3 tips for successfully entering college

The transition to 6th grade is always a big step in a schoolchild’s life. To succeed in your year and approach your arrival at college with serenity, follow the advice of Michel Richard, deputy secretary general of SNPDEN* and principal of Rameau de Versailles college.

At school

September and October: months of adaptation New establishment, many teachers… It’s normal for the child to be destabilized. But September and October are months of adaptation to find your bearings. The teaching teams are there to ensure that everything goes well and to reassure the students. Likewise, if the child does not know anyone, the class is a meeting place: everything will be done so that he does not feel isolated and that he is integrated quickly.

A little problem? Who to talk to When they reach 6th grade, the child must know that everyone can listen, but they must know who to talk to. The main teacher is the one who has a good knowledge of the class and the students, he can advise entering college them individually. But there are also the other teachers or the principal education advisor who manages school life. If a school nurse is attached to his college, he can also communicate with her.

The lunch break, a break time Midday is the essential time to unwind and recharge your batteries. Some children will absolutely want to get ahead with their homework so that they have less to do at home in the evening. But this is not the right attitude to adopt: this break corresponds to lunch, you have to settle down, possibly take part in a workshop if the college offers one. The working days are long, the child must take advantage of this moment of respite before starting the afternoon.

Back at home

Prepare well for returning from school It is important to make the most of your evening. Whether the child comes home alone or not, you must let him go at his own pace; for example, he may want to talk with his friends. A time to decompress, which includes a snack, is essential to recharge his batteries. The main thing is to have a deadline not to be exceeded to start your homework.

The homework ritual: getting organized for the week Every evening, you have to do homework for the next day, but also think about getting ahead when you know, for example, that you have biology exercises to do for the week of ‘After. It may happen that the child has nothing to do from one day to the next: you have to have the reflex to go back to the day’s notebooks to memorize what has been done and facilitate learning. In sixth grade, homework should theoretically take no more than an hour. If the student exceeds this duration, it means that he is too slow, or lacks organization. But this can also be an indication that the work requested by a teacher may be too substantial.

Sleep at a fixed time Bedtime is extremely important: 6th grade students must not go to bed later just because they have left primary school. College students also need a lot of sleep, hence the need to go to bed at set times during the week, or even during the weekend. A lack of sleep is indeed very detrimental to school work.

Extra-curricular activities: be careful of excesses For the child’s balance, activities – sporting or cultural – are important, but he should not do more than one or two. Some parents want their children to do a lot of activities outside of school. With the arrival of middle school, the child always needs moments where he does nothing, where he releases the pressure. Carrying out school and too many activities at the same time causes too much fatigue and proves counterproductive.

On the parents’ side

Parents must learn to let go… The transition to 6th grade is a stage for children, but also for parents. They must learn to let go, not to overprotect their child. A fair balance must be found so that the new schoolboy is regularly placed in a situation of responsibility: for example by letting him go to school alone, when he prepares his schoolbag for the next day according to his schedule, or when he manages his own homework.