With the dog days of summer wrapping up, it’s time to focus on back-to-school season. Whether your child is in high school or entering college, the question is the same—are they prepared for the coming year and beyond? Preparation isn’t just about pencils and notebooks; we know it can be difficult to transition from “vacation mode” to “school mode” during this time. We can set you up for success with these 5 back-to-school tips to help your student get back in the swing of the things and start the school year on the right foot.
1) Create a Routine
The best way to ensure your student sticks to their assigned work is to encourage them to build a routine around it. Most people need a sense of predictability. It’s important for them to set aside a time to study or complete homework each night and make it a habit. After a few days (or weeks), they’ll take comfort in the structure and make fewer excuses to procrastinate.
2) Stay Organized
Organization is key, but we all know that is easier said than done. To be successful, your student needs to find an organization method that works for them, which could be anything from a calendar to color-coded folders. The important part is to make note of everything they want to accomplish in one location to keep themself accountable. An academic planner can be used for more than homework by adding dates for upcoming tests or assignments, and then scheduling periods of time to work on them prior to the deadline.
3) Ask For Help
Before the school year begins, it’s crucial to develop both a mentality and a support system in which your student is always comfortable asking for help along their journey. This can include fellow classmates, teachers or guidance counselors. For longer-term assistance on navigating their future, we recommend our Find Your Fit program with coach Laura Lucarelle. Laura offers more than 25 years of experience as a school counselor for a wide range of students and families. Her perspective as a former college admissions counselor and college/career coach gives her a skillset that is perfect for preparing students.
4) Understand Your Strengths and Weaknesses
In order to successfully prepare for the school year and beyond, students first need to understand what makes them tick. Are they better at studying in a group or do they require a disruption-free environment? Do they need extra help with certain subjects or concepts? The first step in the Find Your Fit program is our Performance Dynamics® behavioral assessment, in which we identify core personality traits and behavioral tendencies to help your student manage themselves more effectively. With this information we can help build a personalized plan that encourages them to follow a path that fits their personality, desires, identity and skills by understanding the “why” behind their actions.
5) Manage Your Stress
Is this whole process stressing you and your child out? You’re not alone. Take a break. Take a deep breath. The high school and college years are often a very stressful time, so it’s important to keep it in perspective. Staying organized and on top of assignments and classes should help, but it’s also good to have someone else in your corner—and that’s where Giombetti comes in.
Giombetti is Ready to Help
Our team offers a wide variety of services to help you and your child prepare for their future. As part of the Find Your Fit program, Laura Lucarelle helps students (as early as sophomore year of high school) understand where their strengths lie, which careers would use those strengths and which colleges are best to pursue for those careers. From goal setting to deadline management, she can help simplify the process and set you up for success. Reach out today to learn how Laura and the rest of our team can help.