Back to School

It’s about that time! Summer draws to a close and for a lot of people, including myself, that means back to school. I know many folks like the routine establishment that comes with going back to school, but some fear the change from the freedom of summer to the rigidity of school and the work that comes with it. Some of you may even be moving to a new place to attend school, so how can we navigate all these changes that come at us simultaneously?

I know that one of the things I struggle with in going back to school is going back to schoolwork and all the stress that comes with that. I find myself drowning in my work sometimes because, truthfully, I tend to procrastinate. Procrastinating is fine and light and fun until all the sudden the due date comes around and it’s not so fun anymore. For a long time I told myself I would stop procrastinating by just starting projects when I get them. This did not work. What ended up working for me is scheduling an hour or so of “work time” into my day. If I didn’t have anything imminently due, I would use that time to find something that would be due in the future. It’s not a perfect method by any means as workloads fluctuate, but it’s helped me quite a bit!

As for the lost freedom aspect of summer winding down, I also recommend scheduling or planning ahead on this. It’s hard to do, but it really helps. Just because you have to schedule your free time a little more doesn’t diminish the value of the freedom. Additionally, you have to be intentional with your time. Stay present. If you’re scheduling free time but only anticipating the next thing you have to do, you won’t feel like you’ve had any free time at all. If you find yourself worrying amidst your time of rest, you might as well go take care of whatever it is you’re worrying about and come back to relaxation later. That’s the beauty of making your schedule, it’s okay if it changes. At the end of the day you are in charge of how you spend your time, so flexibility can be integrated into your schedule.

Change can be scary no matter how familiar the change is. Even though school starts again every year at the same time, going to new classes and new teachers may always instill just a bit of fear in us. I think a little bit of fear is healthy; it’ll push you to do your best! When this fear comes around, remind yourself that you’ve done this before. You’ve started a new school year, you’ve met new teachers, taken new classes, and you’ve made it this far. When change like this happens, just remember that you are capable of handling it! It may come with its challenges, but what doesn’t? Remember that the ball is in your court. You have the power to decide what to do with your time, and to change your mind if something isn’t working. With all this said, I hope that your school year is stellar!

Lucy M.Undergraduate Intern 2023

If you could use additional help dealing with stress or anxiety and live in Illinois, please contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates at 708-633-8000 to schedule an appointment with a counselor.  In person and telehealth appointments are offered.