What students “SHOULD” do after the 1st DAY of school

Hey, middle school and high school students!

This is Seth with SEP.com. I hope you’re having a great day.

This video is for you if today is Day 1 of school.

What I expect is that most of you will probably watch this video before your first day of school. But what I really want to encourage you to do is watch it when you get home after your first day.

If you’re a middle school or high school student and you’re not exactly the most organized person, that’s okay. That’s cool. Because that’s exactly how I was. Maybe that’s how one of your parents is too. Chances are, you probably even have some teachers who are like that.

But to be honest, the purpose of education is to help you build a great future.

Even if you don’t feel like doing well in school, you do want to do well in school. You want to build the skills and tools that will help you create the future you want.

You don’t want a future with limited choices. You want a future full of opportunities, possibilities, and the freedom to do things that matter to you.

Education helps set you up for that.

Now, there may be problems with the education system. There may be teachers you don’t particularly like. There may be assignments you don’t care about. But it is extraordinarily important that you learn how to manage life and manage these challenges.

So this video is about what to do when you get home after your first day of school.

Here’s what I think that day should look like.

If you follow these suggestions, you’ll set yourself up for a much easier school year.

The first day matters because it sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Before I tell you what to do, let me tell you what most students are inclined to do.

Many students who aren’t naturally organized—or who don’t see themselves as strong students—come home from school and immediately want to move on with life.

Their parents ask:

“How was school?”

And they reply:

“Fine.”

Their parents ask:

“Tell me about it.”

And they say:

“It was fine.”

Then they want to go hang out with friends, play video games, go outside, or do something else.

And honestly, after the first day, you’re probably going to be tired.

Your brain is exhausted.

You’ve met a bunch of new people, seen tons of faces, learned where your locker is, found your classrooms, explored the hallways, and listened to teachers throw a million details at you.

There’s a lot going on.

Your brain is full.

So it’s completely normal to want to decompress and forget about school for a while.

But here’s what I want you to do.

Step 1: Talk to Your Parents

When you get home, be honest with your parents.

Tell them about the ups and downs of the day.

Maybe school was great.

Maybe it wasn’t.

Share some of the good things and some of the not-so-good things.

Have a balanced perspective.

If you’re feeling negative, try to identify a few positives.

If you’re feeling extremely positive, be honest about any challenges too.

The goal is simply honest communication.

Good communication with your parents can be incredibly helpful.

So tell them:

• What went well

• What didn’t go well

• What surprised you

• What you’re excited about

Just give them a real picture of your day.

Step 2: Decompress

After that, go decompress.

You’re going to need it.

Put the backpack down.

Go outside.

Move your body.

Hang out with friends.

Spend time with family.

Laugh.

Relax.

Do something fun.

Ideally, don’t immediately jump into video games or TV.

Try to do something active, social, and energizing.

Your brain needs a chance to reset.

Step 3: Get Organized

At some point—either before or after dinner—set aside about an hour to go through everything in your backpack.

Hopefully, you put everything into your backpack instead of stuffing it into your locker.

Sit down at a table or on the floor.

Turn off the TV.

Put away distractions.

If possible, sit with a parent, older sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, or another adult you respect.

Then start going through everything.

Look at every single paper.

Throw away any trash.

Separate out homework.

Organize your folders.

Make sure everything is labeled.

Put your name on your materials.

Check your planner.

Review your school calendar.

If your teachers gave you syllabi, read through them carefully.

Highlight important dates.

Write assignments and deadlines into your planner.

Take the time to get truly organized.

So let’s review:

1. Talk to your parents.

Tell them about your day—the good and the bad.

2. Decompress.

Have fun, move your body, relax, and reset.

3. Organize everything.

Go through every item in your backpack and prepare for tomorrow.

The goal is simple.

If you have homework, get it done that night.

Reset your backpack.

Put everything where it belongs.

When you walk out the door the next morning, your backpack should be completely ready to go.

No organizing in the morning.

That work should already be done.

You should walk into school feeling confident because:

• Your backpack is organized.

• You know where everything is.

• You have everything you need.

• You’re ready for Day 2.

Now, I just spent several minutes talking about what to do after one day of school.

And I want to emphasize this:

If you do these things, you’re setting the tone for the entire year.

Will it make or break your year?

No.

But it can significantly improve it.

You’re setting a precedent.

You’re creating habits.

You’re establishing a standard for how you’re going to handle school.

That one evening matters.

So take an hour and do this—not for your parents, not for your teachers, and not for anyone else.

Do it for yourself.

The better you start the year, the better you set yourself up for success later.

And ultimately, that’s what education is about:

Helping you build an awesome future.

One last thing.

You will experience resistance.

You’ll procrastinate.

You’ll get stuck.

You’ll feel tired.

You’ll tell yourself you don’t want to start.

That’s normal.

Resistance is one of the hardest things we face.

Starting is often the hardest part.

So if you feel resistance, that’s okay.

Do it anyway.

All right.

Good luck to you.

I hope you have a fantastic school year, and I’ll see you soon.