You know it: the sweet months of July and August are over and you’re going back to school. You feel miserable, sad, depressed, frustrated – you name it. The good news is that there’s nothing wrong with you. Everybody feels uneasy. (Yes, even the teachers!) At this point, the most important thing is to get back to your normal self as quickly as possible. The following lines may help you do so!

You know it: the sweet months of July and August are over and you’re going back to school. You feel miserable, sad, depressed, frustrated – you name it. The good news is that there’s nothing wrong with you. Everybody feels uneasy. (Yes, even the teachers!) At this point, the most important thing is to get back to your normal self as quickly as possible. The following lines may help you do so!

1. It’s OK to feel this way. Everybody looks forward to a break from their everyday routine. Holidays and days off1 bring sunshine to the grey world of duties and responsibilities. Those are the moments we enjoy ourselves and relax. Getting back to something we don’t like that much logically brings up negative emotions. So do not worry. Those feelings are natural, and they won’t last forever.

2. Routine is good. Whetjer we like it or not, an everyday routine makes our life meaningful2. Without going to school or work and with no tasks to complete, our days would not make much sense. Even the breaks and holidays would lose their charm if they were the only things you knew in your life. Having nothing to do can cause depression as well (ask unemployed people)…. If you are honest, you must admit that getting back to your usual regular daily programme brings a sort of satisfaction after all!

3. There’s always something to look forward to. Well, school is not only work and no fun, is it? Find something to look forward to: friends, teachers :), new experiences, etc. Take out your calendar if necessary and highlight some important dates that can cheer you up3: birthdays, holidays, etc. Thinking about some positive things at school can make you feel better.

4. You’re not alone. It is quite helpful to realize that you are not the only one who feels bad. Talk to the others and share your feelings. Supporting and encouraging4 each other will help you get over5 back-to-school stress more easily!

Whatever your feelings are right now, we wish you a good start in the new school year.

Good luck to everyone!

Time to think:

  • Describe your back-to-school feelings. How long does it take you to overcome them?
  • Do you have any other good tips to get over back-to-school stress?
  • Did you look forward to school as a first grader? If you did, how long did your enthusiasm last? Explain.

Vocabulary spot:
1. The following adjectives appeared in the text. Complete the chart with the appropriate nouns.

ADJECTIVENOUN NOUN
miserable  
sad  
depressed  
frustrated  
honest  

2. Complete the following sentences with the correct adjective from the word box below.
meaningful, positive, uneasy, negative, helpful
a) Thank you for your advice. I find it really _____________ .
b) I don’t think the conversation was ______________. It didn’t make much sense, did it?
c) Relax! There’s no reason to feel _____________!
d) Politeness, diligence and kindness are all _____________ qualities.
e) Cheer up! Why are you so ____________ about everything?

Miroslava Dubanová

VOCABULARY: 1 voľný deň – volný den; 2 zmysluplný – smysluplný; 3 rozveseliť – rozveselit; 4 povzbudzovať – povzbuzovat; 5 prekonať – překonat

Key: 1. misery, sadness, depression, frustration, honesty, 2. a) helpful, b) meaningful, c) uneasy, d) positive, e) negative