Dos and Don'ts for the first day

The first day back to school is always an experience and your actions will determine whether it is good or bad. To help make it a great first day, keep in mind the following dos and don'ts.

Dos:

  • Get ready. Having a great first day means getting ready from the night before, so pack all your necessities to lessen the chance of forgetting something important.
  • Get some rest. The reopening of school means parting with your pillows earlier than you have grown accustomed to. As such, conditioning yourself in advance helps.
    While summer meant later sleeping hours, ease yourself back into the school routine by heading to bed earlier. When the alarm blares on that first day, your body and mind will thank you for the rest.
  • Contact the friends. Everything is easier and more fun with friends (well, almost everything). Call, text or email a message to all your friends in advance to confirm a meeting spot and time at school. This ensures that everybody will be in one location when you arrive, reducing the time spent searching and increasing the time spent sharing summer stories.
  • Be yourself. If this is going to be your first day at a new school, strive to overcome any form of anxiety and be yourself. While this is good advice for almost every situation, it does work. The persons drawn to you and the friends you make because you have been yourself are those who will genuinely appreciate you for who you are, and those whom you will feel most comfortable around.

Don'ts:

  • Get used to being laid-back. On the first day back, teachers and those in administration are usually laid-back when it comes to work and classes but this is only temporary. Enjoy it while you can but keep in mind that it will come to an end and work will begin pretty soon.
    After all, that is what school is about. Be warned: some teachers see the first day back as just another school day, so be prepared to work.
  • Forget the rules. While you may be granted a bit more freedom on the first day, don't let it get to your head. Always keep your school's rules in mind and do not think that the laid-back, first-day attitude will apply or help if you get caught.