Back to School Hacks
I’m a nerd. I’ve always been a nerd. I will be always be a
nerd. In fact, going back to school was always my own little personal holiday.
I looked forward to getting my class schedule, getting lost in the “hall maze,”
organizing my school supplies (cuz that’s what OCD nerds like to do), and
eating square cardboard with little drops of white stuff on it the Cafeteria
Ladies tried to pass off as cheese pizza… I loved it all but I think I may have
been the only one.
Who knows? Maybe with today’s technology kids are eager to go
to school, what with teacher’s using Power Point presentations to teach,
passing out assignments on jump drives, and virtual libraries, it actually
seems like students should really enjoy the learning process.
In the end, though, school is still school. Kids still have
to get up early, do homework, write papers, and memorize things. Although how
kids learn may have changed, they still need to study and pass tests. So in the
end, I guess things haven’t changed that much.
As a life-long student and step-parent, it’s important for
me to keep up with the best ways to learn new information and (this is where
being a government employee comes into play) ways to improve current processes.
I’ve done a little research and found a few school hacks that may benefit you
and your student. Some are pretty cool, too!
Learning The Schedule
This seems like a “no brainer” but I’ll bet so many students
have never thought of it! Have your student take a pic of their class schedule
and use the pic as their lock screen wall paper. Voila! No searching for a
paper schedule. Just look at the phone screen to know which class is next!
Emergency Pack
In this case “emergency” doesn’t mean a condition that
requires medical attention. This emergency pack is meant for the little social
crisis that may erupt during third period. A little bag that can be kept in a
backpack or locker is just the thing for handling minor situations (bad breath,
arm pit fumes, stains, etc.). Boys may
not want one but, it’s not a bad idea to pack one for them, too.
Google
When searching the internet, it is so time consuming to sift
through multiple pages to find useable information. This tip should cut search
times to a minimum and produce relevant results.
Essays
Proofing one’s work can be difficult. You’ve been looking at
the same text for so long it’s hard to spot the errors. …not anymore!
Writing the long,
long paper
This is a great formula for attacking the writing of a long
paper. The formula breaks down the writing process into manageable bites and
helps with organizing the final piece. Bravo to the scholar who discovered this
little nugget!
Angles
If it’s not a 90 degree or 45 degree angle, I have no idea
what it looks like or how to measure it. This picture did wonders for my
understanding of how to recognize various angles.
Studying
I’ve always heard there was a more efficient way to study as
opposed to the way our parents made us study. Pulling a kid away from Speed
Racer or MTV (hypothetically J) and
threatening to serve okra for weeks is not the way to encourage study time. My
ADD step-son really responded to a system like the one illustrated below. Give
it a try!
When All Else Fails,
Memorize
Sometimes, we just don’t organically learn the material and
we must resort to memorizing. Or, the material just requires memorizing, like
learning the Periodic Table. See if this method of memorizing information is
helpful.
Lunch
Why, oh, why, does it cost a monthly car note to feed your
kid at school?!...especially when the food isn’t healthy or tasty? Try these
hacks to save a few dollars and keep your kid healthy.
Not
Lunchables…Mason-ables
To me, this is the best lunch idea since the Ziploc bag.
Empty the fruit cup (this is the one of the best parts!). Wash the empty fruit
cup container and make sure it’s totally dry before refilling it. Once it’s
been refilled with dry food (crackers, granola, cereal, etc.) stand the cup
upright so nothing spills out. Take the inside piece of a mason jar lid and
place it on top of the cup. Put the lid rim on both pieces (the cup and lid
insert). Once the mason jar has been filled with its contents (milk, yogurt,
meat and cheese, soup, etc.) just place the lid on as usual. The dry food won’t
spill out and lunch is ready to go! Wanna really up your masonable game? Use a
second cup on the inside of the jar. You can fill this cup with anything (dip
for veggies, nugget sauce, ketchup, etc.). Put the filled up on the inside of
the jar and close as instructed as above…and enjoy! …and because of the
packaging, you can prep a few of these masonables in advance to have ready
whenever they’re needed.
No More Brown Apples,
Mom!
Rather than soaking or sprinkling citric acid on your apples
to keep them from browning, just cut the apple, “reattach” it and secure with a
rubber band.
Hopefully, one or more of these tips will help you and your
student be efficient and successful throughout the school year. If you have a
helpful tip or hack, leave it in the comments below. As working parents, these
little nuggets of helpful information are always appreciated!
Good luck this year and may the force be with you!
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