Heading back to school can be daunting, yet often exciting. Due to the current situation you might, however, be feeling particularly anxious about your return to school after nearly five months out of the classroom. We have compiled some of our top tips to help allay your concerns this year.
Get organised
It is important to have a decent study space before you start getting to work. Ensure you have a decent size table, big enough for your books and stationery and with adequate light. Make sure you have a comfortable, upright chair. Make sure that you have all the school supplies that you may need (pencil case essentials such as pens, pencils, rulers, erasers as well as supplies of paper etc.). When you have done this, organise your learning by making a study plan. Write down the tasks you are assigned by teachers, the study you want to do and between what times you will do this at. Set your goals for the year. Be sure to factor in time for study breaks to refuel. Planning also means that you should factor in rest days to give yourself a well-deserved break now and again. This will help you keep focused. Be sure to download our Free Weekly Study Plan Template to get you started in the right direction.
Get into a routine
To help you get back into a school routine it’s important to go to bed at a time that allows you to gain enough sleep so that you are well-rested going into the next day. Set an alarm for the same time each morning during the week. Plan your days. Think about water, food, uniforms and your school bag.
Find out what kind of learner you are
Everybody learns and studies differently and there is no “one fit” model for learning. There are different types of learners: Visual, Aural, Read/Write and Kinesthetic. You should complete the VARK Questionnaire to see what type of learner you are and what techniques will aid your learning. Below we have listed some methods that should appeal to each learner type.
Visual: Pictures, diagrams, mind maps, graphs, charts and flashcards are good tools for you. Be sure to include lots of colour, different fonts, underlining, highlighting and different sized writing to help your notes stick in your head.
Aural: You should discuss topics with your friends or even better teach one of them. Record yourself speaking and play it back. Podcasts should work for you also.
Read/Write: Make lists, notes and flashcards with bullet points and numbering. Read your textbooks and handouts, summarise them and supplement with additional materials where you can.
Kinesthetic: Move around when you are studying and make actions, watch videos, apply what you are learning to real-life examples and work via trial and error by regularly quizzing yourself.
You may also be Multimodal, which means that a combination of the above techniques will work for you. Unfortunately, you will have to find out for yourself what combination of techniques work!
Take time for you
If you are feeling particularly stressed, it is a good idea to talk to friends and family. That being said, constantly checking up on what other people are doing and comparing yourself to this will do you no good. Take time to yourself to practice self-care. Whether it is an evening off to watch your favourite Netflix series, taking a long bath, going for a walk or meeting some friends at the weekend, make sure that it is something that helps you relax and take time out from schoolwork.
Stay safe
Schools across the country (and the globe) have implemented changes to help keep you safe which will take time to adjust to. It’s important that you follow all guidelines and respect that teachers and management are only doing what’s required to keep both you and them safe. Be sure to have your masks and hand sanitiser at the ready for when you need them.
We hope that you will find these tips useful as you return to school. We have linked some of our previous blog posts below that might be helpful as you start the new academic year so be sure to check them out for language-specific guidance. Don’t forget to keep up to date with us on social media for lots of German language, culture and exam tips. If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch as always.
Viel Erfolg beim Lernen!