I always find the early school year to be the easiest and maybe the most important time of the year.

It’s all review from the year before.

That means, I’ve already had some exposure to it. If I’m lucky, I didn’t already forget everything during summer break. 🙂

As the first month of classes end, I have to remind myself that my routine will have to change.

Early in the year, I can get away with studying inconsistently. It won’t hurt my grades much because it’s all stuff that I already know but I can’t keep up those bad habits much longer.

It’s Time For The Real Work

After the review work is finished, students have to prepare for the new material.

That new material is never as easy as the old stuff for two reasons:

1. Because you already learned the old stuff.

2. This is a grade level more difficult new stuff.

If you’re lulled into a false sense of control during the review session then you might accidentally lose your footing early in the school year.

That’s why I suggest you get back into high gear BEFORE you actually stop the review work in class.

Get back into the habit of studying when you don’t need to study. That way, you’re already in the habit before you get caught flat footed.

This also means you can screw up a little in the details and not worry you’re losing any significant points for it.

How I Think About It

I think early in the year is mostly bonus points for the end of the year.

The class is only going to get harder from here.

I’ve discussed my late semester struggles in a previous post but those late semester struggles have never put me in any serious risk of losing anything but my confidence because my early grades were high enough to hold my final grade up.

These early points are about as easy as they’re ever going to be.

If you don’t take the points while they’re easy, you’re going to have to earn them when they’re at their most difficult.

It’s your choice.

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