Starting the Year Strong

“This year is going to be my best one yet!”

Jake’s parents believed his plan, but he didn’t set up the organizational systems for success. Fast forward six weeks: Jake found himself overwhelmed and drowning in a sea of missed assignments.

We see this scenario play out all too often. Like many students, Jake’s “I’ll figure it out as I go” approach had backfired, leaving him struggling to catch up for the rest of the semester.

At Untapped Learning, we believe that with the right preparation and strategies, students like Jake can avoid this common pitfall and set themselves up for success from day one. Let’s explore some key steps you and your student can take to ensure a strong start to the school year.

1. Reflect on the Previous Year: 

Take time to review the past school year with your student. This reflection process fosters self-awareness and a growth mindset, setting the stage for improvement in the coming year.

• Celebrate Successes. Acknowledge areas where your student excelled or showed improvement.
  • Examples might include:
    • Improved grades in specific subjects 
    • Better time management skills 
    • Increased participation in class 
    • Overcoming a particular challenge or fear 
  • Discuss what strategies or habits contributed to these successes 
  • Emphasize the importance of recognizing and building on these strengths

• Identify Challenges.
  • Have an open, judgment-free discussion about difficulties faced in the previous year. These might include:
    • Particular subjects that were challenging 
    • Time management issues 
    • Study habits that weren’t effective 
    • Social or extracurricular pressures that affected academics 
  • Encourage your student to be specific about each challenge’s most difficult aspects.

• Brainstorm Solutions:  
  • For each challenge identified, work together to develop potential solutions or strategies to try in the upcoming year. For example:
    • If math was challenging, solutions might include attending teacher office hours, joining a study group, or using online resources for extra practice
    • If time management was an issue, consider implementing a digital calendar or breaking large tasks into smaller, manageable steps
  • Prioritize one or two key areas for improvement to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
  • Discuss how you can support your student in implementing these new strategies.

By engaging in this reflective process, your student can start the new school year with increased self-awareness and targeted strategies for success. Remember, the goal is to learn from both successes and challenges, fostering a mindset of continuous growth and improvement.

2. Set Clear Expectations

Setting clear expectations for the academic year provides direction and motivation. While it’s easier said than done, the effort invested in this process will pay significant dividends in the future. Here are some recommendations to guide your approach:

• Define “Success.” Work together with your student to determine what constitutes success in different areas. These conversations should be specific and might include: 
• Academic goals: 
  • Maintaining a certain GPA (e.g., 3.0 or above) 
  • Establishing and sticking to a consistent study routine (e.g., 1 hour of focused study time each weekday) 
• Extracurricular achievements: 
  • Specific goals for sports, clubs, or other activities (e.g., making the varsity team, taking a leadership role in a club) 
• Life skills development: 
  • Improving time management (e.g., using a calendar consistently) 
  • Balancing academics with other commitments (e.g., maintaining grades while participating in two extracurricular activities)

• Establish Accountability Measures. Clear, understandable expectations are needed. When goals are vague, students can become frustrated. 

Remember: We can’t achieve what we don’t understand. Decide together how progress will be tracked. Options include:

• Weekly Check-ins: 
  • Review any missing assignments 
  • Discuss consequences for incomplete work (e.g., limited screen time until assignments are submitted)
• Plan Positive Reinforcement:  
  • Discuss potential rewards or celebrations for meeting goals. 
  • Focus on reinforcing effort and progress, not just perfect outcomes. 
  • Examples could include:
    • Social rewards: Extra time with friends if weekly success measures are met 
    • Privilege-based incentives: Extended curfew for consistent academic performance 
    • Family rewards: Choice of family weekend activity for reaching a significant goal

Remember, the primary goal is creating a supportive environment that encourages growth and effort. While good grades are important, the focus should be on developing strong habits, resilience, and a positive attitude towards learning. 

3. Establish Routines Early

The key to a smooth transition back to school is starting early. Many students, especially those with executive function challenges, take time to adjust to the school routine. Without preparation, students risk falling into an academic hole that can take the rest of the year to overcome. Here are strategies to help your student start strong and quickly readjust to the school mindset:

• Adjust sleep schedules: Summer often means late nights and even later mornings for students. The sudden shift to early school wake-up times can be jarring, leaving students feeling like zombies for the first month of school. To avoid this:
  • Start adjusting bedtimes and wake-up times about a week before school begins.
  • Aim for your student to wake up around 7 am (or whatever time is necessary for their school schedule) by the last few days of summer break.

Your child will likely resist this change, but it’s far better to adjust before school starts rather than having the first day of school be the first early wake-up in months.

• Incorporate Light Academic Activities: Just as our bodies need time to adjust to new sleep schedules, our brains need time to gear up for academic work. To prepare for the mental demands of school:
  • Encourage 15-20 minutes of reading or light studying each day in the week leading up to school. 
  • Choose interesting and somewhat challenging materials to engage critical thinking skills. 

