Once again summer has flown by and it is time to go back to school. Summer has always been a blink and you miss it event, but this one seemed like it was over before I blinked. I did a ton of running this summer. Summer training for cross country is one of my favorite things. I don’t have to worry about anything else, just running. I spent six days in the rolling hills and mountains of West Virginia, running and learning how to become a better athlete. I also did another camp, which was twice a week until cross country season starts. I am super excited to see where my team and I go during this season.
As much as I love summer, I am not incredibly sad to see it go. I am actually kind of excited to start the new school year, despite all the comments I have heard about junior year being the most difficult. I know colleges primarily look at your performance in junior year, and that is why I am determined to be on top of my work. In order to do that, I need to learn new time management and study skills. I think these two things should be introduced and taught on the first day of school.
If these are introduced early on in the school year, students can build on these skills as time goes on. I have built solid skills in these two areas, but nothing is ever perfect. Cross Country and track has forced me to explore new ways to manage my time, and study more effectively. For example, last year I did the majority of my homework in the morning, at school. This was combining both time management, and study skills. I decided to do my work in the morning because after practice I was never focused on my work, which means I could not study effectively. I solved this problem by managing my time, making sure I had enough to get my work done in the morning. I could of completed my homework at my house, but I find it hard to concentrate there.
When I am at school I know it is time to work, so I like to get as much as my work done there as possible. I consider where you chose to study to be a study skill, it always has a big impact on concentration. I am taking AP courses for the first time this year. I am trying to prepare myself for the workload these classes will bring. Social skills should also be focused on along with time management and study skills during the beginning of the year. These are other skills that provide a good base students can build upon.
You can introduce social skills with an ice breaker. This will get your students to talk and connect with one another. After this, students can collaborate and share ideas. Students are never ready for school after a 3 month break, that's why it is important to ease them back into the schooling environment. Going over these skills is a great way to get students back into the flow of things. These are just a few tips to help students in the long run and help them get acclimated to school life again. I am excited to tackle this challenging year and see what I can do
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