School starts tomorrow for a lot of students up here. I thought I'd offer some tips to make your first day great and set the tone for the year. If you already started school, I'm sorry I'm too late! I just thought of doing this now... but you should still go ahead and still try them though!1) Bring an apple for your teachers.
I'm joking right?? Well, kind of... Such an old school idea, but I bet your teachers would get a kick out of it! As an adult working with teens, I love when my students bring me something when they show up. It shows that they thought of me outside of church. It also would show your teacher that you are looking forward to having a great year (even if you really aren't). Or if you dont like the apple idea, leave for school early and grab a Starbucks for your 1st period teacher. Get on their good side. :)
2) Make a new friend.
It's a new year. People change over the summer. Go make friends with someone who you weren't friends with last year. Maybe you've never met them before, or maybe you just didn't like them. Give them a chance. Everyone has a story and you have no idea what's going on in a person's life if you never talk to them. Be a friend. Gain a friend. Its a win-win!3) Go out of your way to talk to a freshman or a new student.
Remember how uncomfortable/awkward/scary it was as a freshman? Or if you've ever been a new student somewhere, you know how hard that can be... sometimes even lonely. Everyone has their "groups" and "tables," so how does a new student break in? They're not familiar with where everything is or how everything works. Or maybe they do. But you should go out of your way and ask them how they are doing and if you could help with anything.
4) Start and end the day right.
Set your alarm 10-15 minutes earlier than you normally would and wake up to start your day with prayer. God cares about you and your first day of school as well. Why not talk to him before you do anything else? Tell Him how you feel and ask Him to give you wisdom, courage, and to surround you with the right people.
At the end of your day, take another 10-15 minutes and write down how your day went. Write about how you felt, what happened, who you met, etc. You'll love looking back at that a year from now, and 5 years from now, and 10 years, and so on. Oh, and while you're writing, thank God for the good things that happened and dedicate your year to Him.
Those are just some quick ideas that are easy to do. What would you add to that list?
