Welcome the new academic year with zeal and readiness

Beating the fresh academic year start blues is always a big deal for parents and students. After enjoying over 35 days of vacation it is not easy to settle with new academic year. Many things change, the class, the classmate, the books, the syllabus, the timings, getting into the school routine, etc. Settling down with the start of the school proves to be a headache for many parents and students. In order to avoid such year start blues, one should prepare in advance for such changes and welcome the new academic year with zeal and readiness.

Getting ready to welcome the Next Academic Year:

1. The new infrastructure:

Most of the schools take renovation during summer vacation as it being the longest period available for such stuff. Be ready to welcome the New Year with some innovations and changes in the facilities of the school. You may find a new play area, a new hall, a new computer lab, a new library, etc. As student we are always excited to find that new changes in our school as we step in after a long break. School management may also take the advantage of such breaks and renovate the building adding some more value to the infrastructure. As Students we should not only welcome such changes but also aid in maintaining it by using such facilities sensibly and not abusing it. By making the appropriate use of the infrastructure we encourage the school management to provide us with more such facilities and enhance the learning experience for us.

2. The new class room:

With the New Year and being promoted to the next standard, one will always have a new class room. Promoting to higher class is a joy in itself. Students are always excited to check in to the new classroom. The changes in the classroom may have changes in benches, seating arrangements, dimensions, ceiling fans, etc. We must be ready to accept the change with zeal. The class may be of different dimension, may not have enough aeration or lighting, and many such odds. We should keep in mind that we are going to school to study and not to look into those silly infrastructural matters. It is the class (group of people) that is going to remain same even with new arrangements, so instead of having a fussy attitude, welcome the new class with old friends again and settle down as quickly as possible.

3. The new Bench Mate:

With the New Year be ready for a new friend or bench mate. School life is full of fun and learning. It is during this stage one makes new friend and for life time. You may not have the same bench mate with the New Year. One should be willing and ready to make friends with the new bench mate. Having a new bench mate will have its own rewarding experience. He/she may be more cooperative and helping than the previous one. Many a times the new bench mate may inspire you with their work pattern which in turn will improve your score. At times such an experience may have its own issues that should be dealt with patience and provisions.

4. Your Place in the Class room:

Just as the class room changes, so does the internal arrangement changes. You may have a new place in the class. You could be shifted to the back bench or on the front bench just in reach of the teacher. The new bench could have some scares or impressions left by old student. Also, in the new place in the class you may not find a fan just above your place. Chill, it’s the new class and yes its going to be a new arrangement, settle down with the new arrangement and inform your class teacher if you have any issues regarding it. If you find that the board is hardly visible from your place and you have visibility issues then inform your teacher accordingly and request for a place change politely. This does not necessarily mean that one should start losing interest in studies or focus in non productive efforts.

5. The New Class Teacher:

Most of the cases the students are always excited to have a new class teacher. They are all ready to impress the class teacher with their skills and hobbies. All children seek the attention and soft corner from the class teacher. Many a times it so happens that as students we might have developed a recluse for particular teacher and on finding the same as class teacher the charm of the new year fades away on the very first day. In such case we as students need to understand that the class teacher is a responsible person and has to handle many errands apart from teaching. So cooperate with the teacher and earn back cooperation and appreciation from the teacher. Share what you feel about the class with your class teacher and I am sure he/she would do best possible efforts to make your class a comfortable place to learn.

6. Your new set of Books:

The new books have taken place of the old books with new titles and diagrams. It is the duty of us the teachers and parents to accustom the child to the new book, new pattern in the books and the care and maintenance that needs to be taken for the entire year. As students we should take utmost care of the books. Keep the books properly clad with book cover and in tidy situation. Go through the book once, so that you will understand the pattern of theory in the book. The math book would have the same pattern as the previous year but there could be some changes, trace those changes and get yourself accustomed to it.

7. The New Syllabus:

The New Year will also have a new syllabus with some revisions and refinements. It is always an advantage to have a revised syllabus as it contains the necessary stuff that is required to be learnt as per the times we live in. Thus, welcome the changes in syllabus and leave the rest upon the teacher to make you feel comfortable with it. As students it is our duty to follow the instructions of teacher for learning the theory. Following what the teacher says will ease your task for learning.

8. Your new Transport:

If you are using the school transport or Private transport for to and fro from school, then there are also chances that there is some changes in that. One can have a new driver or conductor or a new bus all together. The most unbearable change could be the pick up and drop time if the route changes. In such cases be prepared to face the new changes and get accustomed to it.

9. New Test Schedules:

The new academic year brings in lot of changes. The class, the syllabus, the teacher and all that discussed so far are bound to change and so does the test schedule change. With the new technology being introduced in education, the school may tighten the test schedules and such follow ups. The recent changes in the assessment pattern and the discontinuation of the semester system will have its positive effects on the test schedules. The semester system is dropped by CBSE and most of the state boards. Thus, we can have a different test schedule as compared to the last year. We must be prepared for such changes to the test schedules and new paper styles.

10. The new feedback System:

With technology marking its presence and growing its feet in all direction, the schools have established new feedback systems. Earlier technology was used only towards achieving academic excellence where in we have seen many companies availing their software for better grasping, learning and education of students. With the coming year it is seen that the school have many more solutions being offered by the same set of companies and new ones not only in academic field but also in database management and administration. With this year we have been approached by many companies that provide Administrative Software for better administration of the school, staff, students and parents. What’s worth noting is the feedback system that such software provides. Almost all such companies provide an integrated feedback system that aware the parents with SMS, Email, Website and Mobile Apps. While the child leaves from school and prepares to reach home the parents are ready to welcome with the HW information that they received through SMS from school. In such cases, the parents must keep their patience and have a planned schedule for the child to pursue academics at home.

               Ultimately, we will have a new bunch of experiences in the new year. Some may be good while some may not be welcomed. For the good experience express your joy and be happy. For those otherwise experiences, be prepared to face it and learn from it. Wish you all, a very happy academic year ahead.

-Dr. Vishal Varia

Vishal_varia@ymail.com

Mg. Director,

Rosary School Rajkot