So, summer vacation is almost over, and you long to spend the last few weeks hanging with friends, soaking up the sun, holding hands with your sweetheart and thinking as little as possible about the upcoming school year. But, perhaps you should rethink that last part. As important as it is to enjoy your summer vacation, it’s equally as important to be prepared for its inevitable end. Getting ready for school a little early can ease stress and make the transition a lot easier to deal with. So, here are a few suggestions to get you back in the swing of things:

1) Get back into a routine- during the summer most students tend to stay up late and sleep in. This may be fun; however it’ll be much easier to cope with the daily grind if you start getting back into your routine. Two weeks before school starts try going to bed and getting up at the time you would if you were already in school.

2) Go shopping- get prepared early. Buy your school supplies, clothes, back packs and shoes. You’ll feel prepared and it’ll be a lot of fun.

3) Clean your room- okay, okay, I know I’m starting to sound like your mom nagging you, but by cleaning the clutter away you’ll be able to find stuff faster, get ready quicker and have a great place to study.

4) Set Goals- make a list of a few goals you’d like to accomplish during the upcoming school year and jot down a few ways to accomplish them. Maybe you’d like to get a B in math. You could get a tutor or see if there will be extra credit assignments you can do. Or maybe you’d like to become a starter on the varsity basketball team. You could start training and even plan a few pick-up games with your friends at the local park.

5) Eat right- during the school year it’s important to remember to eat right. Try to have healthy meals and snacks regularly. Don’t allow yourself to skip breakfast because you’re in a hurry. 30% of adolescents skip breakfast which can cause both mental and physical problems for you during the day. It’ll be harder to concentrate, you’ll be more sluggish and get fatigued faster, and you’ll be less able to cope with complex problems.

6) Study- so, you’re probably laughing at this one. But getting a head start on a book that’s required reading, or reviewing some French or math could set you on the right path for the year. “Summer learning loss” is real and on average students lose about a month of learning during the summer months.

7) Get acquainted- if you’re starting a new school or going away to university for the first time you should visit the campus. Take a walk around; find your classes, the cafeteria and the gym. If you know where you’re going the first day will seem less intimidating and probably go a lot smoother as well.

8) Do some online research- find some websites online that give homework help, or that you think may be useful for future book reports or class projects. If you bookmark them this will save a lot of time later on, and hey it’ll give you an excuse to be online.

9) Do some actual research- find out if there are any team try-outs starting up before you get back to school, get a list of the stuff you’ll need. And if possible get a copy of your class schedule.

10) And finally make a scrapbook of summer memories- this way if you get depressed summer is over you have something to look back at and remember all the good times. It’ll be a nice keepsake, and a great way to express yourself.

Just remember the Boy Scout motto, “always be prepared.” This will come in handy in the coming weeks and months. And have fun. After all you’re only young once.