Back to School - Neopets Style!

Wow, just the thought of school starting sucks out the last few glimmers of carefree summer spirit. But it doesn’t have to be that way! With ample preparation and following these three tips you will definitely be ready to take on the world, and fell happy doing so. Being prepared, mentally and physically for school, really nullifies the stressful last minute hustling that is the source of all the back to school anxiety. By following this guide, you and you pet will be ready to joyfully learn, grow, and succeed. Read on to find out how!

1) But first, consider taking a vacation.

Enjoy the sunny summer weather and take a break. It’s important to be mentally recharged, refreshed and ready to stuff as much knowledge as possible into your brain when classes start. The first few months of school will be hectic, figuring out schedules, making new friends, and maybe even transitioning into a new environment. If you are too busy during the school year, take a deep breath cram some relaxation during the empty summer hours. Tropical escapades, nature sightseeing, even just spending quality time with friends will take the load off for the days to come.

If you are interested in a beach getaway, Mystery Island is the way to good. Its turquoise waters frame clean, pristine beaches that will take your breath away. You can sip a coconut, enjoy a haiku, all while relaxing on the beach. But what separates Mystery Island from other beaches is its versatility - its chock full of history, and the bold adventure seekers can forage into the lost city of Geraptiku, while the tame can soak up the sun on its beaches, relax at the rock book, kick back on a tiki tour, and buy tourist knick knacks at the Island Market our find artisan items at the trading post.

For those tree huggers who love nature, Kiko Lake and Faerieland provides a ton of fun options. Kiko Lake’s glass bottom boat tours are my personal favorite. Kiko Lake is very close to Neopia Central, so travel time would not be an issue. Plus, the close-knit community is welcoming to every tourist, regardless of species. Just ask the balloon pop man! Faerieland holds Faerie Caverns, a majestic cave filled with stunning stalactites, vibrant pools, and unexpected surprises. You might just strike it rich while enjoying beautiful scenery, a win-win!

Finally, Roo Island is a tourist hub-hub. What some see as traffic, others view as a glorious cohort of like-minded Neopians there to have fun! There are oodles of games, activities, contests, and shops for everyone to enjoy. Roo Island is a never-ending carnival. Bright, colorful, and bursting with energy.

These are only suggestions, and it is possible to enjoy yourself at any location. However, try to take a mini vacation in the lead up to school, since mental health is equally important as completing assignments or school supply shopping.

2) Finish summer assignments

Yes, they are a chore, but they’re necessary to hit the ground running when you do return to school. The more work you put in now, the less work you have to do later in the year. Thankfully, most teachers acknowledge the value of a complete disconnect from school and didn’t assign heavy duty work, so if you haven’t started them yet, you should be able to finish if you work efficiently. As always, the sooner the better!

For your pets, tidy up any quests that are still uncompleted. Kitchen Faerie quests, Snow Faerie quests, Brain Tree, Esophagor, Edna quests, they all have time deadlines. While there is no penalty for not finishing these quests in time, you won’t receive their rewards if you don’t. Additionally, the summer jobs at the Faerieland Employment agency also need to be completed in a timely manner. These are extra sweet, because they oftentimes provide a bonus for swift completion.

Lastly, while this isn’t an explicit assignment, it is a good idea to take some time and organize any papers, archives, or safety deposit box goodies during the summer. I like to organize each year, then each subject. Depending on the last organization session, these can be multiple day affairs so finishing cleaning out in the summer generally a good idea. You will see how much easier it is to find loose papers, trust me.

3) Back to school shopping

My favorite part! You can do as little or as much as you want - some years I get lazy and reuse all my supplies from the previous years, others I do a complete supply re-haul. There is a lot to buy, like supplies, backpacks, and new clothes, so it is up to you to decide how much you need (or want).

If a supply list has already come out, stock up now. There are a lot of sales this time of year that can really stretch the budget - half price day comes to mind. And if a supply list has not come out yet, you can still do some preliminary shopping. Usually, I buy:

- 2 pencils for each class

- 1 notebook for each class

- scissors

- gluesticks

- colored pencils

- 100 pages of lined paper

-1 folder


You can find these at the Neopian School Supplies store in Neopia central. At the moment the 50 item sac fulfills all of my storage needs.

Fall fashion is also a must. I usually buy second hand clothes in users’ shops or on the Trading Post, but the Unis Clothing Shop also has a good selection. It seems to be very popular though, so it might take a while to nab anything.

Although everyone wishes for summer to last forever, school can be an equally enjoyable alternative. All it takes a little preparation and poof! All the unprepared anxiety melts away.