Are you a nervous high school freshman starting school? Or feel that even though you’ve been at your school, you still haven’t solved how to get the most out of it? High school can be stressful and terrifying if you’re new to it. But breathe easy, we have a quick and easy-to-follow high school survival guide for making this your best school year yet.
Here are our top tips to help you enjoy high school.
Get To Know People
First, get to know your peers. Even if you have friends from your old school, make new one! Work on finding good, trustworthy friends with similar values and interests as you. These friends will play a large factor in your high school life. You’ll find many study, social and extra-curricular opportunities to meet other students and get to know them.
Also, take time to get to know a few teachers and counselors too. They can help you in many ways your peers cannot, including advising you in choices you need to make and of course, during college application time.
Get Organized
Organization is not only key for high school survival, but it is a key life skill as well. Some people seem to be born organized, but the rest of us have to work at it. Luckily there are tons of helpful resources out there. It’s a no brainer that you should start with a planner and note down every “to do” (assignments, social events, sports events, everything!) as soon as you can before you forget it. School life and assignments are easier when you know what you’re supposed to be doing when.
Another tip: use your planner and your watch/smart phone to make sure you’re on time!
Stay Focused
Schoolwork should always be the number one priority. Sometimes your work may suffer if you are too distracted by extracurricular activities or just hanging out with friends too long (and let’s not forget the drama that goes on in high school!). It’s helpful to remind yourself that your future depends on you paying attention to your academics and doing your personal best!
Take Care Of Yourself
You’ve heard all of this before: eat right, get some exercise, get enough sleep. It’s true. Your mental and emotional well being is dependent on your physical health. So take time to take care of yourself – put in time for workouts (and sleep if you need to) in your planner! And while an occasional frappe won’t kill you, keep to the healthy stuff most of the time if you want to function at peak energy.
Ask for Help When You Need it
High school isn’t all fun and games. Sometimes, you may feel overwhelmed and stressed out. It could be due to the workload, or people dynamics or any number of issues. There are many resources at school to help you with whatever problem you may have, plus, you have made all these friends and connections with teachers and counselors! And of course, let’s not forget that your family could help you too. What’s critical is that you don’t have to bear it all on your own – share your problems and ask for help whenever you need it.
Make Time For Fun
Don’t take high school TOO seriously now. You’ll never have an opportunity like this to be around friends while living with your family. Join extracurricular activities that suit your passions (robotics can be cool!), go cheer at that football game with your friends and be social. You’ll find the time goes faster when you’re enjoying yourself and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime.
So what’s the take-away? Focus on your priorities, but make time to enjoy the unique opportunities that high school provides you. Do you have any tips for surviving high school? Share with us!
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It’s that time of year – summer is coming to an end, as is your summer break! You’d have received a list of “must-have” items from your school and started shopping for everything from textbooks to new pencils, but if you’re new to this, you’re probably wondering what else should be in your backpack for school.
The good news is that millions of students go through this every year and we can learn from them. Here’s our team’s simplified list of what to consider when readying your messenger bag or backpack for school.
Keep your backpack light enough to to walk upright!
Let’s start with what will go into the “big pocket”.
Books
When packing books, remember to actively use your locker! Think about where your locker is located in relation to where your classes are for the day. If you can leave a few books in your locker, it will help lighten the weight of your bag. You can also store one or two books that you can read in your spare time, during study hall, lunch or at the end of the day.
Notebooks and Folders
How many notebooks do you need? You may need one per class. We also recommend putting loose sheets in folders so they don’t get crumpled. Again, you don’ t need to carry every notebook with you all day if you make use of your locker.</
Planner
Your school may be one that provides their students with a planner on the first day of school. If your school doesn’t, it is important that you get one to put in your backpack for school. A planner will help you keep track of your assignments, tasks and extracurricular activities. If you prefer a digital planner, here are some options!
Pencil Pouch
Pens, pencils, highlighters – have 2-3 of each in case you lose one or need to lend one to a friend. And it really makes sense to put them all in a pouch so you’re not digging around the bottom of your backpack when you’re in a rush to find one! By the way, schools may have sharpeners, but it is nice to have one handy just in case you’re working outside the classroom.
Laptop/Tablet
If you use your own computing device at school (not limited to what your school provides in the classroom), remember to bring a charger too. It is also best to put your laptop/tablet in a protective pouch or cover to keep it from getting scratched in your backpack.
Personal Items
Though much of your cosmetic, grooming or personal items may be left in your locker, you may want to have some of them handy in your backpack. Putting them in a pouch makes it easier to access them when you need to and keeps you from accidentally melting chapstick over your books! You may also want to include any critical medical items (e.g. your inhaler) here so you can get to them immediately if necessary.
Now let’s look at what you can put into the “small pocket”.
Flash Drive
These are super handy to save files or backup important work that you may take from home to school for example. They’re even useful to share extra large files with your friends, especially if you’re working on video projects together.
Calculator
If you need a scientific calculator, you can keep it in the small pocket if it is large enough to hold it.
Wallet
Don’t forget your wallet! Your debit/credit cards, cash and ID can be stored in the small pocket of your backpack or, you can carry your wallet in your pocket if you prefer.
