Sure, you can live in denial. You can pretend it’s not going to happen. You might even decide to invest in a new case of sunscreen or furiously begin researching new beaches to explore. However, no matter how many rays you soak up, you’ll still have to bid a fond farewell to summer. Rather than bemoan the end of the season, try to embrace the start of the new school year. After all, you’re bound to be more successful if you begin the year on the right foot. And with that sentiment in mind, we present a few tips for getting organized.

Start setting an alarm. We know – the last thing you want is to hear a cacophonous “beep” or a perky radio DJ blaring in your ear while you’re still on vacation. However, the harsh reality is that you’ll soon have to start getting up in the morning. If you begin slowly adjusting your sleep schedule now, that 7:00am wake-up call won’t feel like such a rude awakening.

Go shopping. All right, at least this is one tip you can embrace. Your schedule is bound to start getting hectic once the year begins. Between homework, sports practices, club meetings and various social engagements, your calendar will fill up fast. Make it a point to shop for any necessary school supplies and fall clothes beforehand. After all, you want to enter the classroom prepared (regardless of whether that pertains to having pens or pants). Plus, as an added bonus, you can take advantage of all the “back-to-school” sales.

Review your course schedule. Though you might think this is unnecessary, it’s important look over your classes. You want to double-check that you’re enrolled in the correct courses and that you know where you need to be when that next bell rings. Also, it’s always good to give yourself some time to mentally prepare for math class.

Make a list of goals. Whether it’s aiming for an “A” in American history or nabbing a spot on the debate team, we recommend writing down a few goals for the upcoming year. It’s important to have something to strive for and to work towards. If you have concrete goals, you’ll know what to focus on and you’re likely to be more diligent. Who knows, you might even discover that you’re more determined than you thought!

Invest in a calendar. It doesn’t matter if you want to use the calendar Gmail supplies or if you decide to go out and purchase a physical copy. The important thing is that you have one and maintain it. As you no doubt already know, this will help you keep track of assignments, meetings, field trips, friends’ birthdays, etc. If you’re conscious of what’s coming down the pike, you can ensure you’ll be ready to meet it.

Clean your room. We’re fairly confident this is a groan-worthy tip. However, please hear us out. Often times, the state in which we live can subtly affect our outlook and our actions. The tidier your room, the more organized and prepared you’ll feel for life at large. Indeed, if you de-clutter your room, you might just feel more relaxed, more organized and ready to tackle your homework. At the very least, you’ll be able to find your chemistry notebook more easily.

Sure, it can definitely be rough adjusting to the daily grind of the school year. If you give yourself the time and opportunity to properly prep, you’ll approach school feeling refreshed and ready to take on your academics. And who knows, you might even be surprised to discover you enjoy your classes!

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