Each new school year is an opportunity to change and improve, it’s all about trying new things and figuring out what works best for you. I’m sharing some helpful tips and tricks that help me get more out of my day and spend less time moaning and groaning about how much I want to go home.

After having access to all of our toiletries over the summer, now you’re required to be in school all day. It’s distracting to feel groggy. However, when you look your best, you’re a step closer to feeling your best.

Plan ahead and pack face wipes in your backpack or purse to take out and use when you feel you need a pick-me-up. Bringing a small bag full of toiletries gives you some time to focus on yourself. In this bag, you can include hand lotion, chapstick, and a comb.

When I get home from school, a whole new battle begins. I’m assuming most teenagers feel this way when they know they have to study. If you don’t already have a few ways to become an expert on a subject, here are some habits I find useful. If you’re a visual learner, I suggest using flashcards, drawing pictures or diagrams, and re-writing definitions over and over until memorized. If you’re an auditory learner, make up a funny acronym, play a Quizlet out loud while you’re in the shower or going to bed, or have someone quiz you out loud using a list of terms and definitions.

Being a visual learner means you study better when you can look at something eye-catching or colorful. Get a list of what you need to memorize or remember and write these terms onto flashcards using colorful markers. Make sure the colors are bright and different from one another. Once you’ve written down everything, you can get a little creative by drawing some sketches that make the card more interesting. Draw your sketches on the side where the term is, not the definition. These drawings serve as a clue to what the term means, while also making the card stand out even more because you will remember the picture when you hear the term in the near future.

Study each of these flashcards as many times as it takes to know each term and definition by heart. Once you feel like you know each term matches with its definition, challenge yourself to flip the cards and now you will pair the definition to the term. Now if you get asked to pair a definition to a term, you won’t feel flustered if you don’t have a word bank. When you feel like you’ve memorized a card completely and it only takes you a few seconds to recall the term AND definition, you are ready to take the card out of the stack and leave it in the finished pile. Do this until you run out of cards.

Auditory learners study better when getting a lecture or an audio clip and take notes to look back over afterward. This means you like to hear what you are learning rather than see it as an infographic or something visual. What I have found most helpful to me that may benefit auditory learners is making up a funny acronym. An acronym is a group of words put together to make a word, such as DARE, AHS, BRB, TTYL, etc. You can use an acronym when you have a group of words to memorize. The way to ensure you’ll remember an acronym is to make it funny or odd. This way all you have to remember is that funny joke you told.

Making a Quizlet, which is a website where you make notecards online. Set up your flashcards to play out loud while doing some chores. Lastly, having a friend or parent quiz you out loud is a great way to get competitive about your studying.

School may not be everyone’s favorite place to spend time and it can be frustrating and flustering when you are not prepared. Avoid feeling trapped and stressed out by trying some of these study ideas while also making sure to take care of yourself so you feel your best during the day. After all, school is only here to help you become a prepared adult. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn and mix things up every once in a while.