Phone/Headphones
The small pocket is a good place to stash your phone and headphones, unless you’d rather have them in your pocket!
There are a lot of other items that you may need: gym shoes/clothes, water bottle, lunch (if you pack your own) etc. It may be better to pack your athletic items in a sports bag to leave in your locker and put your lunch in a separate pack/container to keep it from getting crushed and leave that in your locker too if you can.
Want more tips on what you need for your backpack for school? Check out these images for more ideas.
Have tips you’d like to share? Leave a reply!
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Yup, it’s happening right now, school’s out and you’re on your summer break! What should you do this summer? Of course, summer break is the time to catch up and get ahead on working towards your goals but…it’s critical to relax during summer break since you know crunch times will be back when school starts up again!
With jobs, internships, makeup classes, assignments, sports, there’s no shortage of things you feel you have to do. High levels of stress can be both physically and mentally draining, so it’s important to relax during summer break and refresh yourself. According to this article, vacations where you actually take a break from work and routine make you healthier and happier – something even teens should pay attention to! Take some time now to focus on recharging your batteries so you’re ready to go ahead at full speed when school starts.
Make time for your interests and your friends!
Not sure where to start? Meemli has you covered. Try out these ideas to refresh during your summer break.
Get A Change Of Scenery
When you spend five out of seven days each week going to school, the weekly routine can get repetitive after a while. Thankfully, summer is a perfect chance to get a change of scenery. Use your time off to hit up the beach, visit a new city, take a hike, or do whatever you enjoy doing outdoors! Time spent away from busy environments has been proven to make you feel better.
Plus, free from the hectic school year schedule, summer is a great time to hang out with friends you don’t get to see as often as you’d like. So bring some company along on your trips. It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to enjoy a change of scenery – visiting a park or lively street scene in a new part of town can be a blast if done with your friends. Feeling ambitious? Organize a treasure hunt with some friends and experience your town in a new and fun way!
Explore Your Interests
Summer vacation can also be a great time to explore your passions and interests. Time can sometimes be in short supply during the school year, but summer brings with it the perfect chance to learn or try something new.
Use your summer to broaden your horizons by doing fun activities that you’re interested in. Been wanting to learn how to play a favorite song? Learn a new sport? Want to build your own computer? Want to channel your inner chef? Now is the time to do it when you have fewer conflicts and commitments.
Schedule some time, every day or every week or during some stretch of your summer vacation, to devote yourself to indulging your passions and interests. Want a little help getting started? Check out our list of low-cost DIY activities for teens that will spark your creativity.
All work and no play is rarely a recipe for success. While your summer will no doubt be filled with working towards goals, mix some fun and relaxation into your schedule to destress, stay healthy, and reenergize yourself for the next school year. The teen years are short – so don’t let them slip away without taking time to enjoy yourself!
What does your summer look like? All play? All work? A bit of both (we hope)? Let us know!
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Summer vacation! Three months of freedom from homework and tests? Sign. Me. Up. But while you’re putting on your shades and heading for the sand, it’s a good idea to think about ways to use your summer productively. Sure, there are many activities you can do during the break, but summer jobs for teens come with a whole host of benefits that can make them worthwhile and fun!
A little work with the play will make your summer more rewarding!
Explore Your Passions
A summer job is a great way to get your feet wet in an area that interests you. Like politics? Volunteer with your representative! Love sports? Teach a youth team! Obsessed with Facebook? Do social media outreach for a company! Alternatively, summer jobs can help you decide what you aren’t interested in, since real world experience can sometimes reveal the less-glamorous side of all kinds of professions.
Even if it’s the middle of summer, its never too late to look for work opportunities and expand your horizons. If you’re ready to volunteer, there are a host of people who’d love your help. Working and doing something new can provide a fun and engaging learning experience to help you prepare for the future. You might even make a few bucks while you’re at it!
Build Your Resume
In the real world, you don’t have to raise your hand to ask to use the restroom! This is just one of the ways that professional environments are different from classroom settings. A summer job can help you learn to navigate the professional world, a vital skill in and of itself.
Work experience can help you to get acquainted with professional etiquette and communication, and can also afford you some practice with real-world responsibility. Learn to be responsible for getting to work on time, clocking in your hours, and managing your assignments.
Summer jobs can also be a great way get experience interacting with different kinds of people: odds are, not everyone thinks exactly like you do. As an added bonus, colleges also like to see experience outside of school!
Build Your Network
We know, starting your first job as a teen can be intimidating. Luckily, most jobs will have someone to show you the ropes and coworkers who can mentor you. Summer jobs are wonderful ways to make friends and meet like-minded people, especially if you’re working in an field that you’re passionate about.
With a summer job, you can work and also socialize with your peers, sharpen your teamwork skills, and learn more about the work you’re interested in from those that have been around a bit longer!
More connections with others in your interest area also means more opportunities for you down the road: according to this study, about 40% of new hires come from employee referrals. Of course this number will vary by profession, but WHO you know in the work world can be just as important as WHAT you know. Take advantage of your summer, make connections and get your foot in the door!
