Back To School Tips

Hello everyone! Yes, it's Monday, the dreaded day of doom and destruction

Anyways, I think by this time everyone has already started school. This year I'm a junior, so I'd just thought I'd share some wisdom that I've earned over the years

[what wisdom??]

*throws Lina out*

Just a note before we begin, most of these tips are geared towards homeschoolers (and MoDGers more specifically), but as for the rest of you, feel free to pick and choose which ones work for you!

1. Don't snooze your alarm

This is sooo important! It may not seem like it, but it is! I read in "Seven Habits for Highly Effective Teens" (which I highly recommend) that every day is a series of battles that you win or lose, and the outcome of these battles is how your day goes. The first battle of your day is when your alarm goes off. If you hit that snooze button, then bed wins over mind, and the rest of your day will be sluggish. But if you jump right out, then mind wins out of bed, and you'll be more productive. I'm not kidding! Whenever I don't hit my snooze button I feel that I'm more productive!

2. Start your day off with prayer

This has also helped me be more productive. If you start your day off with God, then you will also see an increase in productivity. What I do it say a morning offering, and if I have my prayer book (I can't remember the name at this moment....but it goes like Carmelite Prayers by St. Therese of the Little Flower or something like that...) I say the morning prayers. If I don't, then I make up a small one. Then I read 1 chapter of the Bible. I have a small notebook that I keep for that and I have three questions I ask myself for each chapter: Where, What, Why. Where is for where in the Bible is this (so, for example, Genesis Chapter 8), What is for what verse stood out to me, and Why is why that verse stood out to me. I do all of this even before I turn on my computer and it really, really helps!

3. Close all your tabs

Since all of my school is online, I usually have a lot of tabs open. The most distracting one is my email because Hangouts will normally distract me. Word of advice, CLOSE ALL YOUR TABS. I print out my syllabus so I don't have to have that tab open. So please, close your tabs.

4. Schedule everything

This year I decided to schedule everything. And I mean everything. Here's an example of my Monday schedule:

I haven't been following it very faithfully as of yet because the first two weeks are weird with classes and Labor Day, but I have been getting better, and I seem to be getting more things done!

5. Do things in chunks

I've found (and this goes with #4) that if I schedule things in chunks, I'm more likely to get it done. Instead of just having no schedule whatsoever and just mindlessly going through schoolwork.

6. Allow for music practice times

This also goes with #4 and 5 and is for you musicians. I know its SUPER hard to get all of your practicing in. Believe me. That's why I do some schoolwork, then some violin, more school, more violin. That's the only way you're going to be able to fit in all the practicing you have to do.

7. Take small breaks

If need be, just take a break. Maybe you can't get that one Algebra problem and you're still thinking about that History paper, Latin exercise, Religion question and it's all running together. JUST TAKE A BREAK and clear your mind.

8. Go to bed no later than 10:30

I know, I know it's really tempting to stay up till midnight finishing that Algebra II homework, but you need rest! Go to bed no later than 10:30 and your body AND mind will thank you.

9. Allow yourself some downtime

Downtime is important. Maybe on the weekends just read that book on your TBR list. Write some, take a walk. This was all mentioned in "7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens", allowing your body to rest is just as important as getting all your schoolwork done, or else you'll burn out and your school won't come out the way you want it to.

10. Don't beat yourself up

If you got a B instead of an A, don't beat yourself up. It does no good and it isn't good for you mental health. Just take a deep breath, promise yourself that you'll do better, and move on. That's all you can do.

11. Don't procrastinate

This is literally the worst thing you can do. You keep putting things off until you're behind 10 lessons in math, 15 Religion papers, and you're running against the clock trying to turn things in on time.

12. Try to turn things in on time

This goes hand-in-hand with the last one. At the end of last year, I was sooo behind. I was writing 2 Religion papers a day, 2 Latin quizzes, believe me, you do yourself a HUGE favor by turning things in on time

13. Have "that one friend"

Have that "one friend" that you can gripe to whenever you want. I have this one friend (and we're actually in 2 of the same classes) and you know, it's awesome to just be able to chat her and rant about, well, anything!

14. Listen to music

Maybe this is just me, but I need to have something playing in my ears to concentrate. If this is you also, here are some things to keep in mind. When doing schoolwork the involves reading (History, Religion, Intro to Philosophy, Chemistry) listen to soundtracks. If you listen to music with words, you can find yourself skim reading instead of really reading the text. For subjects that are more "mechanical" (for lack of a better word)(Math, Latin) then it doesn't matter what music you listen to. Just never listen to an audiobook while doing schoolwork :P

Are any of these tips helpful? Which one do you most agree with? Any back to school tips of your own?