How To Prepare Yourself For Heading Back To School After COVID-19

Schools and universities across the countries have started to come out with statements regarding how they will handle next school year, after COVID-19 cut many people’s academic years short with a move to remote online learning. Some campuses have indicated that they will be returning to in person learning in September.

The transition to go back to school after an extended period of time away can be tricky even under normal circumstances, so it’s understandable if going back to school after COVID-19 feels a little bit daunting. The good news is there’s plenty of people you can lean on for support, as just about every student in the country is preparing to make this transition back to school in person.

There are also some small steps you can take to prepare yourself. Here are some ways to prepare yourself to go back to school after COVID-19.

Start Planning

I don’t know what it is, but i really love sitting down and planning for things that I’m excited for nervous for. Prepare yourself to go back to school by planning out your semester. I find a bullet journal or even just a planner is a great tool for this.

Map out what your weekly class schedule looks like for the upcoming semester to find when you have pockets of time for meals, studying, going to the gym, or just hanging out with friends.

When you start getting syllabuses for your upcoming classes, look through them to get an idea of what you’ll be learning this semester. Make a spread with important dates and deadlines (like exams, big projects, or homework assignments) so you can get an organized idea of what your semester may look like. Make tables with the course’s grading scheme so you can put yourself on a good track academically.

Planning like this is a good way to calm you while also putting you in an organized position to start the semester off on the right foot.

Make A Budget

Going back to school might be a bit of a culture shock for your wallet, especially if you haven’t been spending a ton of money while in quarantine. It’s tempting to spend a ton of money as soon as you’re back on campus, but it’s a better idea to control what you’re spending so you have enough money to make it through the semester comfortably.

Make a budget in a spreadsheet, noting any income you may have during the semester and any expenses you may have to pay (including one-time things like books or regular things like rent or grocery shopping). From there, you can figure out how much money per week you can spend on extra things, like going out to dinner or catching a movie with your friends.

Having a budget is a good way to practice financial responsibility while also holding yourself accountable for the money that you spend.

Try To Get Your Sleep Schedule Back To Normal

This isn’t exactly a fun one, but I think it’s something you should really consider doing. It’s no secret that some people’s sleep schedules have sort of gone out the window during their time in quarantine. It’s fine for the time being, but it won’t be a lot of fun when you go from sleeping until 2 in the afternoon every day to having to get up at 7 in the morning for class.

Sleep schedules can be hard to fix, so it’s definitely something you have to train your body to do. Look at your class schedule and find your earliest class. Figure out how much time you’d need to get ready for that class, and that’s your new wake up time.

It’s tempting to sleep in on days when you have later classes, but many have found it’s better for your mental health if you stick to the same wake up time every day.

As for your “bedtime,” for lack of a better term, start with whatever time you go to bed normally and then try to progressively go to bed earlier every night until you’ve found the time that works with your wake up time.

It’s not the most exciting thing, but you’ll definitely be thanking yourself during the semester.

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Find Supplies You Want To Buy For The School Year

Sure, saving money is important, but everyone needs a little bit of retail therapy every once in a while. Why not treat yourself to some things to make your transition back to school on campus just a little bit more exciting?

Look for some new decor for your dorm room, like some string lights, new art, or a tapestry. Indulge by buying that nice planner or notebook you’ve been eyeing. Buy some fun new pens to make note taking and studying extra exciting.

Having some new things that you’re looking forward to using might make going back to school something fun to look forward to.

Make A List of Things You Want To Do When You Get Back To Campus

You’ve been away from campus for a while, so there must be some stuff that you missed doing while you were away. Jump on a Google Doc with your friends and make a list of things that you guys want to do when you finally get back to campus. Think of it as a bucket list of sorts.

There’s no limit to what this list can look like. Maybe there’s a campus tradition that you haven’t gotten around to doing. Try to catch some games from the school’s most popular sports team. If you go to a college that’s situated within a city, try to get off campus and explore a little bit more than you have previously.

I know one of the things I miss most about being on campus is being able to explore the city and do things with my friends. It’s something I’ll never take for granted again, so having a “bucket list” of things you’ll want to do when you get back to school is a good way to make that happen.