LIFE

Summer is almost over!? Seriously? Time sure flies when you’re having fun! Some of you are happy to go back to school and see your friends, and some of you are dreading it (because really, who likes homework?). No matter what side of the fence you’re on though, the first day of school can be stressful – but it doesn’t have to be. Maybe you haven’t seen your crush for a few months and you want to wow him with your glowing tan, or perhaps you’re going to a brand new school and want to make a great first impression. No worries! This back-to-school checklist will help you get everything planned out and organized to ensure a first day that is as stress-free as possible.

A couple days before the big first day:

~Get supplies – Most of you get lists that let you know what supplies you’ll be needing for the school year (book bag, notebooks, pens/pencils, paper, binder, folders, etc.), so take that along with you when you go school shopping and check off each thing as you get it. (TIP: Other things you might want to get that just might save the day: Tide to Go stick (for those misfortunate lunch mishaps), compact tampons (to stick in your purse for discrete backup – try Tampax Compak), mirror for your locker or purse (no more broccoli-stuck-in-teeth embarrassing moments here!), and small makeup bag with things you might need to touch up during the day (lip gloss, foundation, etc.))

~Get a new outfit – Everyone needs at least one new outfit to start off the year on the right foot. Grab your mom, sister, BFF, or any other fashionista you can find, and go shopping for at least one new outfit that you feel super confident in. Nothing attracts attention like that glow of inner self-confidence! (TIP: If you can’t afford to shell out money for new digs, raid a friend’s closet. We’ve seen our clothes a million times so they seem boring to us, so borrow an outfit to spice up your wardrobe and go back to school feeling fresh!)

~Practice a new hairstyle and/or makeup routine – Once you have the perfect outfit, you’ll need to figure out what to do with your hair and makeup. To keep morning stress at a minimum on your first day, plan out what you’re going to do a few days before the big day and practice it – that way you can get up and do your ’do perfectly because you’ve already worked out the kinks in advance! (TIP: Time how long it takes to do the whole routine so you know how much time you’ll need the morning of.)

~Clean your face – If you don’t already have a good skincare regimen, get one. Nothing is worse than waking up on the first day of school with a huge zit on your face. So start as soon as possible to get your skin glowing.
Morning: When you wake up, rather than giving yourself a full-blown facial, you’ll just want to get rid of the excess oils that have collected on your skin over night. (Excessive cleaning can sometimes cause more problems then you started with as your skin will produce more oil to replace the essential ones it needs that you’re scrubbing away.) Dab a bit of witch hazel or toner over your skin and follow up with a light-weight moisturizer with SPF. Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the first weapons against bad skin.

~Bedtime – Nighttime is when you’ll need a deeper cleansing to get rid of all that gunk that has built up throughout the day. Wash off all the makeup with a good cleanser (you might have to do a trial and error to find the perfect product for you, because everyone’s skin is different – I like Dove Essential Nutrients® Self-Foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin), followed by toner (to close your pores and help prevent them from getting clogged back up) and then a good moisturizer, like Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. (TIP: Once a week, you should also use an exfoliater to get rid of dead skin cells that might also clog your pores and cause acne.)

Night before first day:

~Get your books together – Set up your binder or notebooks for your classes and get your book bag ready to go in the morning (TIP: Color code! Use your red folder and notebook for one class, your Hello Kitty folder and notebook for another, and so forth, to make organizing and grabbing your stuff easy!)

~Study your schedule – Especially if you’re starting at a new school, you’ll want to know where you’re going and when so you’re not late. Even the night before my first day at college, I sat on my floor with a map of the campus so I didn’t get lost, and it worked! (TIP: Don’t be afraid to ask another student for directions if you’re a little lost – or just want to introduce yourself to that cute boy next to your locker!)

~Lay out your clothes – Set your new outfit out so it’s ready to go in the morning without any thought. If it needs to be ironed, iron it before you go to bed.

~Plan your lunch – If you want to eat healthy (or just can’t stand the idea of cardboard pizza or mystery meat for lunch), pack yourself a healthy lunch, like tuna fish on whole wheat bread, yogurt and water. If you plan on buying lunch at school, make sure you’ve got your funds together and in your book bag so you don’t forget in the morning.

~Set your alarm! – Even if your Mom or Dad wakes you up in the morning, get used to setting an alarm and getting yourself up. Use Mom and Dad as a back up.

~Make a checklist – To make sure you don’t forget anything you’ll need, make a list of everything you need in your hands when you walk out the door – Book bag (which you should already have filled with the essentials), lunch/lunch money, schedule, etc.

Morning of first day:

~WAKE UP! – Get up, give yourself a nice stretch, and do 10 jumping jacks to get your blood flowing and to wake your body up.

~Morning routine – Go about your regular morning routine – eat breakfast (don’t skip, you’ll need your energy!), brush your teeth, wash your face, etc.

~Put your face on – You only get one chance to make that all-so-important first impression, so do it in style! Put on that new outfit that looks so darned good on you (and is so conveniently already laid out for you!), do your hair and makeup like you practiced, and you’ll be good to go. If you feel comfortable and confident, it’ll show and definitely grab attention.

~Check your list –TWICE! – Check off everything on your list to make sure you have everything you need before stepping foot out of that door.

And last, but not least, enjoy your first day! (Is it time for Thanksgiving break yet?)

by Jessie Merryman | 2/1/2016