For some starting school again means piles of spiral notebooks filled with scribbles, working through winter and spring break because you are behind, and sitting blank-faced in front of a computer screen wondering how many months until summer. But starting school again doesn’t have to mean any of that. Here are 5 things you can do with your time instead of counting off the days till summer.
Note-taking
You can use your notes during most all your quizzes, make sure you have them! They save so much test-taking stress. Handwriting your notes on paper can help you to better understand and remember your lessons. It’s best to keep your notes to the main points, keywords and concepts, definitions, and examples. No need to be writing down your whole lesson! How you organize your notes is up to you. Below are some examples you can follow. Remember to keep your notes neat and to use your own words.
Lesson Name Lesson name Lesson name
Main Point Main Point Main points Details in
Detail Key concepts and examples. in the left Right column
Detail use different color highlighters column
Detail for definitions and keywords
Main Point
Detail Summary at the bottom
Detail
Detail
2. Organizing your classes
No matter what grade you're in, you have different classes. Keeping a separate folder and notebook for each class can help you stay organized. Writing out on paper what classes you have to do and how many lessons a day can keep your week more organized too. Progress monitoring sheets are already a big help, but writing them out and putting them where you can see them can help you stay focused.
3. Take breaks
Instead of sitting in front of your computer staring at nothing, give yourself a 5-minute break. Take a short walk or something else that gives your brain a mental break. It helps.
4. Sleep and Exercise
Perhaps the most overlooked, sleep and physical exercise have a profound impact on your school work. Multiple studies have been done and have proven exercising, especially cardio, can help your brain function better. For example, running has been associated with improving an area of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Also, did you know the average teen gets 7 hours of sleep when they should be getting 9 ½? How many hours do you get? It could be the reason you are having a harder time doing schoolwork.
5. Have a Study space
No matter if you have a laptop or a computer, having a designated, clean, and organized area for schooling can help you to be more productive, Don’t allow distractions (T.V. and iPhones and such) to be in your study space. Have things you might need (pencils, pens, notebooks, sticky-notes) here so you won’t need to search for them -which often leads to getting distracted- Putting up reminders on sticky notes and a calendar can help you be focused in this area too.
Starting school back up is hard, but it doesn’t need to stay that way. We don’t always get to choose our circumstances, but we choose how we react. How we react shows what kind of person we are and what kind we want to be. So, use this newfound motivation and get to work!