Having spent several weeks hanging out, catching up with friends, maybe going off on holiday, or perhaps earning some money, it is around this time of the year that reality begins to return. At least, the reality of having to head back to your studies! The first signs are those dreaded ‘Back to School’ campaigns that start running in the shops – reminding you that your summer holiday is coming to a close. But how do you make the whole experience a little less traumatic – and make sure you are ready when the first term of the new year rolls around?
If you are heading to a new college or course, then it is easy to look upon this as the time to prepare for a new challenge. A new course or college equals a chance to not only move beyond any past mistakes, but also build on your best qualities and start over. Even if you are not heading off to a new college, and are simply starting a new year of an existing course, you can look upon this as the chance for a fresh start and a final push towards your hoped-for grades.
If you are continuing with an existing course, make sure to go through your files from last year and get them organised. Throw out any unwanted loose scraps of paper, order your notes, and make sure everything is set for the new term. Chances are you haven’t looked at your college work in some weeks, so take time to get everything organised for the new academic year.
Of course, if you are heading off on a new course you won’t have any papers or files to get organised, but you can still get ready for the new start and make sure you are ready to hit the ground running and make the best start possible.
Make sure you have any supplies you might need, from pens to paper, and of course a bag to carry everything in. If you rare using your old bag from last year, clean it out and make sure it is ready to go with everything you might need. It’s not just about stationary and books either, how about other useful items, such as a pack of tissues?
Whether or not you use the new academic year as an excuse to go on a shopping spree, freshening up your supplies is a cheap and easy way to give yourself a boost ahead of the new school or college year. You might want to go all out and start afresh with a new bag, supplies, and everything else, or you may stick with a few favourite items from last year.
However, checking your supplies will make sure you are not caught out at the start of term, while getting some new things will provide you with a little psychological reboot for the new term.
So, rather than putting off the inevitable, only to find out that you are not ready to get back into the swing of college life, take an afternoon or two to look over what you might need, and get yourself prepared for a new start!
