3 Important Steps to Take NOW to Prepare for the Academic Year

Ahh… What a glorious summer! And with the school year just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how you and your child are going to rock the school year.

If you start planning now for those long weeks in last October when the shininess of the academic year wears off and most students get behind or super stressed, life can be so much easier.

Here’s what I’ve learned from working with over three hundred high school and college students, and what I’ve seen can make the difference in a summer:

1. Start keeping a to-do list. I’m not sure how old I was when I started keeping a to-do list. Probably my middle school planner is the closest thing that I’ve had. But wow, using a planner is the number one difference between students who thrive and those who flounder. By using a simple to-do list over the summer students get in the habit of keeping track of what they need to do.

2. Clean out clutter. Tackle that drawer that’s a mess. Do it. It’ll feel so good. Plus it’ll get you in the habit of clearing stuff out. During the academic year, organization will become an ally that serves to alleviate stress, or an obstacle that becomes increasingly acute as the academic year wears on.

3. Read a Book, Write a Summary; Solve some Math Problems. The biggest gap between higher and lower achieving students happens not during the academic year, but during the summer. Higher achieving students tend to read and do academic camps, while lower performing students tend to watch more tv and play more video games. If you’re summer hasn’t been the most productive. It’s time to dust off the brain cells and get the rust broken off before the academic year begins.

And if you’re an adult, the same goes for you. Especially the read a book part. When’s the last time you’ve read a novel for the fun of it?