Back to School Blues – Returning to Your Studies after Vacation
When school season begins again, it’s often a practice to ruminate and look back on the summer vacation we had. At times, if we had too much fun during that particular period, it may be hard to get out of that mindset.
For example, the camp you went to this year made you feel like it was your second home and you made a lot of great new friends or the foreign country you visited was full of breathtaking sceneries; you still want to be there! Or it could be you enjoyed sleeping in on weekdays and meeting up with your friends at the mall or at the park every day to simply chill out without a care in the world. You will sorely miss any of these things once it’s back to hitting the books.
The good news is this initial feeling is normal, so you don’t have to feel guilty about it at all. The bad news is you really have to find a way to work around it—otherwise, you would end up lagging behind everyone else during the whole school term. So how exactly do you get yourself into school mode when you are still yearning to be in vacation mode? Here are a few tips to get you started.
Set your goals.
Do a self-evaluation, and make a list of what you would like to accomplish this year. It is a good idea to analyze both your weak and strong points, so you can focus on what you need to do. For instance, you were so close to getting a D in Algebra last year, and this year, you want to be the best in your Trigonometry class. Meanwhile, if you did so well in Physics last year, you may want to look into being a tutor for anyone who might need help with that.
Take it easy.
It is okay to feel a bit lethargic when getting back into your school routine, so just ease into it. This means allowing yourself some leg room, such as giving yourself occasional breaks when you do your homework or slowly taking the lead on projects or limiting your participation in extracurricular activities. Do a self-assessment on what you can handle and thoroughly evaluate your schedule first before taking on multiple tasks. It is not helpful to force yourself in taking more balls that you can throw and ending up dropping all of them in the long run.
Seek help from other students.
If you find yourself being overwhelmed with some of the subjects you are taking for the term, feel free to reach out to your fellow students who might be able to lend you a hand. Some may be looking into starting tutoring opportunities so that’s a good way for you to learn. Meanwhile, some may be struggling with the same subjects as you are, and a good way for all of you to overcome the challenges is to form a study group so you can all learn together.
Avoid distractions so you can focus, focus, focus.
During the summer holidays, it was perfectly fine for you to have your mobile phone by your side all the time so you can quickly respond to calls and texts or go online to your social networking accounts. However, now that school time is here again, it is time for you to practice self-discipline and limit your time for your devices. Don’t listen to the FOMO voice inside your head. Now this doesn’t mean you should ignore everyone who tries to get in touch with you. It just means you just need to prioritize and set specific times to go online so it does not distract you from your studies.
Picking up the books again is not easy after a summer vacation. However, think of your vacation as much needed time to refresh and assess your goals, including your academic goals. By following the suggestions above, you will be in complete school mode in a short time.
SOURCES:
http://us.reachout.com/facts/factsheet/going-back-to-school-after-break
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