Tips For The New School Year

Hi there, well, summer is officially ended, and the school year is upon us. Scary thought, I know, but it’s time to get back into it! To be honest, there is a part of me that loves getting back into school because it means routine and schedule (I know it’s a little weird, but it makes me feel like I have my life together lol). I’m going into my senior, so I like to think I’m a veteran in starting the school year, so I will share some tricks and tips to starting school. Whether you are doing school at home this year or are able to go to school, I hope these tips help.

Set Goals

First off, set some goals; I’m a big goals person! They are so helpful in narrowing in on what you want for the school year; be specific with your goals and make them attainable. Try to be realistic in what you want, and when you set goals, also write the steps you are going to take to reach your goal. For example, if one of your goals is to get straight A’s, create a study schedule, and create test guides to study.

Prayer

Next, write a list of prayers for this next season of your life. For example, I make a list of things that I would like God to do in my heart this school year; I love coming back to it and see how God has worked in that prayer. But keep in mind that God works on his own time, not ours, so he may not answer every prayer right then. He may say no to things, and that’s ok; he’s got something so much better in mind. He asks us to bring everything to him in prayer, but that doesn’t mean he says yes to everything, but I love watching what he does with my prayers. Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God”.

Make A Schedule

Make a schedule, this might sound silly, but it really helps. Creating a plan of when you are studying for each class, different school events, family things, and even just hanging out friends. This can relieve so much stress because you know what assignments are coming up and other events so that you plan to get things done accordingly. I know probably sounds lame or boring, but I can’t tell you how on top of your schoolwork you feel; I will warn you to not get too rigid with your schedule. Adjust what you need to work on, leaving room for spontaneous fun, make sure you take time to go live it up and enjoy the moments.

Take Notes

Take notes, I know this is something no one wants to do but hear me out. If you think about the big picture taking notes is so beneficial; it keeps you engaged with what is being discussed; it helps when doing homework and studying for tests. It’s also scientifically proven if you write something down, you are so much more likely to remember it, and it’s really such a simple thing you can do to put yourself ahead. Now you don’t have to take notes in every class but just make sure you take notes in lectures, review classes, and important info you will need later.

Don’t Let Grades Define You

Don’t get to hung up on grades; this one is super hard for me. This society we live in, as students, we feed into the lie that we are only worth what are grades are; we fear that we aren’t enough if we don’t have a big fat A on our paper. But that’s not the way it’s supposed to be; JESUS MAKES US ENOUGH!!! You don’t have to earn anything; it is freely given; we get to be free from this world’s chains. Also, remembering it’s just a grade, it doesn’t determine your salvation; there will be other tests and other essays. I don’t say all this to say don’t try in your classes; work hard in all things. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”. I’m saying this to remind you not to let your grades rob you of the joy Jesus brings; it’s not easy (trust me, I’m really just preaching to myself over here), but let yourself live and your life driven by him, not grades.

That goes for all things; it is so easy for us to let grades, sports, and friends define us; but that’s not who we are. Above all things, we are his, and we get live our lives driven by him!

Honor Your Body

Alright, next is to make sure you are taking care of you physically, and I’m going to break this into 2 categories of food and exercise. First, I’m going to talk about food; this can be hard to talk about; I know people struggle with food and finding balance. Do your best to fuel yourself properly; I don’t say that to guilt you or say you have to only eat salads. I say this to encourage you to love the body God has given you and nourish it well; I like to think it’s all about balance. I have struggled with eating healthy and loving my body the way it is, struggling to eat healthy, and then feeling guilty when I don’t.

And something I have learned is to ask the question, is this food I’m about to eat going to help nourish and fuel the body God has given me? That doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat ice cream (trust me, a world without ice cream is a world I don’t want to live in). When I say it’s all about balance, I mean balancing taking care of the body God gave me and also treating it to the fun splurges every once in a while. That means loving and honoring your body by feeding it things that will benefit it, while also eating that chocolate bar.

Next, I want to talk about exercise, now I can literally hear you groaning but don’t be alarmed I’m not going to tell you to run 10 miles and do 100 burpees. I’m going to go along with honoring your body, that means making sure you are getting active. It doesn’t have to be crazy, just getting out and going for a walk around your neighborhood can help you feel so much better and boost your mood big time. Make it fun, invite a friend on a hike, a bike ride, or even take your younger siblings to the park and run around with them. Just get out and get moving, and I promise you will see such a big difference in your mood, energy level, and brain function.

Psalm 139:13-14 says “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, For I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well”. Loving your God-given body doesn’t mean leaving it the way it is, it means honoring, nourishing, and exercising it. Know that you are fully loved and fully known by God!

Make Alone Time Between You & God

The final thing I want to touch on is making time to be by yourself with God; this is the most important thing I have to say. Before all else, we have to make sure we are spiritually fed, this is the thing that will fill you and define you; just know that there is no one right way to do your quiet time with God, and it can change from day to day. Maybe one day it’s worship, and the next it’s sitting in his word, but I want to encourage you to not just carve out time with God but to structure your day around him.

To let him fill you with his spirit and be fueled by his word, he is so beyond good! I also want to encourage you that he is not condemning you when you don’t read your Bible or pray every day, ya’ll he just wants to be in a relationship with you and for you know how loved you are. You are so worthy! Just know that he is what defines you, and you get to be free from the chains that hold you back in this world.

I hope some of these tips helped, but more than anything, I hope you know that you are fully known and fully loved. What are your favorite back to school tips? Also, check out my post on staying motivated at home! Love ya’ll, please reach out if you need anything!!

-Gracie K

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