As the holidays are approaching, all Marymount students are looking forward to the winter break and preparing for any tests or projects that are coming up. When the first semester is finally over, everyone’s minds will be filled with fun winter parties and sleeping in. We probably won’t be thinking about the next semester until about the last day of the break, but it is a good idea to start planning for the upcoming spring semester. Below are some helpful tips on how to prepare for the second part of the school year!

1. Organize your locker. Some of us are very good at keeping our lockers nice and clean, but others might tend to throw their books and belongings in there until a gigantic pile forms. As winter break is coming up, it would be helpful to organize a few things at a time during free period or lunch. Clean up some papers that you might not need anymore, or stack your books by each subject. It is much easier to find things if your locker is organized!

2. Back up your laptop. It is recommended that you back up your laptop regularly, but sometimes we can forget. If you do not have one, purchase an external hard drive and use the software Time Machine on your laptop to back up all the work that you’ve done this year. If you need help, you can always email the tech office with questions.

3. Clean out binders and folders. We get a lot of paperwork during the school year, some subjects more than others. Buy a big binder to keep all your first semester paperwork and leave it at home. Don’t throw away all your papers because you might need them for something in spring!

4. Think about your schedule for spring. Will you be trying new things next semester, such as the spring musical or a sport? The next semester will be a bit different for most students, so it is helpful to think and plan out what your activities will be. Some subjects are one-semester courses, so you might have to buy new books. Go on mbsdirect.net and enter Marymount High School to see what books you need for a specific subject.

5. Last but not least, be positive and confident! When winter break is almost over, most of us will probably wish for it to be longer. Freshmen might feel uneasy about a new class such as Writing Workshop or Early Global Studies. Everyone else will probably be stressed out for various reasons. Don’t be too anxious – be optimistic! Being happy and self-assured will definitely help make anyone feel better.