At Emmanuel Lutheran School, we believe in providing the tools needed to help equip our students to succeed in their academic pursuits and to become productive members of the church and society. To fulfill our mission at Emmanuel Lutheran School of preparing children For Today, For Tomorrow, and Forever, we would like to share tips on how to start the second semester strong.

How to Start the Second Semester Strong

1. Begin with a Good Routine

Having a good routine is often overlooked. Go ahead now, while you are still on Christmas break, and plan what your routine is going to look like. Then start doing a little of your new routine each day to build up to the first day of the new semester.

Starting with a good routine can help keep stress levels low. This can lead to more time to relax, which will lead to better mental health and less anxiety. Plan out your routines for when and how you are going to go to bed and how you plan to wake up in the mornings. 

When will you do your homework, and when will you do your chores? Routines like these affect your emotional well-being, mental sharpness, and energy.

2. Get Organized and Stay Organized

Get organized straight away by making it a habit to list all your assignments, approaching due dates, and key dates in one convenient location. It doesn't really matter how you do it as long as it works for you, whether you use an "old-fashioned" handwritten planner or an online system like Google calendar.

Be sure to note as many of the assignments, projects, tests, and significant dates as you can in advance. Many of those should be listed on the syllabus, but as the course proceeds, keep an eye out for changes and periodically update your calendar. 

Record any appointments outside of school you may have. You should include any obligations for after-school activities such as sports, clubs, lessons, and church activities or trips. If you are required to be somewhere, it should be recorded in your planner.

3. Exercise Your Mind

Your brain is a muscle, and just like any other muscle, it will become stronger and more agile the more you exercise it. Interval exercise will help you gain strength: according to the Pomodoro approach, tasks should be divided into 25-minute segments with five-minute rests in between. Regular breaks help maintain mental flexibility and reduce fatigue.

Playing games and solving puzzles can also help you stay mentally fit. Grab your preferred newspaper or app on your phone and attempt a crossword or Sudoku puzzle.

4. Embrace It, Alter It, or Leave It

Embrace It: 

A new semester will start. Whether you're ready or not, you have to accept this fact. You can, however, decide how you are going to enter the second half of the year. 

You can choose to enter it with a positive attitude or a negative attitude. It will make the transition a lot smoother if you choose to embrace it positively. 

Alter It: 

Many factors are outside your control. But look at the things you can control and decide if there needs to be a change. Ask yourself if you altered x,y,z, would that make things easier and more successful for you?  If so, develop a plan to put that change into effect.

Leave It: 

If it’s not important, leave it be until it is important. So many times, we are doing tasks and projects that take up so much of our time but have no real value. Prioritize what is important for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being and what is absolutely necessary, and do those things, then leave the rest behind!

5. Breathe

Take a deep breath, and remember to breathe often. Not the kind of breathing you need to live, but the deep breaths to help self-regulate. 

This type of breathing can help you pause before you react in a way that may be detrimental to yourself and those around you. Start the second semester by renewing your commitment to your own self-regulation by remembering to breathe.

Emmanuel Lutheran School

As stated in the opening of this article, we believe in providing the tools needed to help equip our students to succeed in their academic pursuits and to become productive members of the church and society. If you live in the area and are looking for a school for your child, enrolling them in a private Christian school is one of the best choices you can make to improve their school experience.

Emmanuel Lutheran School is the only Christian parochial school in western North Carolina that uses a S.T.E.A.M.-based curriculum. That means your child will have a high-quality academic experience in a Christian setting. 

For additional information about our private Christian school, contact us today.