Start a Great School Year

Do you want to leave all the troubles of last year's school year behind you and start fresh? How should you do it? Keep on reading, and then....you'll know!

Steps

  1. Resolve that this is a fresh, brand new school year. You can just leave all of your troubles, bad grades, grudges, enemies, or fights behind. Start FRESH!
  2. Go school shopping for your school supplies. You will need a backpack, pencils, pens, paper, folders, etc. - all of the usual supplies. Buy the folders you like best. Dress them up with stickers or doodles. The more amusing your folders are to you, the more you will love to take them out and do your homework!
  3. Let people know by your actions that this is a fresh new you! Don't hunch over your books or shuffle with your head down while walking. Stand up straight and proud, walk tall, and let your books feel like they are in great hands! Be friendly in the hall, say hi to your friends, and to new people you recognize from classes. If you are new at public school, keep in mind that all the freshmen are new, too. You will all make new friends this year. If you are new at a private school, this may not be the case, but all the freshmen are new to the idea of high school and are still just as scared as you. Look for friendly people in class, at lunch, or at your locker (if you don't have a locker, then nearby your desk). Having good friends will boost your confidence, and you will have a great time at school!
  4. Join some teams or clubs. Don't be scared. Everyone else is probably just as nervous as you are. If volleyball is really what you want to do, but all of your friends are into soccer, play volleyball anyway - you'll make new friends on that team. You don't have to run with just one crowd all the time. Have friends in all sorts of places, so that you'll feel comfortable wherever you are.
  5. Take notes in class and listen to the teacher! You may have heard this a lot of times before and think classes are lame, but this is such a good idea. If you do listen to the teacher and take notes, you will save so much time on homework, and you will actually "learn"! That is why you go to school! School is not just a place you sit at desks and stare at the chalk, and then socialize with your friends.
  6. Study. Decide right away that you will put some effort into it. If you find you have a hard time focusing when studying alone at home, see if you can find a study partner, or even better, a study group (three or four people who will agree to study together). You'd be surprised at how much your study improves when you have someone else to quiz you and how much less nervous you are about tests. Which brings us to...
  7. Do NOT panic when you hear, "There will be a test tomorrow on chapters 5-7 in your Math textbook!" If you panic, it will not help. It may just make things worse. Relax and go over your notes and textbook. Read it through one time quickly. Then read it again - you will probably actually understand it. If you create a mental picture it in your head, it's more likely you will remember that picture while doing the test.
  8. Find out how to graduate with honors. It may sound strange to think about this from Day One, but the truth is, if you ask your teachers and counselors early what you can do to earn honors for graduation, you will be better able to work toward them. It will give you a goal to strive toward.
  9. Treat everyone equally, with respect and dignity - just like you want them to treat you. Don't let people walk all over you. Be polite, but set your limits. Think about the nicest person you know - that person that everyone says, "Oh, she's nice, she never says anything bad about anyone," or "That guy is great - he's so polite." Try to be like that yourself, and remember how good you feel when someone else is nice to you for no reason at all. It makes your day - and you can pay that forward to someone else every single day, whether it's the class jock or the class geek. There's an old saying: "It's very nice to be important. It's much more important to be nice." Being warm and friendly to everyone at school (even the not-so-cool kids) is good exercise for the rest of your life.
  10. Be open to new friends and experiences. School is all about learning. Part of what you will learn is how to get along with different personalities, and that's really what life requires you to do. Don't be too upset if your old friends from middle or elementary school seem to be drifting away - they're probably making new friends, too. Growing up sometimes means that we have different interests than we did before, and the friends we used to have don't always share them - that's okay. It doesn't mean you can't still be friendly with them, it just means you're both moving on with your lives and growing in different directions.

Tips

  • Don't forget about hygiene! You're growing up, and one thing about being a grown-up is that when you sweat (and even when you don't), after a few hours, you get STINKY. Yes, YOU. Everyone gets smelly - take a shower and wash your hair every two days(Every day will strip your hair of natural oils). Use deodorant, brush your teeth (yes, dude, you need to - sleep 10 minutes and taste that funk and then think about how it is after all night), and wear freshly laundered clothes. If classmates can smell you stinking, you're painting a target on your back, even if people don't say it to your face, they'll talk behind your back. Sad, but true. Make sure you are fresh and clean, it gives everyone less to pick on about you.
  • You are not a teacher's pet if you ask questions, do your homework, write down notes, and are nice to your teacher. It's called creating a good future and being a kind human being.
  • Be kind and caring to your school and community. Get involved and "stay in school!"
  • Make time for your family, friends and pets (if you have any. Just because you go to school does not mean you do not have time to share your company! Have fun with them, but again, set your limits and goals!) Set goals to make in-school friendships out-of-school friendships. Don't keep socialization with a potential best friend confined to a school setting. Invite trustworthy people to come hang out at your place, or go with them to fun places around town.
  • If you are allowed to, ask if you can start a club.
  • If you are nervous, then talk to your friends, parents, teachers, or someone you trust. It will help take the stress away.
  • Just be yourself. If people don't accept the real you, then they are simply not for you.

Warnings

  • Just because you are nice and polite, does not mean you let people walk all over you.
  • If you are being bullied, try to ignore it. Bullies usually get some payoff out of you getting upset. The less you react, the smaller their payoff - try to just blow it off. There may come a time when you must stand up to them, though, or they will not leave you alone. However, if all your efforts to end the bullying fail, and the bullies will not leave you alone, or if it escalates, get help. If you are being bullied, talk to a guidance counselor, a teacher you trust, or your parents. If the situation gets out of hand, you have to tell someone. If you don't, it could lead to a very dangerous situation. Keep in mind that revenge is not helpful. This is why friends are the worst people to talk about it to when you are being bullied. You will face the temptation to gossip about that bully to them and most times, your friends are enduring the same problems you are and will not have very good advice. It is best to talk to someone older than you who has already experienced what you are going through.

Things You'll Need

  • Good attitude
  • School supplies
  • Good posture
  • Courage - it takes guts to try new stuff, and you wouldn't need it if it wasn't hard
  • Good health and hygiene

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