Seize the Opportunity to Start Fresh

The beginning of the school year is often a time of year filled with excitement, anxiety, and the promise of learning new skills on the path to higher education. The start of every new semester represents a chance to leave behind old habits and embrace a fresh start. But how can you, as a parent, support your child in making the most of this new beginning?

We’ll get to that in just a moment.

The Essence of a New School Year

We’ve all been here before, standing at the edge of a new experience with our students. There are hopes that most students have around this time of year: Acing every class, participating in new extracurriculars, and making lasting memories with their friends. But as the days turn into weeks and weeks into months, old self-defeating patterns and new challenges might emerge. This year, let's change that narrative for your child and learn how to support them in achieving the success they envision for themselves.

Five Ways to Help Your Student Start The School Year Off Right 

1. Understand the New Terrain

Before assuming that the school year will start off slow and there is time to figure out everything once things get going for the semester, take some time with your student to understand their new course load. Discuss with your child how they feel about their subjects and teachers. If your student is having trouble learning from their assigned teacher, consider discussing adjustments to your child's schedule with the school. It’s always best to determine whether adjustments to your student's schedule are necessary early on while there’s still time to make these changes.

2. Plan and Prioritize.

Equip your child for success in school and life by teaching them the art of calendaring and timeblocking. By visualizing their weekly tasks, quizzes, and assignments, your student can learn how to allocate their time more efficiently, ensuring you’re not up till two in the morning proofreading an essay that was technically due at midnight. Sometimes, it takes seeing your schedule laid out to realize there is only so much that you can fit into a day.

3. Connect Your Student with Resources

The start of the school year is the best time to seek help. Whether connecting your student with support resources means encouraging them to meet with their teacher after school or hiring an academic subject coach from our team, early intervention can set the tone for the rest of the year. When you realize that a particular course may be challenging for your student, it makes sense to engage with academic support early on so that they can build a strong foundation in the basics of a topic before the learning curve turns into a sheer vertical cliff for them (or at least that’s how it might feel). 

4. Balance is Key

While extracurricular activities are essential for holistic development and developing candidacy for college admissions, taking on too much can be counterproductive. Help your child choose activities that align with their interests and academic goals. Even more importantly, help your student find areas of interest that are meaningful to them and where they feel compelled to go deeper. Being “incredibly well rounded” is a waste of time if your student is not enjoying themself or engaging with an impossibly diverse list of activities at the surface level.

5. Embrace Modern Learning Tools

Whether it’s using AI tools like ChatGPT or Khanmigo to learn conversationally or using apps like Speechify to support auditory learning, the digital age offers students a plethora of new tools for education. Encourage your child to use these new, technologies to support their learning.

Bonus Tip: Let Us Help Your Student Start The Year Off Strong

The path to higher education shouldn’t be one your student walks alone. Our team of experienced tutors is here to guide, support, and ensure your child's success. As we embrace this new school year, let's work together to make it the best one yet. Contact us today and discover how we can make a difference in your child's academic journey.

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