Tips to get pumped for freshman year

Viviana Camarillo, Staff Writer|September 16, 2014

Karley Crawford / Legacy Media

While shifting sleep schedules may be a difficult aspect in the transition of high school, setting extra alarms and going to bed early is a helpful way to get prepared.

Waking up and staying awake

Getting out of your usual 8 a.m. routine from middle school will definitely be a challenge. Try these tips to make getting up in the morning at least a little bit more bearable.

  • Avoid the snooze button, with the “Sleep if you can” app. This app forces you to get out of bed and take a picture of a certain item before you can hit the snooze button.
  • Play some tunes. Spotify lets you create a personalized playlist with all the songs you love. Nothing like a morning jam session to wake you up.
  • Eat breakfast. No one has time for a five star breakfast, but time should not keep you from fueling up for a crazy school day. Trade those drab Pop-Tarts for an Energizing and filling smoothie instead. Just toss the ingredients in the blender, pour in a cup and get out the door. It’s quick, easy and nutritious.

Get organized

It’s hard to keep track of seven classes, all providing endless amounts of homework. Add in sports and clubs, and getting organized will literally save your life.

  • You don’t have to drive yourself crazy looking for a planner. Handmadehome.net has simple and stylish printable planners. The best part? They’re free.
  • Sort your items. If you have a lot of notebooks to keep up with, try organizing each subject by color, making it easier to locate what you need for each subject.
  • If you’re more comfortable with technology, try setting reminders on your phone and tablet to alert you of important dates.

Study, study, study

Studying is a key element of surviving High school. Different techniques work for different people, so here’s a few tips to help you find what works for you.

A survey done by The Boston Globe reports that half of Americans say that disorganization causes them to work late at least two times a week.
A survey done by The Boston Globe reports that half of Americans say that disorganization causes them to work late at least two times a week.
  • Use the “Finish” app. Finish helps beat procrastination by prioritizing your work. Not only does it help get work done, but it also rewards you with free stuff after you have completed tasks.
  • Quizlet will be your best friend throughout high school. Quizlet has flashcards for just about everything, and you can also create your own.
  • To make homework for foreign language classes a little bit easier, use Babylon. Just type in the word or phrase and get an instant translation in over a dozen languages. Babylon is easier and more accurate than Google translate.