You could not wait till you were done with the final exam. An erratic appetite, waking up early and sipping coffee before the sun dawned on you — you just wish you could get back to your regular schedule where you did not have to exert yourself too much.
Your school breaks for the summer. Two months of lazing around and no homework. Playing in the sun when you’re home is nothing like going for your PT classes in school, where you’re made to do exercises and take rounds of the playground and yet expected to return to your class on time even as you sweat your way back to class. Not to forget the burden of carrying textbooks, which weigh like bricks, in your backpack. You wish they had a locker system in school to lessen this burden.
Get set
But the last two weeks of the summer break keeps you on your toes. You, along with your parents, get talking on whether you require a new uniform (you’ll be the cool kid if you are okay with your old faded uniform), textbooks and stationery.
In the midst of gearing up for a fresh academic year, you get jittery thinking about going back to school after two months. Who will be my class teacher this year? In all likelihood, your class will be shuffled, like it happened in the previous years. So, you wonder whether your buddies will be with you this year! The kid whose mother made the bitter gourd vegetable taste less bitter or the friend whose mother grated the cheese to make the sandwich taste so different from the everyday sandwich. “What do I look forward to?”
This is the time of your life when things such as these make a difference. Adults pass them off as ‘this is how kids are’. But the truth is that even adults worry about little things, but know how to address issues in a mature way. This is what makes kids different from adults — being able to tackle things discreetly.
The day before
The clock is ticking! You now realise there are less than three days before school begins. Your shoes require a wash, your nails need to be trimmed, and finally you need a haircut!
Yet, the thing that sends a shiver down your spine is the feeling of going back after a stretch of time.
It’s an absolute feeling of anxiety — how would school be this time? But once you are back in school, things become okay in few days, and life is good!
Timed out
It is usual to make a timetable, or even make a resolution planning your study time, cutting down on TV and internet time. It’s also normal to feel lazy and go back to your old routine.
But the important thing is not to make a drastic change in your routine. For example, if you’re used to long hours on the internet, giving up on it entirely may not be possible. It would be better if you could cut that time by half and use that time constructively.
When you’re taught new concepts in school, read them once you’re back home. It’s better to go through your class notes and textbooks on a daily basis and understanding them, rather than just memorising them. Reading your notes every day will help you understand the concepts.
Spending time outdoors is important for your physical well-being. Take a walk, play a game — badminton, tennis, cricket, whatever you like or go cycling. You could also go swimming. Don’t forget to exercise for it keeps you active the whole day. If you plan to study late hours, you better stay fit!
What's in the snack box?
A nutritionally enriched diet is essential if you are to keep your energy levels high. Do not opt for junk food in place of your meals. Make sure that your snack box has something to keeo hunger at bay till lunch time. Something light, not too heavy so that it makes you drowsy would be ideal. Too much coffee and junk food may cause your stomach some trouble. A healthier option to coffee would be tea, green tea is ideal. However, if you can do without either it would be best. You could whip up a fruit or vegetable juice at home as this is by far the healthiest choice. In the event that you have had to eat a lot of junk food then try to eat fruits or salad for dinner. Closer to you exam dates do not make drastic changes to your daily diet. Stick to what you are happy and comfortable with.
