips for a successful school year

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This year’s summer has come to an end and the time to get back into the routine of school has arrived.  Whether you (or your children) had a busy summer at camps, working or maybe just relaxing, the first few weeks can be a difficult adjustment.  We’ve put together some tips to help make this school year a successful one!

• Routine: Find an evening and morning routine that works for you and stick with it! If you’re a morning person, maybe your morning routine will include making your lunch for that day and double checking homework.  Your evening routine could include helping with dinner, completing your homework and watching TV before bed.  Whatever your routine is stick to it as you can for the first few weeks until it becomes natural.
• Waking Up: The popularity of smart phones with thousands of apps has provided numerous options of ways to make sure you actually get up in time.  Some apps require you to take a few steps with your phone in hand or shaking your phone to turn off the alarm.  These are great options for people who love to hit snooze over and over (and over) again.  However, sometimes this means that you have your phone by you in bed, which may be a distraction when it’s time to go to sleep.  If this is the case, stick with a good old fashioned alarm clock.
• Homework: While we all dread (or have dreaded) homework, it has to be completed at some point.  It’s better to get it over with sooner than later so you can have fun!  Try to get in a routine of completing your homework first and then have fun afterwards.  When given essays or tests come up, break it down into smaller tasks that you can tackle daily.
• Balance: School is not just about what you learn in the classrooms, even though that is what most of your day is spent doing.  Get involved in a club, sport or school activity.  This gives you a nice break from the school work and will introduce you to new friends who have similar interests.  There are many lessons to learn through team work and dedication.

What back to school advice do you have for others?