You’re jittery and nervous, filled with dread and, yes, excitement too. It’s the start of a new school year, time to show off new duds and ‘dos. But disaster lurks around every corner, like in those clunky new shoes that make walking an adventure or in the nasty hall monitor you hope will buy your hard-luck story about being lost. Want to avoid the worst pitfalls, the most excruciating embarrassments? Take a peek at our checklist of things to do–or not do–before heading back to school.
Know your way around
If you’re new to a school, it pays to go there a few days before classes start or early the first day to check the place out. Find the cafeteria, the gym, the principal’s office, the bathrooms, your classrooms and your locker. After all, it’s better to look confident than bewildered (unless you think that lost look is attractive).
What’s new with you
Whatever you do, don’t make any drastic changes in your appearance right before you go back to school. For example, DON’T dye your hair or cut it really short, get a nose ring or a large shoulder tattoo, go for a killer tan–you’re more likely to end up with a bad burn–or go on a crash diet. Think of it this way: If you go for the unforgettable entrance and fall flat on your face, literally or figuratively, you’ll be remembered, but for all the wrong reasons. And all year long. Even if you’re not totally satisfied with your image, it’s usually better than some assumed image you’re not comfortable with.
Get in gear
You can leave the pocket protector at home, but, at least for the first day, don’t forget the basic school supplies: notebooks, folders, pens and pencils. Later, you may have to add other stuff, like a ruler or calculator, but that first day all you really need is something to write with and on.
Teacher’s pet
It can’t hurt to get the scoop on your teachers. Unless a teacher is new, there are plenty of students who have experienced–and survived–his/her teaching style. Talk to older sisters, brothers, friends. Find out, for example, what your homeroom or math teacher looks for in a good student. Is he strict? Does she have a sense of humor? Will he see through the dog-ate-my-homework excuse?
If all this advice seems like too much trouble, remember, the more you know, the better off you are. It’s, like, education.
