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By on August 14, 2013 in Academic Life
Image by Christopher Neugebauer, Flickr

Image by Christopher Neugebauer, Flickr

Summer is coming to a close and everyone is doing all they can to soak up their last few days of sunshine and freedom. While you attempt to claim every second of your vacation, you should also be mentally preparing yourself for the rigours of school. It will help reduce stress levels and get you on a good start to an amazing school year.

Adjust your Sleep Schedule

You may be used to sleeping at 1 A.M. and waking up at noon, but you should start getting your body used to your school schedule. If you have 9 A.M. classes in the fall and need to be awake by 7 A.M. to get ready and commute, consider being in bed by 11 P.M. or earlier. It will help you wake up with ease on that dreaded September day and beat the tiredness and grumpiness your classmates will feel.

Go Back-to-School Shopping

Nothing gets you in the mood for school like back-to-school shopping. A lot of stores currently have great deals on pens, paper, planners, laptops, tablets, and other school supplies. Seeing others in the store preparing for school with shopping carts piled high with notebooks and pens is extremely motivational, and dare I say it, even exciting. Getting lost in the stationery aisle is a personal favourite activity of mine. Once you’re stocked up, you’ll be ready to take plenty of notes!

Hang Out at School

Before you accuse me of rambling like a nerd, think about it. Being around school is a great way to avoid being overwhelmed on the first day. It’s like dipping your toes into the pool before diving in, and you can enjoy the campus without stress. Get yourself acclimated to the school and navigate your way around before the crowds of students come in. Visit your classrooms or find your new favourite study spot in the library. Especially helpful for first year students, you’ll be able to get comfortable in an unfamiliar setting.

Pre-read Your Textbooks

Not exactly the most fun summer activity, but it will help lessen your stress in the coming weeks. If you’re lucky enough to have a list of required textbooks early, purchase and read the first few chapters. During the school year, it will feel like you have no time to read. You will thank yourself for tackling a bit of it in the summer and eliminating some stress. If you can get a hold of your course syllabus, you can get yourself ready for the course load and help relieve some academic anxiety.

What if you don’t have your book list yet? Get in the habit of reading. If you haven’t cracked open a book in a while, it will be difficult to adjust to the amount of reading you will have to do in school. Get yourself prepared by reading a couple pages of a book – any book – every day.

Think of Ways to Improve

Everyone makes several mistakes in their previous year of school. Reflect on the last year, whether it was in university or high school, and think about the things you want to improve upon, whether academic or social. University is all about self-improvement and preparing yourself to be an incredible human being. Start off your list with something everyone should improve on: remembering to relax and have fun!

By on July 24, 2013 in Academic Life

 

Image by John Loo, Flickr

Image by John Loo, Flickr

The first day of school is uncomfortable for everybody. It will be even more uncomfortable if you don’t learn to embrace the discomfort. Use the first day of school to step out of your comfort zone because it will help make your transition into post-secondary life easier. Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your first day:

  1. Don’t get lost on campus. Before classes start, map out where your classes are and attempt to walk from classroom to classroom. If you need to, print out a map of campus so you don’t get lost in the crowd on the first day.
  2. Get lost on campus. Only do this if you’re done classes or have some time before your next class. You’ll have a lot of fun discovering all of the buildings, restaurants and facilities in your school. It will also help you familiarize yourself with the campus.
  3. Talk to strangers. Talk to the person beside you in class, on the bus and in line at the coffee shop. You’ll meet new people and you’ll also have someone to talk to in class or on the bus in the future. Soon, they won’t be strangers anymore, and instead, your best friends.
  4. Attend Frosh/back to school events. A great way to meet new people and have a lot of fun at the same time. Frosh events are specially tailored to help first years get to know each other. Don’t miss out because you only get to go to frosh once.
  5. Approach club booths. A lot of clubs start advertising and allowing members to join early in the school year. Start getting to know what kinds of clubs are in your school. Sign up for any that seem interesting to you.
  6. Introduce yourself to your professors. It can be a simple “Hello, my name is ___. I look forward to your class this term.” at the end of class. It will make a good impression and help spark a relationship that will be extremely important in the middle of the school year when you’re struggling on an assignment.
  7. Pack light. Some paper, a pen and some food is enough for your first day. You won’t have any books because your reading list hasn’t been given to you yet and professors usually spend the first day reading the course syllabus. You don’t want to break your back carrying a laptop and other paraphernalia you don’t need.
  8. Make mistakes. The first day of school may seem like a big deal, but it really isn’t. It’s just another day out of the many that you spend in school. You’re going to forget most of what you did on the first day anyways, so don’t worry if you accidentally walk into the wrong classroom! Good luck!