After a quick summer break, it can sometimes be hard to get back into school mode. Here are a few tips for getting back into the school mindset from a seasoned scholar.
Get a planner that makes you excited.
OK, I said planner, but I know not everyone loves a good new planner like I do. However, this can be applied to any school supplies. If you get something you’re excited about, using it that first week will be exciting. Whether it is a new notepad or pens, try to make it fun.
Start your school routine early.
Getting yourself used to not sleeping in and waking up at a consistent time before school actually starts will help with that first week transition struggle.
Brainstorm on story ideas.
Think of all of the stories you can write or produce during the first month of school. Get yourself excited about writing again if you took a break over the summer. Same thing goes for photography. If you enjoy sports photography, for example, think of what games you can attend to capture photos.
Think outside the box about a goal for the semester.
Setting a goal for your semester will help get your mind focused on the year ahead. Starting with a semester goal and having checkpoints along the way to track progress is satisfying and motivating. Maybe you want to start a school podcast about what is happening around your campus, or you want to have a feature story a month. Set the bar high.
Have a positive attitude.
Looking at things from a “glass half full” perspective helps a lot more than you may think. Try to think of all the things you enjoy about being in school and even look at the things you don’t with a different lens. Your year might be better than you think.
Tori Chester is a graduate of the Master of Mass Communication program at South Dakota State University. She produced this content as part of her final project.
