SEPTEMBER mornings mark the beginning of the academic year, and especially if it is at a new school they tend to leave one very anxious. New school supplies and clothing help to facilitate this feeling of a fresh start.

TEENage is particularly concerned, however, with the period after September when the momentum slows down and students adjust to their new environments, fall into the strong grip of procrastination when it comes to assignments and develop habits such as cramming for tests.

Many people have adopted these practices and they have worked for them, but at what cost? The unhealthy practices of minimal sleep and late-night snacking have future repercussions that increase in risk each time they are carried out.

As a student, the ultimate goal is academic success (straight As), and TEENage would like to provide the tools to make this mission comfortable and successful.

Taking the first two weeks of school seriously is something some students tend not to do and can prove to be problematic for the duration of the semester. This time should instead be used to feel out your teacher’s instruction technique, the syllabus and to make projections of how many hours you will have to dedicate to reaching your ultimate goal.

Punctuality is imperative as a prepared mind is better able to retain information, while arriving late for class can affect this. In other cases, lack of punctuality can prove to be detrimental to the student who has a surprise test, resulting in deduction of marks before the student has even started properly.

Libraries along with other resources are wonderful ways to strengthen your academic prowess and enhance the quality of your work. An assignment or exam paper that is widely researched tends to impress examiners and teachers as it tends to convey a sense of pride taken in the work, along with appreciation for other opinions on the matter contrasted with your own.

Finding your own study pattern is imperative and should be assessed in advance so that it can be effectively utilised to excel in tests. It starts with establishing whether or not you are an auditory, visual or tactile learner which will play a key role in your note-taking and how you study.

Contrary to common belief, study groups do not work for everyone, so do not stay in one if you feel that it is not educationally fulfilling.

A study timetable is a very useful tool to structure time to allocate for exam preparation and is best done in accordance with the subjects taught on the day for easy reinforcement of what was taught.

The biggest issue that a student will face is the dangerous practice of procrastination. It comes in the form of Facebook, Twitter and continuously saying that, when this show finishes I will start to work, which becomes increasingly difficult when one discovers it is a marathon. In cases like these, the students will have to prioritise to get them through, because once time has passed you can’t get it back.