5 Back to School Tips

by Asma Gaba

I don’t know about most people, but I get crazy anxious the weeks before school begins. I graduated high school a year earlier than expected in May of 2015. I just completed my first year of college, and I’m going into my sophomore year in a few weeks. Even though, I’m still nervous beyond belief for the first day. What if I’m not prepared? What if I’m too dumb for the ​

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I came up with a checklist to run through the day before school begins to give myself a little peace of mind. Most of the things on the list are simple- and obvious- but I find it calming to have it all written down where I can see.

1. Eat breakfast. It’s said so many times that it sounds redundant at this point, but it’s important. Feeding your body the energy it needs to run from the morning till lunch is crucial. Plus, the food in your stomach will prevent nausea that could happen due to nerves/anxiety.
   
2. Double, and then triple check. The amount of times I forgot a scantron sheet, or my (only) pen ran out of ink is so many, I’m embarrassed. I hate having to do a last minute run to the bookstore to buy a scantron, only to find that about 15 students made the same mistake as me, rendering the line CRAZY long. So check, double check, then triple check. Not necessarily the night before- I find that sometime in the afternoon is best, so that you can fall asleep without thinking about what you’re missing.
   
3. Dress comfortably. Personally, I don’t dress up for school- although I admire the people who do, the amount of time that it must take them to dress themselves up is something I could never achieve. But you can still look amazing and wear clothes you can sit comfortably in for an hour. Tracksuits, sweaters and jeans, t-shirts and yoga pants are all outfits you can rock and feel as comfortable as ever in.
   
4. Plan ahead. Make sure you know where your classes will be beforehand. Write a note on your phone with the room numbers and corresponding classrooms. If you’re new to the school, download (or print!) a copy of the map. New environments can be difficult, but as long as you have all the information you need, it’ll become a hundred times easier.
   
5. Always carry extra money. It’s always a good idea to carry emergency money with you- you never know if you’ll need food or have to bus home unexpectedly.
   

If you have all of these down, you’ll have a smooth transition into the new school year- it worked for me!