5 Tips to Reduce Back-To-School Anxiety
While it’s becoming my favourite time of year, with Pumpkin Spice Lattes coming back soon and sunny fall days just around the corner, it can cause tremendous anxiety for students. Right now, most students don’t even know what day of the week it is; they’re enamored by the freedom of summer vacation, going to bed at 5:00 AM and waking up at 2:00 PM. It’s a brilliant and unique time.
As we go back to our regular routines, it’s normal to feel anxious about the upcoming school year. I’ve written some tips that helped me reduce back-to-school anxiety. Read on as we prepare for what feels like a bad word, ‘September.’
Have One Fun-Thing Planned for Each Day
It’s much easier to get through a day when you have something fun to look forward to. I used to go to Hayward lake everyday after school for the first week with a couple friends. It felt like it was still summer, homework had not started yet, and helped with the overall transition.
Whether your fun thing is going to the beach, seeing friends, having a movie night at home, or anything else, have something planned. Just because school has started does not mean the fun stops!
2. Get New Stationary or Clothes
Getting some new pens, fun colourful binders, or clothes for school can really help! It doesn’t have to be expensive either. So many people are selling great things on Facebook Marketplace and other stores online (if you join your local ‘Buy Nothing’ group, it might even be free!).
Getting some school supplies got me excited for school! While I would miss the care-free lifestyle, I was excited about learning.
3. Write Down Positives of Back-To-School
There’s a lot of good things about school that we don’t focus on enough, like our friends! I used to have friends that commuted from neighbouring cities or whom I rarely saw over the summer. Now, we could hangout everyday! School can be incredibly social, just don’t talk so much in class that your teachers get mad :p
4. Set up a Fun Morning Routine
When I was in high school, I used to wake up at 7:00 AM, take a quick shower, and as I ate breakfast, would watch Phineas and Ferb on TV for 20 minutes. My lunch would be packed from the night before, and I would walk to my friend’s house to meet a group. We would each have a tea in hand (I didn’t like coffee at the time…oh how 15 year old me would be mad right now with my coffee consumption), and walk to school together. Even if I wasn’t excited about school, I loved seeing my friends.
How can you make your morning routine fun? I do recommend taking a shower or doing some light exercise in the morning. It helps wake us up so we’re ready for school.
5. And of course…Remember you get to see your favorite tutors again!
If you weren’t taking summer classes, you likely weren’t working with your tutors anymore. These are people you see consistently every week who can’t wait to work with you again. Math is not always fun, but learning with a great tutor is!
Remember, SUMMER IS NOT OVER UNTIL SEPTEMBER 22. There are still many summer adventures to have, even if school started. You’re also not alone, everyone has to go back and it’s nerve-wracking for everyone - you’re in great company.
If you’re wanting to start the school year off right, we’ve written great blog posts on math study tips, university applications, what topics to review before taking calculus, and much more, so be sure to check them out. Whether you’re a student studying math, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, english or french, we have great tutors for you! If you have any questions on our services, check out our web pages for in-person tutoring, online tutoring, or all our services. If you have any thoughts on this blog, I’d love to hear! You can reach me at info@largetutoring.com or at our contact page. Don’t forget to check out our list of tutors too!
Have fun this September!
