The week before you start your A-levels

Summer may now start to feel like a hazy collection of dreams as September looms around the corner, a sharp reminder that the new school year is almost upon us. But let us not look onto the new school year as an invitation for doom and gloom but rather an opportunity for a fresh start. And since you are now entering completely new academic territory with your A-levels, you can truly start with a clean slate. Didn’t do quite as well as you could’ve for your GCSE’s? That’s the past now, you’ve got brand new chance to really go for it in your A-levels. But as the old saying goes- ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’- so we’ve got some tips and tricks up our sleeves so you can smoothly transition into this new school year.

1- Who doesn’t love a bit of stationery shopping?

I saw a post online once that was pondering on why people loved stationery so much and someone responded it’s due to ‘the illusion of creativity’ and I think that really hits the nail on the head. So in order to make sure this becomes a reality instead of an illusion; we say stick to basics when it comes to stationery (e.g. pen, pencil, ruler, rubber, calculator and highlighters) and have a double of everything. You can be as wild as you want with the designs of your pens and pencils but just so you know you might be getting through a lot of writing so buying a 20 pack of black pens might be more useful. There are other things you are going to need to buy also that you may not have thought of previously: paper (use A4 notepads with tear-able pages that have pre-prepared holes in them so you can slot them into your folders), a few ring-binders for each of your subjects and some plastic wallets. Less is more in this case; trust us a heavy bag is not something you need.

2- Be savvy with what you carry. In your bag that is.

To follow onto the previous point – during the first year of my A-levels I bought 3 different large notebooks for all 3 of my subjects and it was only when I felt like I was losing blood circulation in my arm for carrying such a heavy bag that I realised I had to pack A LOT lighter. We suggest carrying labelled plastic wallets to your lessons and slipping in your notes for that lesson into the plastic wallets. Plastic wallets are neat and light, and can be slipped into an organised folder you have at home. So when you pack your bag ask yourself whether everything in there is truly essential.

3- Have a quick glance at your syllabus.

We aren’t saying to start making any notes but just to skim what you may be learning in the upcoming year can be useful to get you back into that academic mind-set. Don’t exert yourself too much though – you’ve got two whole years to engage in your textbook, this is just a taster.

4- Clean your room.

We know, this sounds weird. But tidy room really does mean tidy mind. Thoroughly clean your room. Get rid of things you don’t use, old textbooks you know you’ll never look at again and sort out through the pile of paper you’ve been neglecting for way too long. Organise your folders ready for the school year. We say this because the first week of your A-levels could be a bit overwhelming so you don’t want start disorganised. You’ll have loose bits of papers sitting in your bag during the first week - it’s bound to happen - but you’ll feel better knowing that when you get home, that piece of paper has a designated place to go which isn’t just a random pile. Trust us; you’ll thank us later on during the year when you’re frantically searching for a set of notes that you made on at the beginning of the year on a random piece of paper.

5- Enjoy your week.

We don’t want to present going back to school in a bad light because education is great in our opinion. But we do know that it can be quite a stressful time, and soon you’ll be getting into the routine of studying and finishing assignments, so enjoy this week before it all begins. Don’t start going crazy and studying now, you are still on holiday. Relax and enjoy these last few days. Don’t ruminate on what it’s going to be like, filling your head with worries because as long as you’ve prepared yourself the next step is simply to wait for the academic year to start. You’ve got this.

6- Watch your mindset.

As the day gets closer, take a note of your mindset. Are you going into the year uninterested, disengaged and disheartened? We understand that going back to school may not be something you are looking forward to but how you start the year can set the tone for the rest of it. We are not saying to go into it singing at the top of your lungs but rather to walk in with a determined attitude that you will work hard, it’s in your power to try your best and with a new year comes new unexpected possibilities. Rather than seeing this as a door closing and shutting out the summer sun, see it as a door opening to a new beginning and a chance to just have a stab at seeing what it’s like to try and reach your full potential.

Starting a new school year is always daunting but just know that you have done this so many times already. You literally have 100% track record of jumping into the new school year. We know A-levels are new territory but you’ve got it in you to do it, you just gotta jump straight into it!