The goal isn’t to overload your student but to gradually reactivate their “learning muscles.” This gentle reintroduction to academic thinking can help your student feel more prepared and confident when classes begin. 

By establishing these routines early, you’re setting your student up for a smoother transition and a strong start to the school year. Remember, the effort put in now can pay dividends throughout the semester.

4. Organization: Clearing out the Junk

A clutter-free environment promotes a clutter-free mind. Help your student start fresh with these organization tips:

• Clean and Organize the Backpack: Before the semester begins, have your student empty their backpack completely.This is an opportunity to:
  • Recycle old papers and notes from the previous year
  • We really hope there isn’t food, but if so, clean it out
  • Restock pencils, paper, and school supplies

We encourage our students to start a routine of packing their backpacks the night before school starts. This significantly decreases anxiety each morning, especially for our students who move slower during the mornings.  

• Digital Declutter: Recently, electronic organization has become just as important as physical organization. To prevent losing assignments later, guide your student through this process:
  • Delete/archive old emails and files from the previous year (there will be a lot)
  • Unsubscribe from unnecessary email lists to reduce inbox clutter
  • Create new folders for each upcoming class in Google Drive (or similar cloud storage). Archive or delete old assignments (there will be a lot)
  • Clean up the desktop and delete bookmarks

Remember, a clean digital space can be just as important as a clean physical space for reducing stress and improving productivity.

5. Create a Consistent Academic Routine

Consistency and routines are the foundation for academic success. Help your student establish a solid routine that sets them up for a strong school year. Here are some strategies we’ve seen work well for students:

• Set a Designated Homework Time and Place:
  • Work with your student to determine the best time for daily homework and studying. This could be right after school when information is fresh or after dinner when they’ve had time to recharge.
  • Create a dedicated study location stocked with all necessary supplies. This helps signal to the brain that it’s time to focus.
  • Discuss a plan for days with no assigned homework. Encourage activities like:
    • Reviewing notes from the day to reinforce learning 
    • Working a head start on upcoming assignments or projects 
    • Reading about a topic they’re interested in

• Identify Your “Lead Domino”: 
  • Reflect on the school struggles from last year. Write down as many as you can remember. 
  • Brainstorm a single routine that could address multiple challenges at once. For example:
    • If procrastination and lack of focus were problems, a routine of starting homework right after school in a distraction-free zone might be the solution. 
  • Choose one powerful routine that tackles as many struggles as possible. This becomes your student’s “Lead Domino” – the habit that, when implemented consistently, can create a positive ripple effect across their academic life. 
  • Focus on mastering this one routine before adding others. Small, consistent changes often lead to the biggest improvements.

Following these routines consistently helps your student build strong study habits for their entire academic journey. Over time, this structure will reduce missed assignments and last-minute cramming, ultimately saving time and reducing stress.

6. Build Relationships with Teachers

Establishing positive relationships with teachers early on can greatly benefit your student. You can build a relationship with your teacher by:

• Introduce themselves to their teachers during the first week of school
• Ask questions about the class, content, or syllabus 
• Share any concerns or special needs they might have

Building these relationships when the pressure is low can make addressing any challenges that may arise later in the year easier. Role-playing may be needed if your students are anxious about introducing themselves.

7. Prepare for the First Day

Reduce first-day jitters by helping your student prepare. Remember, students often become defensive when they’re nervous. By taking care of logistics in advance, you’re freeing up mental space for academics and reducing anxiety.

• Review Schedules. You can do this by going over:
  • Class schedules and where to find each classroom 
  • Any after-school activities or commitments 
  • Transportation plans (bus routes, carpool arrangements, etc.)
• Plan Logistics. 
  • Lunch arrangements (packed lunch, lunch money, etc.) 
  • Locker locations and combinations
• Prepare the Night Before. Encourage your student to:
  • Lay out clothes for the first day 
  • Pack their backpack with all necessary supplies 
  • Prepare lunch (if applicable)

By taking care of these details in advance, your student can start their first day feeling more confident and prepared. This preparation helps clarify first-day expectations and significantly reduces anxiety, allowing your student to focus on learning and making a positive first impression.

Starting a new semester strong sets the foundation for a successful academic year. By establishing routines, staying organized, building positive relationships with teachers, setting clear expectations, reflecting on past experiences, and preparing thoroughly, you can help your student begin the semester with confidence and momentum. 

Remember, every student is unique, and it may take some trial and error to find the best strategies for your child. Stay patient, keep communication open, and be ready to adjust your approach as needed. 

Need extra support for your student? Untapped coaches offer personalized strategies to improve study skills, time management, and academic performance. Contact us to help your student unlock their full potential this semester!

For More:

​​To What Extent Do Study Habits Relate to Performance?

The Importance of Strong Relationships Between Teachers & Students

Back to School Anxiety