Ready to Go Back to School? 6 Steps to Prepare Yourself for the Next Academic Year

Despite the fact that summer provides you with the opportunity to relax, it also gives you time to make some important arrangements for your future. This includes planning for activities such as going to university, as well as getting into a learning mindset.

Whether you are an undergraduate and continuing your studies, just about to enroll on a university course, or starting a postgraduate course, you know it’s high time that you start preparing for the new academic year. September – the month that everybody seems to hate – marks the official end of the summer and it’s just around the corner, which means university is fast approaching.

In order to help you prepare yourself as efficiently as possible here’s a list of 10 essential steps you need to take to begin the new academic year just as fresh as you were the last.

#1 Get organised

As soon as university starts, you will realise that you have less free time available in contrast to what you used to during the summer. This means that you need to learn how to manage your time more effectively when school starts. Even though you got used to waking up late and going to the beach every day, all of this is going to change now that you have to adjust to the student routine. This, of course, includes attending morning lectures as early as 9am and studying to complete assignments by strict deadlines.

But this doesn’t mean that you won’t get to enjoy yourself. In order to get the full student life experience, you also need to find some time to go out, meet and socialize with friends! The most important thing is that you stick to a schedule.

#2 Hit the books

Before your course starts, you may need to do some preliminary reading to familiarise yourself with the subject. Check out the University website to find out what modules you will be studying and conduct a small amount of research into the most important ones. You will be surprised how useful this will be when the actual lectures start as you will be much more prepared to take on related assignments.

#3 Meet prospective classmates and flatmates

The internet and social media have made it so easy to meet people. So why not take the opportunity to search for people who are joining the same course as you or staying at the same university halls as you? This can be a great help, especially if you are traveling abroad and you will not know anyone. Join relevant groups on Facebook or other social media channels to establish new connections, introduce yourself and let them know what you will be studying and staying.

#4 Get the essentials

At this time of the year, the bookstores make a lot of money. Just like a soldier going to war needs his own equipment; a student also needs his own equipment to get ready for school. For the majority of university students, this might include fixing their old laptop or buying a new one, getting some handy – or fancy notebooks, a calendar, folders and any other school supplies they need. Doing this early on in the month will save you valuable time and money in the long run.

#5 Sharpen your skills
If you think there’s an area of your studies that you can improve on, or which you found particularly difficult the year before, this is the right time to start increasing your knowledge in that area. Whether this includes taking a class to perfect your English or Math skills or practicing a musical instrument, it should help you sharpen those skills that are necessary to excel in your course.

#6 Contact your tutor

Likewise, if you are just starting your course and have already been assigned a tutor, then you should take the initiative to introduce yourself by dropping him an email and requesting some information regarding the course.

If you are feeling anxious about returning to school, following these steps should help you get rid of any stress related to this exciting milestone. Obviously anything new has its exciting and challenging parts, but you wouldn’t want to spoil these by worrying too much about it. As a final note, think about University as an opportunity to give the best that you can while doing something great for your life and career!

Author Info: Koulla Raouna is a qualified career counselor and in-house writer at CareerAddict, one of the most stimulating and helpful career blogs in the world that brings you the best career development tips every hour, every day. Check out some more of her work here.