After a long summer break, starting a new school year can be both exciting and challenging.
How to set good habits? What do you need to be successful this year? What do you want your style to be like?
We’re going to discuss this and more in this article.
Let’s get fresh
To begin with, it is possible to improve your school year by investing in a few things.
Investing in the right things can make a huge impact on your outcome, and your experience as a whole.
Let’s get right into it.
1. Backpack
A good backpack is going to be your closest friend all year long. For this, it is important to choose one that suits your needs.
- Do you typically spend the whole day at school? Or go only for a few hours?
- Do you have large books/laptop or a small backpack would work?
- Do you need enough space to carry your lunch/snacks? Or do you use an extra bag for this?
- Can you place a water bottle securely?
2. Shoes
This is mostly neglected, but you typically walk a lot as a student. From your house to school to running between classrooms or going for an after school activity with your friends.
Choosing your shoes wisely will allow you to be supported, and be able to comfortably join any plans that require a lot of walking.
3. Style
Do you want to look different? Or want to have something that maybe reflects your personality and protects your style?
I’m sharing with you here some ideas to show your style with confidence:
Fresh hairstyle
It's easy to showcase your style with a new haircut, even if appearance isn't everything.
New set of clothes
Similar to the haircut, the way you dress can tell a lot about you. Are you more into Streetwear, Classic, Vintage, Sporty, or something else?
If you’re looking to start the year with a completely new style, you can browse the different styles on Pinterest, and see what appeals the most to you.
New desk setup
Your environment matters. Having a setup that reflects your personality can make that experience more pleasant.
Some ways to freshen up your desk setup is adding organizers to it, some colors through post-its or posters, motivational quotes on your desk wall. A comfortable chair to support your back and posture, a desk mat to protect your space and a floor mat to support your chair and protect your floor.
Let’s get things done
We've discussed how acquiring new things can enhance your experience as a student. Now let's discuss how organization can help.
1. How to organize my mind?
Getting things done is the biggest challenge that most students face. It is typical to do everything at the last minute. Do you recognize that? Let me then tell you how you can avoid that, and still have plenty of time to play or do things that you love.
It is normal to be confused when we don’t take the time to reflect on what we want.
Tip:
- On a piece of paper, write down everything you want to achieve during that school year. It could be reading more books, sleeping earlier, having more energy, getting good grades, exercising more, getting better at a specific language, etc. Apply it to your priorities.
- When you have this written down, it becomes more tangible, and you have more clarity on the things that you want to achieve.
- You can write a shortlist of the main things that you want to focus on and hang it in front of your desk or anywhere that you can see it often. This will remind you of what you’re working towards whenever you feel demotivated.
2. How to organize my time?
Now that you have more clarity on what you want to achieve, it is not enough to write it down without taking any actions.
Tip 1: Break down your goals into smaller steps
Turn your big objectives to smaller actionable to do’s.
For example, if your goal is to wake up earlier, your action points would be to go to bed at 10 PM, stop using screens 1 hour before bed, do a relaxing activity before bed to wind down, keep your alarm on the other side of the room to avoid snoozing, etc.
Another example could be learning or improving your skills in a foreign language. You could schedule 10min in your calendar to practice that language in an app like Duolingo, read a text, listen to a song and explain the lyrics, watch a video, etc.
The idea should be clear to you by now. When you schedule things, even if it’s for 10 minutes, you make sure you get them done.
Tip 2: Use the Pomodoro technique
Another tip that can help with getting your homework done or preparing for exams in an efficient way is the Pomodoro technique.
- Set the timer to 25 minutes and focus on one task. (Here's an online Pomodoro Tracker)
- Take a short 5-minute break.
- After 3-4 work periods of 25 minutes, take a longer 20-30 minute break.
So when you are struggling to focus or start, remind your brain that we are only working for 25 minutes. But most of the times, you just need to get started.
3. How to organize my studying space?
Tip 1: Reduce clutter
Take anything that is not useful out of your desk, and use a desk protector to have a defined place for each element.
Visually organizing your workspace allows you to easily eliminate items that don't belong.
Moreover, you’re protecting your desk from ink, drink spills or anything that could damage it.
Tip 2: Keep distractions out of reach
During a focus session, leave distracting devices like your phone out of reach.
Social media is more likely to take you by habit if your phone is nearby.
Tip 3: Get a comfortable seat and supporting mat for it
A good seat is important to focus and work comfortably without pain or aches. A good chair should support your back, your arms and have the flexibility to move back and forth, and adjust to your desk height.
To support the chair and let it roll on your floor, a floor protector is handy. It would allow you to move your chair without issues, work securely as long as it has a good grip on the floor, and also support your feet while studying.
Conclusion
The school year will be more enjoyable if you are prepared.
By organizing your mind, time, and space, you will be able to accomplish more and thus spend more time with your loved ones.
When you plan your studying, you will be less likely to procrastinate and more motivated to do well because you'll start seeing the benefits right away.
How else are you preparing for the school year? Let us know in the comments!