Ah, the beginning of a new school year. It’s always exciting and rife with possibilities, clean slates and a chance to make this the best school year ever.

Whether you’re in your senior year of college, teaching your millionth semester, just starting out at a technical school, or enjoying the years of middle school and high school, the first day of school always brings some butterflies. For both teachers and students, the cyclical school year is a chance for a fresh start.

So in that spirit, here are a few of our tips to start out your school year on the right foot and set yourself up for success in every area. We can’t wait to see what this year brings in manufacturing and manufacturing education, so stick with us to keep up with what’s happening!

1. : You’ll probably need some fresh notebooks, pencils, and some pens– but do yourself a favor and also pick up something little that will make you happy every day. If that’s a cool folder or patterned ruler, awesome! It’s whatever will make you excited to learn and use your materials. A great resource for school supplies is , Nebraska’s largest and oldest school supply store. It’s located in Omaha, but has merchandise available online for those teachers or students that need to stock up.

2. Schedule Something: No matter how much you love school, it’s always nice to have something to look forward to on your calendar that isn’t homework or a daily routine. If you’re interested in manufacturing or industry, schedule one of the awesome factory tours we have in Nebraska to see how what you’re learning in school is actually being used in real life! Teachers, you can do this too– field trips and class visits to factories are always valuable and always interesting. If you’re on the college or community college hunt, set up a visit to motivate yourself to achieve for the rest of the year.

3. : After-school activities and organizations are a great way to get to know other kids in your school, and pick up some skills that might not be taught directly in class. Athletic clubs and sports will get you moving and Student Career Organizations, like DECA or SkillsUSA, will reinvigorate everything learned in school for real-world applications. Other educational clubs are both fun and great learning experiences at the same time.

4. : We talk a lot about skills on this blog, but trust us, note taking is a skill that will serve you well throughout school and the vast majority of jobs. Check out some of our s on taking notes.

We want to hear how the start of your school year is going, so send us a tweet or leave a comment in the section below anytime!

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