Starting a new school year means lots of new topics to learn, summer projects to complete and a new busy schedule to grasp. For many students, heading back to school can feel a little overwhelming and getting organised can be tricky. With organisation strongly linked to academic success, it’s important for students to be prepared for the new term and ready to learn. We’ve put together a few helpful ways that students can get organised to help them stay on top of their studies and head back to school feeling confident and equipped.
1. Keep A Planner
When getting organised for a new school year, it’s key for students to have a planner they can use to write down any important dates, homework deadlines, exams and other commitments. Not having somewhere to map out their schedule can cause confusion and is how deadlines start being missed. Encourage students to start checking for any key dates they already have coming up and marking these in their planner. This can even include the date they go back to school and dates summer projects are due in. We also recommend using a planner small enough to carry around with them- this way they will be able to fill it out or reference it while they’re at school.
2. Establish A Study Routine
When wanting to be as organised as possible for the new school year, it’s a good idea for students to establish a study routine they can stick to once they’re back at school. Start by determining a time that daily schoolwork can be completed- for most this will be straight after school while they’re still in studying mode. Others may need down time first and start working a little later on. Once a time has been decided, it’s important that students stick with it, even if they don’t feel like it- this way homework doesn’t build up and they will have the time they need to stay on top of their studies.
3. Print Timetables Ready For The First Week
Timetables usually change every year, so it’s a great idea to see if students are able to access and print out their new schedule a week or so before they head back to school. Printing out a hard copy and having it at home will help them be prepared for what’s coming up and be able to get organised for their first week.
4. Organise Study Materials
It’s likely students will already have lots of study materials from the previous year, so it’s a good idea to start by taking time to organise these before they go back to school. Encourage them to recycle any papers that are no longer relevant and divide important notes into subject folders. Once they’ve organised older work, we recommend getting a couple of new files for the new year and labelling them specifically for each subject so they’re ready to file away important school work or revision notes. Having study materials organised will not only mean students can easily find study notes for a particular subject quickly but also helps keep work space calm and clutter free.
5. Plan Out Some Time To Complete Summer Projects
A couple of weeks before the new school year resumes, it’s important for students to take stock and check how their summer homework is coming along. Encourage them to start their study routine a few weeks early and spend an hour or so each day working on completing their projects so they’re ready for the new school year.
6. Use A ‘Back To School’ Checklist
Normally students will need a few supplies for the new school year. This can include uniform, stationary, a backpack and school books. Get students to write out a big checklist of everything they need so they can start seeing what they already have in the house, what can be re-used and what needs to be bought. We recommend starting supply shopping with students sooner rather than later- this way when it comes to the week before school, everyone will be feeling organised and ready to go!
