Top tips for heading back to School & College

Happy New Year! The new year always has the potential for a fresh start but it may for some be an anxious time too. The long holiday over the Christmas break is always needed and the changing year may be a important marker in the year for those heading into important exam years like GCSE or A Levels.

Here’s some top tips to help making going back into school after Christmas as painless as possible.

1. Get ready the night before

   Getting up in the morning for a lot of young people can be hard enough but having to find your books, bag, uniform, get washed, clean your teeth, eat some breakfast and catch the bus is a lot to do first thing. Preparing everything you need the night before makes getting up and heading out a much more pleasant experience.

2. Clean up your sleep

   Getting quality sleep should really be a high priority for everyone. Sleep effects all of your bodies function and poor sleep can have really obvious effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.

   Be sure to check out our Sleep section in the HUB for ideas and help on understanding sleep and how you can improve your sleep hygiene.

   Poor sleep will have a massive impact on your ability to concentrate during the day and when you sleep you brain sorts all the information you gained during the day, so poor sleep makes remembering what you are learning difficult.

3. Keep a note book or planner

   You probably were given some kind of planner or journal when you started school but how many of them are thrown in a cupboard or bag? Keeping a planner, note book or journal is really important for helping you keep track of what you need to do each week. Keeping a record of what you need to do and breaking them down into small achievable goals will should help you feel more in control and clear on what you need to do.

4. Pay attention to your stress levels

   In the run up to exams it is easy for stress to creep up on you. Try to recognise when you are starting to burn out and take care when you do. Are you feeling exhausted, anxious, having difficulty retaining information, feeling emotional? Stress manifests itself in loads of different ways so its important to check in with your self and take action early.

   Is it worth trying to cramp another hours reading when you feel terrible or would it be more beneficial to have an hour out doing something to relax so that when you come back to it you have a fresh perspective and you’ve get some control over how you are feeling?

If you feel like you are really struggling to cope and need some advice be sure to visit the mental health and anxiety sections of the hub for links to the people who can help you.