Hello guys, Alexys here again. Yes, we're still talking about "back to school" but this time, it's: How to get ready. I'm now in university, so the hype isn't that big anymore (there's still some hype left in me, just not as much as there was in high school, middle school or even when I started university) but I shall let you know what I always did. 

High school wasn't really that enjoyable for me, to be frank. But whenever it was 'back to school' time I was guilty of always buying new school supplies. Still had some notebooks which I hadn't used last year? Nope, new ones. This fountain pen still works? I'll just get a new one and keep this one as a back-up. Do I need a pencil case? Not really, but I'll get one cause this design is super cool. Anyone else recognize themselves? Fact is, starting a new school year completely anew was a great feeling. It made me think that I could actually change things and that I was ready for a new year! Tip: If you can buy some new stuff, do it. It's a good feeling to have new school supplies, even if you have your old. By no chance am I saying buy everything anew, but a few things. Another thing I was guilty of, was choosing the loveliest notebooks for the subjects I liked most, and crappier ones for the ones I didn't like. Don't do that. Get cute notebooks even if you don't like the subject. Why? You might be tempted to pay more attention to your notes, or take the notebook out more to revise things if it's prettier. If you don't want to spend on notebooks which already have a design, get completely plain ones, one color, and then draw on the cover yourself. Personalize it. Put stickers. Make abstract drawings. Make it colorful! The more it catches your attention, the better (it also might catch the attention of a classmate, and there's a chance to make some new acquaintances). 

Speaking of school supplies and notes, try to make your notes colorful from the very start. Heard something which you think is important? Mark it down in a color of your choice (I usually prefer red or green for really important things). Heard something which might not be relevant later on, but you find it an interesting piece of information? Use another color (I usually use a softer color for this). Why? 1. It's visually stimulating 2. It actually felt nice for me to always switch pens and colors and 3. It'll make reading notes at home way easier. 

I was never the type to plan my outfit in great detail. I did plan it in general lines, but not extremely. Why? Because in a week you won't pay attention to it anymore anyways. If anything, be yourself. Dress how you'd dress on normal days. It might be the first day of a new school year, but let's face it, we won't keep up with the "I'll coordinate my outfit the night before, every night". Ain't nobody got time for that! Trick: Every once in a while, when you do have time, try to make your outfit pop. Why? You'll get compliments in the middle of the school year as well, not just the first day (when everyone will already have planned their outfit anyways). If you're not the type to wear makeup all that often (but do indulge in this art or like it every now and then) do something minimal for your first day. Just something which says "hey, I put some effort into this" and then on random days, indulge some more into this area. What's the occasion? It's Thursday! No more than that.

Most important of all, try to start the new year with a brighter outlook. It won't help if you start the year with the "oh well who gives a crap" mentality. Try to enjoy every day of school, not just your first and last days. And yes, I know that might sound impossible, but even if it's one small thing of that day like "Oh the plant in this pot in the biology lab bloomed today!" it'll be a positive way to get through the day. Good luck everyone! May the force be with you!

Hey guys,

Georgia here.

It's that time of year again where we all go back to school. Boo :( Summer is over and its back to the same old same old day. Going back to school can be a stressful thing, and I want to give you my tips to be able to get back into the swing of things. I hope you find these helpful. If you do, let me know in the comments.

Tip 1 ~
Use highlighters. Honestly, highlighters are my favourite thing to use when it comes to keeping track of what I've done and what I haven't done on an assignment. When I've finished something, I will highlight to know that that part is all done so I can move on. It's so satisfying at the end when everything is highlighted!

Tip 2 ~
Ask questions. Sounds simple but a lot of people I know don't do it and end up either not doing something or doing it and getting it wrong. Last year I made sure to ask questions, even if I didn't want to and it's really paid off because I've done well in all of my assignments.

Tip 3 ~
Use the Pomodoro theory. This method helps you to handle your workload and think it can work well for revision or even homework. This helped me a lot when I was homeschooled too. This theory means you set a timer for 25 minutes. During this time you focus on one particular task and that task only. By having no distractions, it helps you to complete the task quicker, and the work you produce will be better because it has been your focus point for that amount of time. Once the 25 minutes is over, you can then have a five-minute break before repeating. After you've repeated this four times, take a longer break. It breaks the work up and makes it seem much more manageable.

I hope these help you guys a bit, I know they help me :)

Hey everyone, Sarah here! Are you as excited to go back to school as I am!? I love school and usually look forward to it. Here are a few of my tips to help you get back to school and back in the swing of things.

If you're going to college or university like me, you know the struggles of having to buy textbooks. A lot of people like to get ahead of the game by buying their textbooks early, but I say wait! Some classes may say you need a textbook, but the teacher may say otherwise. With prices up in the hundreds, you don't want to buy a book you'll only use once. If you absolutely have to purchase the book, check in local buy and sell pages or if your campus has a used book store. Prices will be a lot lower than buying a new book.

If you have trouble keeping up when writing notes, you can ask your teacher if you're allowed to voice record the lecture (I'm unsure how this works in other countries, or in high school, but I know it's fine in Canada). Make sure you have permission to do so before you record it. You can listen to it back later when you have more time, and can pause, rewind, or fast forward. I find it helps me a lot to not get too far behind. As far as notes go, try to find someone in your class you can get the notes off of if you miss a day of school. It can be hard to catch up if you can't find the notes.

If you have to read a book for a class, have multiple sticky notes nearby, then mark anything that may be important.  It will be easier to go back to something when you know where it is. Colour coat the sticky notes. Example, green for characters, blue for plot, red for symbols, etc. 

Good luck in your studies! Don't give up :)