Gearing back up to return to school brings with it a flurry of emotions (especially for many of you who have been under Covid-19 lockdowns for a year); there’s the inevitable sadness that the homeschooling routines are over, the excitement of maybe seeing old friends, combined with the anticipation of having to make sure you’re fully prepared for what the new academic year will bring. When trying to make sure you’re fully prepared, there are two main areas to consider apart from obvious Covid safety protocols. First of all, there are the actual academic preparations, but then there are also ways you can prepare yourself mentally and put yourself in the best possible position to have a successful year.
Going straight to working away at in-person school can feel like a dramatic shift, so transitioning slowly with these preparations can itself be an excellent way to get your head in the right space.
Making Sure You Have the Supplies You’ll Need
It’s best not to be that person that shows up for a fresh year of school equipped with nothing more than a single pen; it’s bold, but it’s certainly not prepared. There’s a wide range of stationery you could end up finding useful throughout your subjects, but what you need in that regard may be something that becomes more apparent to you as the term progresses rather than before you arrive.
Organizing your schoolwork with folders and color-coding techniques can be a great way to help information really stick, making it something to consider before going back to school if you’re looking to reinvent how you learn.
And don’t forget your hand sanitizer!
Eye Tests and Being Able to See the Board
If you’ve never had an eye exam before, now might be the best time to look into getting one. It’s not always easy to tell when your vision is in need of some help, and it’s better to get any issues resolved before you run into any problems with your eyes during a lesson. Unfortunately, the amount of time you spend exposed to screens, be it a phone, computer, or TV screen, can also have a detrimental effect on your eyesight.
There are plenty of methods available to curb the potential risks of spending too much time looking at screens, from lowering the amount of blue light emitted by your phone and ensuring you get enough time looking around at the real world, but it doesn’t hurt to have a professional check your eyesight.
Get Your Sleep Schedule Back on Track
Homeschooling because of the the coronavirus can lead to some pretty late nights and midday rises – there’s no shame in it; it’s just how it goes. However, with the slightly less flexible school schedule rapidly approaching, it’s advisable to use the time you have left to gradually readjust your sleep schedule to a more consistent and earlier one, just to prepare you for those unpleasant early starts. If you’re struggling to fall asleep earlier now that you’ve gotten used to your new nocturnal lifestyle, this could also be a good opportunity to discover what helps you to fall asleep – with some popular choices being listening to ambient noise, audiobooks, or making the day full enough to make you sufficiently tired by the time night rolls around.
Additional resources:
- Cerebral Palsy Family Network
- How to handle difficulty as a teen
- Puberty and the pandemic