The transition from summer into fall can be tough for a lot of students. Coming off a break and jumping back into a school routine can easily lead you to feel overwhelmed. However, with organization, and a good routine, you will be back on track in no time. Here are some things that you can do to help make getting back into the groove of school easier:

Get a planner. Instead of trying to remember all of your club meetings, homework, due dates, upcoming tests, etc. in your head, having a planner will make it a lot easier to keep on top of your work. Having a visual timeline of your assignments and due dates will help you plan accordingly. Personally, I am less overwhelmed when I get everything that I need to do out on paper in front of me.

Stay productive with your time. Back to school can be a busy time for everyone. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with your workload and after-school activities. According to The Washington Post, procrastination occurs when “ a task feels especially overwhelming or provokes significant anxiety.” In order to avoid procrastination, it’s important to manage your time wisely both in and after school. Something that has helped me stay productive with my time is creating an outline or schedule for what I need to do when I come home from school. With an outline, I am able to make time for my school work, after-school activities, and free time for myself.

Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Getting good sleep is essential to having quality performances in school, sports, etc. It’s important that you prioritize getting at least 7 hours of sleep nightly so that you are ready to go every day. With fewer responsibilities over the summer and a more flexible schedule, it’s probable that you are used to staying up late, and sleeping in without setting an alarm. Getting back into a good sleep schedule can be difficult as it requires going to bed a little earlier than normal. Something that has helped me is putting my phone away at night when it’s time for me to start winding down for bed. Without my phone in my room at night, I am less tempted to pick it up and get distracted from actually going to bed. Additionally, The National Sleep Foundation “recommends that you should stop using electronic devices, like your phone, at least 30 minutes before bedtime.” In my experience, once I start putting my phone away at night, it got easier to fall asleep, and I got more sleep.

Set goals. Although it sounds cliche, something that has helped me get focused at the beginning of a school year is to set goals for myself. Whether they are as simple as completing homework assignments on time or participating more in class, setting goals will help motivate you and push you to be the best version of yourself. Along with setting goals, you want to make sure that you are holding yourself accountable, while at the same time rewarding yourself for the progress you have made.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. All in all, change can be difficult; however, if you stay focused and consistent with a productive schedule you are sure to see good results. Your schedule will eventually become routine, and everything will get easier to manage–just stick with it!