Lancaster is heading 'Back 2 School'

LANCASTER- Move over summer- a new school year is right around the corner. After a summer of sleeping in, family vacations, and doing these on your own time, it’s time to set your alarm for 6 a.m. and wake up to the annoying beeping sounds of an alarm clock announcing the first day of school.

Whether you’re a nervous new freshman or a confident senior heading back to school is a time of transitions: New classes, news teachers, new schedules, and a new social scene.

No matter if you love or dread going back to school, you have to go. There is no getting out of this one, but to get yourself ready, take into consideration these helpful tips.

If you’re a freshman try to arrange a visit to the school before classes begin. Coming from the middle school to high school is a whole other world. It can become very frustrating if you have no idea where your classes are. Lancaster High School is a big school and it is important to be on time for class. It is never good to start off the school year being late, especially because teachers will remember that.

It's perfectly normal to feel nervous on the first day of school. Getting back to the school routine and adjusting to new workloads takes some getting used to after a long summer break. If you're having a mental meltdown, think back to some previous "first days." Everything probably will settle down pretty quickly once you got into the routine.

Also, it can help to pack your backpack the night before school so that you’re not running around at the last minute looking for what you need. It always helped me when I went to school.

I would also spend time picking out what you what to wear. The fact is a lot of people check out who's wearing what on the first day of school. The key is to wear what makes you feel good, whether it's a brand-new outfit or a comfy old sweater.

Another tip is to make sure you eat a healthy breakfast and lunch. A growling stomach until lunch can be a distraction and instead of focusing on learning, food is the only thing on the mind. Students are more alert and perform better in class if they eat a good breakfast.

And of course get enough sleep. Studies show that teens need at least eight hours of sleep each night to feel rested. Sleep deprivation can lead students to fall asleep in class, embarrassing if you're caught, and can also make it hard to concentrate.

Lastly, and this one is for the parents, it is important to get involved in your child’s schooling. Ask how the first day was and if they need help with any homework, for instance. Encouragement is a big part of doing well in school and should be done every day.

Lancaster Central School students have an excellent school year and let’s hope teachers don’t give you homework on the first day. That always ruins the first day.