Time for first-day jitters

Feverish preparations, high prices, empty purses and huge headaches. Yes, it's back-to-school week for students and their parents and caregivers. It's time now for another kind of anxiety mixed with excitement and anticipation, mainly for the students. First-time schoolgoers, moving from 'little school' (primary school) to 'big school' (high school), new rules, new routines, new teachers, new friends to make.

Make a good start

Manage first-day jitters with some basic preparations the night before - uniforms, shoes, books packed in bags, lunch kits, and so on. Restful sleep is also important for students, and don't forget in the morning a healthy breakfast punches a lot of energy and makes better learners. It's never a good idea to send off your charges without breakfast.

Going to high school

Moving from primary to high school can be a big shift for students. Usually, at primary school there is one teacher for all the subjects; in high school there is now a homeroom, and a homeroom teacher and several other teachers for each subject as students move from one class session to another. The more information students are given about the changes, the more control they can exert over their anxiety.

Seventh-grade teachers are aware of students' first-day anxiety and often have icebreakers such as giving each student a chance to introduce himself or herself to the rest of the class. Maybe your friends from primary school ended up at other high schools, but you will soon make new friends with similar interests as yours.

Support of parents

If allowed by the school, parents and caregivers could accompany students to their classroom or homeroom on the first day for added support. Some schools also have orientation activities allowing students to actually visit the schools, walk through the library, laboratories, hand out school literature, and so on, and these activities actually help students manage first-day jitters. Remember, too, that pep talk from caregivers also helps.

Day one ends

Most students will report a happy ending to day one. But suppose expectations fell short and a student says that he or she doesn't like school? First, at the end of the day parents and caregivers should give students the space to talk about their day and express feelings about the day.

Though all our feelings are valid, check that the thoughts behind the feelings are rooted in a clear perspective of the situation. Most uneasiness about school gets better with time when the newness of the situation fades and students adjust to new routines and new teachers. Other specific issues, for example, learning difficulties, bullying, and so on, may require gentle intervention with school authorities and perhaps the guidance counsellor.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor; email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.