We’re here to help you be a Great Student.

It’s that time of year again.

Time to go BACK TO SCHOOL.

Are you ready?

You might be nervous if school hasn’t always gone smoothly for you.

We have 10 pieces of advice that should make a big difference.

Ready?

Tip #1: Get Organized.

This means cleaning your room and making sure you have a place for all your books, class

notes, and office supplies.

Find yourself a clean, quiet, well-lit place to read and write.

It’s much easier to focus if you’re not surrounded by noise and clutter.

This might mean turning an unused corner of your house into your special study area.

Or, you might want to scope out the best place in the library where you can get work done.

Just find it, now, so you’re not scrambling once school starts.

If you’re sharing a dorm room, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan for those

times when your roommate has company.

Tip #2: Buy Office Supplies.

GOD I LOVE THIS PART.

Now, you don’t have to go crazy like I do.

But get your supplies before they’re all picked over.

Binders, spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, highlighters, calculator, ruler,

index cards...and find a nice way to store all of these things so they’re easy to find

when you need them.

Each of these supplies play a different role in your studying.

You may not use all of them…(but I do).

You don’t have to spend a fortune here - the index cards from the discount store do the

same job as the ones from that fancy stationery place.

But it is a nice idea to make one of your office supplies a special treat, so you smile

every time you use it.

Tip #3 Buy and USE a planner.

You might think this belongs with Tip #2, office supplies, but I believe in this tip

so strongly, it deserves special mention.

A planner is the key to managing your time.

If you’re already using an electronic planner, like Google Calendar,

feel free to keep using that.

But if you’ve never kept a calendar before, start with a paper planner.

There’s something to be said for writing out all your tests and assignments in one

place, so you can see everything at a glance.

Tip #4 Pick your Classes carefully.

You might not have any choice at all, here - if you’re in high school or a very structured

major in college.

But if you are in the position to pick any classes you want, approach this with care.

Write out your classes on paper, and look for any conflicts.

Are all of your classes jammed together in the morning, and you’re not a morning person?

Don’t do that to yourself.

If you can, arrange to take your classes when you are at your best.

Think about having enough free time to study and get your work done between each class.

Make sure there are enough blocks of time to devote to homework, eating, exercising,

and sleeping.

Tip #5 Read your Syllabus.

Your instructors put a lot of work into this document.

Don’t lose it!

It will tell you all about the class rules, grading policies, and other essential information.

Is your class graded on a curve?

That’s in the syllabus.

What do you do if you’re sick?

Look at the syllabus.

Before you raise your hand in the middle of class to ask about turning something in late

- check your syllabus.

I bet what you need to know is in there.

Tip #6 Don’t Procrastinate.

Your Planner and your syllabus are your best friends, here.

As soon as you find out when your tests and major assignments are,

write them in your planner.

Then count backwards, and write in as many blocks of time in your calendar as you’ll

need to finish your work without cramming it all in at the last minute.

It’s too easy to fool yourself into thinking you have all the time in the world.

If you write it in your planner, you’ll be able to see when you REALLY need to start

your work.

Tip #7 Tackle your hardest task first.

Now that you have everything written out in your handy dandy planner, you know what to

do, right?

Or... do you still fall into the trap of putting off the tasks you’re not looking forward

to?

You need to read 10 pages of grammar by your next German class, but...you’d really rather

do your math homework.

Do the hard stuff first.

Otherwise, you’ll always find something else you’d rather be doing.

Here’s where using the Pomodoro technique really comes in handy.

Rather than thinking of it as 10 LONG PAGES, set a timer for 20 minutes and work hard

during that time.

I bet you’ll get a lot more studying done in that little burst of time

than you thought you could.

Take a break for 10 minutes, then set your timer for another 20 minutes.

GO.

Get it done!

You’ll be much happier without that dreaded task hanging over you all day.

Tip #8 Talk to your Instructors.

What do you do if you find yourself lost in a class?

Talk to your teacher.

They don’t bite.

I’m not suggesting you go to them with every minor little problem.

If you have a little question about the class, first, check your syllabus

and your class notes.

The answer is probably there.

But if not, ask your classmates.

If you STILL don’t know what to do, send your instructor a very, very polite email.

They are VERY busy.

But they really do want to see you succeed.

If you’re in a big college class with Teaching Assistants, start by contacting your TA - they

probably have a better chance of knowing who you are and how to help you.

Tip #9 Get enough sleep.

You know how much sleep you need.

What happens if you go to bed and you don’t set an alarm - how many hours do you sleep

before you wake up, naturally?

I’m expecting a number between 7 and 9 hours here.

That’s your goal.

When do you need to wake up in the morning so you’re not rushing around all stressed?

Let’s say 8 AM.

Now count backwards.

You’ll find - maybe to your chagrin, that this means you need to be in bed by midnight.

This is not something to fight, or pretend that it doesn’t exist.

This is what your body NEEDS to be healthy.

This is what YOU need to be happy and productive.

You’re not going to be able to do your best work if you’re constantly sleep-deprived.

Please take this seriously.

Tip #10 Stay positive.

I know it can be really hard to put a big smile on your face when you’re worried about

doing well in school.

But all that worrying isn’t helping you.

Try to focus on why you are in school - to learn, to become an informed person.

Every day that you learn something new, every bit of progress you make -

gets you closer to your goal.

We have access to education, more so than at any time in human history.

What a gift.

What an incredible time to be alive.

How do YOU get yourself ready to go Back to School?

If you have more tips for this school year, share them below in the comments.

I’m expecting great things from you, my Socratica Friends.

Getting yourself prepared for school is an important part of being a Great Student.

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