Connecting to School
Join a club. Joining a club will help you connect with other students and give you something to look forward to when you go to school. Clubs give you opportunities to step into leadership roles and help you gain confidence. Find out from your teachers what clubs are available to join.
Pick a club that is focused on something you’re interested in. Find out when the club meets to make sure you’ll be available for the meetings
Participate in fine arts. Fine arts give you another way to stay connected to your school. Representing your school in a fine arts program will give you a sense of pride for your school and give you another purpose for school. Most programs accept everyone regardless of skill level. Participating in fine arts can also help you expand your ability to learn and help you get better grades. Most schools have several fine arts programs for you to choose from. Marching band and concert band Orchestra Chorus Drama Art
Play on a sports team. A great way to make school fun is to be a part of a sports team. When you play for a school sports team, you'll have pride in your school and will look forward to representing the school. Developing pride in your school will connect you to your school and make it more fun to attend. Attend games and sporting events. Whenever your school's team is playing a game, go cheer them on. Many sports offer free admission to students. Consider going with a group of friends to make it a fun outing to connect with your friends. Don't limit yourself to only basketball or football games. Support girl's team sports as well and go to lacrosse and softball games.
Participate in school-sponsored activities. Schools have many different activities throughout the year that are available for any student to participate in. Check your school’s website or newsletter to find out when activities are available and how to participate. Most schools will have several to choose from. School dances Pep rallies Homecoming parade Festivals
Getting through a Boring Class
Write notes to a friend. Although you may get in trouble for texting on your cell phone during class, you can write an old school note to pass to a friend between classes. Writing notes to a friend on notebook paper is easily overlooked by a teacher because it looks like you are completing classwork or taking notes on the lesson.
Draw. A great way to pass the time in a boring class is to doodle or draw. You can stay engaged and learning by drawing your notes instead of writing them. This will wake up your brain and help you learn the material in a class you’re struggling to focus in. Try drawing pictures with your notes. Make your notes into a graphic novel so you are learning while you draw.
Write a story. If you’re having trouble in a slow class, you can write your own short story. If you include information about the lesson in your short story, you’ll make class fun and learn the information at the same time.
Make a game up. When class gets boring or you’re assigned boring information to read, make up a game to play to entertain yourself. A fun mind game can engage you and bring your focus back. Count the number of times the teacher says a particular word. If you are learning a lesson in math, count how many times the teacher says "add." Ask friends to track other words, and keep score over several days. Have a prize for the person who picks the most used word for the week. If you’ve been assigned reading material that is boring, try reading it as fast as you can and then write down everything you remember. Time yourself and then try to beat your fastest time.
Ask to go to the restroom. Taking a break to stand up and walk around when your mind has lost its focus is a great way to stop the boredom. Breaks actually help the brain retain information and make connections, so your bathroom break can help you learn the information better. Ask to go to the bathroom, and then take some time to walk around or do a few stretches before coming back into the class.
Socializing with Friends
Talk to friends between classes. You have a brief moment between each class to change your books, but you can use this time to socialize with your friends as well. Memorize where your friends will be after classes, and find a place you can meet with them to catch up before you have to catch the next class. If you don’t have enough time to meet them, send them a text to talk about the latest news.
Enjoy your lunch hour with friends. Find friends to eat lunch with during your lunch hour. The lunch hour is your break in the day to be able to hang out with your friends and enjoy yourself. Find a table to sit at every day so everyone knows where to meet. If you're allowed to go outside during lunch, consider finishing your lunch quickly to provide more outside time to play and socialize. Play table games such as paper football with people at your table. Challenge yourself to meet new people each lunch period if your group of friends is not in your lunch period.
Meet friends after school to leave together. As soon as the bell rings for the end of the day, it becomes your free time. Meet friends when school ends to walk or ride home together so you can hang out everyday. If you have after school activities, meet friends after school to have a snack together and hangout before the activity starts. Enjoy your time with cool students who have a good influence on you.
Choosing Classes
Sign up for classes your friends are taking. Ask your friends what classes they are planning to take next semester. Talk to your counselor about signing up for the same classes so that you will have people you know in your classes.
Select interesting courses. Choose electives that are exciting and interesting. Make your schedule more fun by taking at least one class each semester that you'll enjoy.
Get the right teachers. Each teacher has a different style of managing her classroom and teaching the material. Ask older students which teachers are fun and which ones are more strict. You may have options when you are registering for classes to ensure that you get teachers that have more fun in the classroom.
Take classes that require projects. Many courses require projects as a part of your grade. Signing up for classes where you will have a creative outlet to do a project with a group or on your own can help you have fun and enjoy the class. Project based learning can be a fun departure from just reading a book. Observe the classes you will take next year to plan ahead. Ask older friends or relatives which classes require projects.
Preparing for School
Get enough sleep. It’s important to get enough sleep at night to be able to have a great day at school. When you’re well rested, your mind is ready to learn and you’re able to keep your emotions in check. If you go to school tired, you will get stressed easily. School will definitely not be fun if you’re stressed. Studies suggest that adolescents should get between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep each night.
Finish homework on time. If you get your homework done and turned in on time, you will go to school each day without stressing. When you are late with a homework assignment, it’s easy to start stressing, and it can ruin your whole day. To make sure school stays fun, find time to do all of your homework and turn it in on time. Keep track of your assignments in a planner or agenda to know when they are due. Work on homework while you're on the bus to and from school so you don't have as much to complete at home. Do your homework with a group of friends (without copying each other's answers) to turn homework into a social activity.
Bring a water bottle to school. Staying hydrated is very important to your health. If you’re dehydrated, you can lose focus and become agitated easily, so if you want school to be fun, you need to stay hydrated. Bring a reusable water bottle to school to keep yourself hydrated all day long.
Comments
0 comment