If you want a break from school after 9 months and are looking for an engaging challenge, a summer job may be the perfect solution for you. Explore your interests, network with colleagues, and get an introduction to the professional world doing whatever YOU want to do! So, what are you waiting for?
What are your thoughts on summer jobs? Reply to this post and tell us about it!
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As your break gets into full swing, make sure you have your “summer reading books” picked out. Why read during summer? First, you probably have some required reading assigned to you at school so it may not be optional. Also reading improves your life, including helping you fill some boring hours – and we all have them, even during perfect summers. Best of all, reading is fun, especially when you get to pick the books!
Here are some books recommended by our teachers which may interest high-schoolers and advanced middle-schoolers too. These are a little out of the ordinary and may be good choices as summer reading books and “pick your own book” reading programs.
Please click on the name to check the description of the book, and if necessary, discuss with your school and parents, to ensure it is an appropriate choice for you.
Fresh and Uncommon Reads
Non-Fiction
Shane Burcaw, Laughing at My Nightmare
James Hirsch, Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Reuben Carter
Martin Pistoris, Ghost Boy
Steve Sheinkin, Lincoln’s Grave Robbers
Deborah Heligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
Maya Van Wagenen, Popular
Agnieszka Biskup & Tammy Enz, Batman Science: The Real-World Science Behind Batman’s Gear
Graphic Novels
Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese (13+)
Alexander Lagos, Sons of Liberty (10+)
Doug, TenNapel, Ghostopolis (10+)
Raina Telgemeir, Smile (14+)
Gene Luen Yi, Level Up (14+)
Emily Carroll, Through the Woods(14+)
Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis (16+)
Middle Level Reading
Kelly Fiore, Just Like the Movies
Megan Shull, The Swap
Lauren Morrill, Being Sloane Jacobs
Firoozeh Dumas, It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel
Jason Reynolds, As Brave as You
Kwame Alexander, The Crossover
Up All Night Reads
Frances Hardinge, The Lie Tree
Alex London, Proxy
T.L. Costa, Playing Tyler
Michael Grant, Gone
E.L. Lockhart, We Were Liars
Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races
Oh, What a World
M.T. Anderson, Feed
Joelle Charbonneau, The Testing
Sally Gardner, Maggot Moon
Patrick Ness, The Knife of Never Letting Go
Mark Frost, The Paladin Prophecy
Ernest Cline, Ready Player One
Exploring the Unusual
Laura Ruby, Bone Gap
Robin Sloane, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Mistress of Spices
Cath Crowley, Graffiti Moon
Kate Hattemer, The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy
Leslye Walton, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Max Barry, Lexicon
This summer we hope you’ll join us in savoring the new worlds, people and ideas in books and relishing the joy of reading.
There are many more new and interesting books out there. If you have favorites you’d like to recommend, leave us a reply – Happy Summer Reading!
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School is out for the summer! While laying by the pool and trips to the beach are probably top of mind right now, it’s a good idea to include some academic learning and other activities in your summer plans as well. As always, making a plan is a good way to take control of your activities and your time. Tip: include these five areas in your summer break plans to to get the most out of it!
Sharpen Academic Skills
Do you need to catch up on any specific subjects in school? Or do you need to just brush up on a subject you haven’t taken in a while or prepare for college entrance tests? Consider taking a summer class! Many schools offer in-person or online classes that you can take over the summer.
There are also many resources online that you can use to study at your own pace. A little bit of academics will keep your brain from the dreaded learning loss from summer slide! Meemli can help with programs you can do wherever you are (even if traveling) and whenever convenient, just let us know what you’re looking for here!)
Gain Work Experience
Want to add some experience to your resume, or just make some extra cash? Look for a summer job that you can do and would enjoy doing. A great place to start is thinking about your interests and if you can incorporate that into your job. For example, if you like playing sports and/or being around kids, consider applying to be a summer camp counselor.
Some students seek out opportunities in the field they hope to study in college, for example, interning at a clinic if they’re considering health sciences – summer jobs look great on college applications!
Give Back To The Community
Volunteering is an easy way to give back to your local community and it makes you feel great as you’re making a difference. Added bonus, it also looks great on college applications.
You can even volunteer when you’re out of town! For example, if you are going to the beach, take an hour or two walking around and picking up trash. If you find yourself stuck inside on a rainy day, visit a local nursing home or recreation center and ask if you can help out for the day. You may make new friends and have a great time.
Have Fun With Family And Friends
The school year can be hectic and busy. If you are too busy during the school year to be social, summer break is a great time to get together with friends/family.
For any activity that you like to do, whether it is watching movies, or playing basketball or cooking up a storm, you can find family members and friends to join you. Best of all, going for a hike to gathering for a group game night is inexpensive and easy to do and could reward you with memories for a lifetime!
Prepare For College
Are you going to be a high school senior next year? If so, this is a great time to start preparing for college and the application process! Once school starts you know life is going to be hectic so taking a little time now will make a huge difference. This article helps outline a few key areas to focus on and provides some insight into what you can be doing this summer to prepare yourself.
Have your summer break plans done? We’d love to hear about them.