I’m a rare bird in the sense that I always loved school, and back-to-school time was my favorite time of the year. For most kids, it was Christmas or their birthdays, but for me, when September rolled around, I couldn’t have been happier. I do remember, however, that this time of the year was always stressful for my family, as we had so many kids in the house, so picking out new school supplies, getting new haircuts, and purchasing new clothes for the schoolyear always made our household quite chaotic and hectic. We were running around for days at a time, frantically trying to get everything done before we got on the bus for that year’s first day of school.
As you’re preparing for a new school year at the New York English Academy or if you’re helping others prepare for a new semester at another educational location, here are some helpful hints that will make your transition less stressful and get you excited for a new chapter in your English-learning career! With these tools in mind, you can ensure that your first day back will be calm so you can put your focus and energy on learning and practicing your English in New York City.
- Practice
If your schedule includes commuting, packing your lunch, getting up early, or even dressing a bit differently than you’ve been dressing all summer, it might be helpful to start training yourself to get adjusted to this new schedule about a week before your classes start back up again. It’s easy to allow yourself to sleep in and dress as lightly as possible in the summer, but training yourself to operate on a daily school schedule again can be a bit rough the first few days. Instead of waiting until your first day of school to start this new way of life, start waking yourself up earlier each day a week before, and go grocery shopping to get into the habit of packing for lunches again. This will make your first day back at school a breeze so you can instead focus on getting to know your instructors, meeting your new classmates, and of course, most importantly, learning English!
- Take advantage of the sales
You may have noticed that retail stores have back-to-school sales and promotions starting in August, promising to save you money on clothes, school supplies, dorm necessities, and even food. While it may be overwhelming to think about going into these stores when hundreds of other people are shopping for the very things you need, it’s helpful to check them out. For me, I always dreaded going into these stores because they would often be packed with fellow back-to-schoolers, but once I checked out my receipt and noticed all the money I saved, I realized a few hours of packed shopping was definitely worth it. Plus, since New York City is an epicenter of culture and language, you might be surprised at what you might find at these spots for tools that might help you transition into English fluently.
- Practice your commute
You probably spent lots of your summer sight-seeing, making new friends, and essentially having fun in New York City. You more than likely got used to operating on a very fluid schedule and not really have to worry about making it anywhere on time. But don’t forget that New York City often has many variables that can make you late, even if you leave with plenty of time. Inclement weather, train delays, or even just high traffic can stall any commuter’s morning, so refresh your memory on your commute, and start practicing a few days before the first day of school. Keep in mind that thousands of other people in the city go back to school at the same time that you do, so the commute will be much more congested than in the summer, which as you know, will affect your time of arrival significantly. Be sure to leave early and allow yourself some cushion time to arrive at your destination just in case some variables outside of your control influence your commute.