5 Ways to Slowly Prepare Yourself for Going Back to School

We know it's summer and the last thing you want to think about is going back to school.

But the reality is, the first day of classes is creeping up sooner than you'd like to admit—meaning, there's no better time than right now to prepare yourself as best you can.

It doesn't need to be a full overhaul, but there are a few things you can do right now to get ready for school with the greatest of ease. Scroll below to find out what they are!

1. Adjust Your Sleep Schedule

Summer brings along the freedom to stay up and sleep in as late as you want. How could you not take full advantage of that, especially being able to sleep in till noon? When school starts back up, a stricter sleeping regimen is enforced. Gone are the days of being able to get as much (if not more) rest that your body requires.

Though you probably don't want to start modifying your sleep schedule for school while it's still summer, it'll only help you in the long run. If you start going to bed at a decent hour and waking up when you normally would for school now, your body will already be well-adjusted to this once school actually starts. All your peers will be groggy and sluggish in the morning, but you'll walk into your classroom feeling refreshed and ready to learn.

(SpongeBob SquarePants via Nickelodeon)

 

2. Review What You Learned Last Year

Being away from school isn't exactly a conducive learning environment. Sure, it's nice to have a break and not have the constant fear of forgetting to do your homework or not being fully prepared for a test looming over you during your vacation. But reviewing what you learned last year will only help you start off on a more positive note this new school year. Even if you're taking a different math, science or English class, chances are what you've discussed in them will come up in your new classes. And you'll already know more than a majority of the class who very likely didn't follow our advice. Jokes on them!

 

3. Learn About Your Teachers

Knowing a little bit about your teachers before waltzing into class on the first day will surely put you at ease. While you may not know who they are until a few days before (or even, the day of), you can get some info on the ones who teach the courses you'll be taking this year. You don't need to intensely study up on them, but knowing their style of teaching, how much homework they give, what their tests are like, etc. is a great start. Be sure to ask people who had them, too, rather than listening to what someone "heard" they were like. Always go straight to the source.

(Pretty Little Liars via Freeform)

 

4. Set Some Intentions for the New Year

While the other ways to prepare for going back to school aren't all too appealing, this one is actually pretty fun. Just grab a blank sheet of paper and write down your intentions for the new school year. This could be joining the basketball team, making new friends, getting straight 'A's. It's all up you to decide what you want to gain the most out of your year. Doing so will only make you that much more excited for what's to come.

If you want to make things even more exciting, round up your besties and work on your intentions (or even vision boards) together as a goodbye to summer and hello to school. You can even create lists for each other.

 

5. Go Back-to-School Shopping

One of the greatest parts about back-to-school time is all the shopping you get to do. We're not even the biggest fans of the activity, but come school time, we couldn't be more excited to get a whole new wardrobe and some fresh school supplies.

This doesn't have to happen all at once, and we highly recommend not doing that anyway. It's so much more fun when you can do a little bit here and there during the final weeks of summer. You can search for some school supplies one day, then clothes the next.

This can also include going grocery shopping for your lunches. If you didn't fancy what your parents packed for you last year, be sure to get stuff you actually want when you go with them to the store. Of course, this doesn't mean packing yourself a different flavor of ice cream every day, nor would your parents ever allow that. But if you want PB&J sandwiches versus turkey and cheese, don't be afraid to tell your parents. They'll appreciate knowing you're eating the food they give you, rather than throwing it away or giving it to your BFFs.

(Clueless via Paramount Pictures)

 

We get that nobody wants to hit the books after a few months of sweet, sweet freedom. To make you more excited for the new school year, we're revealing all the reasons going back to school is actually pretty awesome HERE.