From Summer to Back to School SAT Prep

Teen Tuesday
by Rebecca Elspas, Teen Blogger

Bittersweet. Just like the chocolate, but in this case, bittersweet is how I feel about school starting. It's all great to see your school friends again and learn new things, but freedom and leisure is not an option anymore.

Me in San Diego on last day of Summer Camp

This fall I am entering what many people call the most prestigious grade: 11^th. Having an older brother starting college this fall, I already know this year is going to be all about the SATs this, the SATs that. Really, I’m in for the ride, to do my best while also enjoying my high school years before they end. 

So I have some helpful lifesaving academic, beauty and health tips for other high schoolers -- from incoming freshman on up -- that helped me get this far.

First, and I cannot stress this enough, always be prepared.

That means get your binders and books in advance to beat any last minute rushes. Unless you have a uniform, you should also always pick out your outfit the night before. That's because in the morning, if you are a night owl like me, you will be cranky. Trust me -- you'll end up feeling so unhappy with your last-minute wardrobe choices at some point during the school day. You might even suddenly realize your outfit doesn’t match at all or fit the day's weather (been there, done that).

Image from CollegeBoard.org

If you are planning on taking the SATs anytime soon, of course you'll want to get an SAT test prep book and maybe sign up for a online or in-person review course. But I also highly recommend visiting the CollegeBoard's free Official SAT QOTD Page which you can access directly or via @SATQuestion on Twitter and answering the daily multiple choice questions they post like I've been doing.

Another academic tip—procrastinating sucks, and so many people say you just need to “stop,” which is easier said than done. Like smoking, you can’t just stop all of a sudden, it’s a gradual process. So if you feel like joining the procrastinators club, hold off and do a little bit of the assignment every day, don’t do it all in one sitting. When the night before the due date comes,  your assignment will only have a little left to do.

Beauty. Okay, this one sounds impossible, but my tip is just do your best to stay clean. Stress, heat, P.E. class, and puberty make you sweaty, so I suggest bringing a travel-sized deodorant (spray might be easier to apply discreetly) during the day when you’ve worked up a sweat. And don’t forget your to pop some other essentials into your backpack: a small bottle of perfume (I have Fantasies) and dry shampoo for those “oily hair days but no time for a shower.” Definitely, also carry some sort of antibacterial -- a small bottle of Purell or a little pack of baby wipes works great -- because truthfully, you never know.

Work your hardest, eat healthy, exercise, maintain good hygiene, reduce stress, have a social life, (but limit Facebook), and be grateful for what you have.

There you have it: an awesome year of high school, You can do it!

A dog reading at LA Times Book Festival

Shoutout to all the incoming freshman. BTW, Yes, the movies are true. The entire school really does sing and dance in sync during lunch—jk. Actually high school lunches are a bit calmer when Sharpay and Ryan aren't around. 

Comment & Connect

Have some thoughts about the back-to-high school routine or the SAT prep grind? I'd love to hear from you and so would all my readers, so feel free to please share what's on your mind with a comment on this post or Tweet me @RebElspas. If you're not already, I invite you to follow me on Twitter.

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