Back to school season is upon us! Students everywhere have already returned to school or will be doing so soon, so it's time to put our lives back together and readjust to the school routine. It's different for everyone, but I have a few key things I do before going back to school that make the transition easier.
1. Get back into a routine!
For a lot of students, summer means messing up their sleep patterns by going to bed very late and sleeping very late. This habit isn't my style personally, but I know it doesn't fly when you're back to a school schedule. The day feels a lot worse after staying up until 1 am and then having an 8 am class. Save yourself the trouble and fix your sleep schedule before classes start.
I also like to incorporate different routines, like when to exercise or work on my hobbies. Having a set routine and sticking to it even as you're moving to a different place or just dealing with the madness of a new school year in general helps keep a sense of normalcy.
2. Take stock of all your stuff and figure out what you need.
For anyone living in dorms, your living space might change every year but the stuff you bring into each one will stay relatively the same. Before moving back to school, go through everything you brought home and see what you need to stock up on, replace, or get rid of. Do you really need to hang on to the stack of papers from last semester's class? Are the straps on your backpack falling apart? What cleaning supplies do you need? I like to try having most of the essentials ready when I move in, and then I can pick up any extras that I forgot later.
3. Stay updated with the information coming from your campus.
Every college campus will be different, but when everyone is coming back, it gets hectic. Make sure you know your move in time if it's specific, and where you go to do the move-in procedures. The locations of your classes might not be finalized until the first day, so check your schedule often and the platform your campus uses for announcements. Pay attention to things like meetings for everyone in your living area, or a back-to-school party your department puts on. Don't feel pressured to go to everything, but be aware of what's happening around you!
4. Talk to your friends/roommates!
It will be so useful to coordinate with roommates before school starts and you all move in so you can figure out who is bringing what. It's a good idea to get to know them better and social media makes it really easy. Contact your friends and make plans to catch up, or figure out when you can talk to friends from home if you moved away from home for school. Keeping up with those relationships will help make the transition easier!
5. Prepare as much as you can!
This can look different for everyone, but make sure you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing and when for the first few weeks. Set up your bullet journal spreads if you use that system, keep a copy of your schedule on your phone and in your planner, write down your work hours if you have a job, everything. Reminding yourself of all these things frequently will help you remember them and make your life easier.
For everyone going back to school, good luck! Thanks for reading,
xx, Hannah