First Week of School...

Hey everyone. It’s almost the first day of school for everyone and sadly that means summer is over. For those that are either going into your first year of high school or college, welcome to your first year! You made it through! It’s quite a huge transition from being in middle school to high school and to college. As the first week of school is approaching, almost everyone panics and get lost during the first day as you don’t know what to expect with the classmates you’ll see almost daily and what the professors or teachers are like. Here are some tips to get you through your first week.

1. Review and keep your syllabus. During the first week of school, it's also syllabus week for the teachers and professors. This is usually where the teachers introduce themselves, go over the topics that covered throughout the semester, what the class is like and any information on what the expect from you as a student in their class. This is important to pay attention to, to keep and also review as you can jot down in your planner the upcoming due dates for assignments, dates of exams & quizzes and projects, if any. It will also be good for you to also reference back to if any due dates that were on the syllabus were changed, as well as the grading scale for the class in keeping track of how you are doing. Also, a side note, having a syllabus containing their contact info is good to keep especially if you have a favorite teacher or professor that you enjoy being in the class with can be a good reference in resumes for future jobs.

2. Download and check your school emails and app. For those that are going into your first year of college, most universities have an app and school email for any school related things, professors and possibly even offers for internships etc. If your campus has an app, definitely download it as well as any of their websites such as Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle etc where you’re able to see any announcements, reminders and a place to upload and submit your assignments to. These apps will become your best friend throughout your college years and to check daily for any important information.

3. Have a planner and write important dates down. Although we have technology and apps to be able to type things out, it’s always good to have a planner right in front of us to write down important due dates. This goes along with reviewing your syllabus as having a planner can be so useful and keeps everything organized for writing to-do lists, and due dates for assignments and exams. It also makes everything easier for you to keep track of all your assignments that needs to get done. For getting a planner, it also doesn’t have to be one that is higher priced like the Erin Condren or Passion Planners and can be purchased everywhere from Staples, Wal-mart and Target.

4. Don’t worry if you get lost on the first week. In the beginning of the school year, everyone is still adjusting to a new environment and meeting new people. It’s okay during the first week if you get lost and you can always ask other teachers or students that may be around and have been in the school for a few years for guidance. This is also a good week for you if you are a freshman in high school or college to get a sense of familiarity of the campus and know where your classes are.

5. Cherish the memories that you will have. For those that are incoming freshman in high school or college, don’t stress about the mistakes you’ll make as you will learn from them. Everyone in life makes mistakes and no one is perfect. Along with cherishing those great memories, have fun by getting into opportunities of joining clubs and organizations that has similar interest as you, along with school events. This is a great way of making new friends and making great memories that you’ll definitely look back on and won't regret.

Have a good first week of school!

Jacqueline

#college #firstweek #2018