5 back-to-school lessons that are applicable to your adult life

It’s that time of year once again: Back-to-school season — a time of fresh beginnings for students of all ages, and a time when adults are dishing out all kinds of lessons and advice to help children prepare for their next (or first) year of organized education.

And if you think about it, adults would do well to follow some of the advice they dole out themselves, because there are plenty of common back-to-school lessons that also apply to their everyday lives.

Here are a few things kids are often told around this time of year that can translate into many grown-up lifestyles.

1. Knowledge is power.

Whether you’re in pre-school, a pre-med major or someone who’s been out of school for half a century, it’s important to remember that there’s always more to learn, and absorbing more knowledge will always be a powerful, positive thing.

2. Take care of work before play.

This is basically how we teach children the value of work-life balance. We tell them to do their homework before they go outside to play, and this same principle can be valuable to adults.

If you can finish up your work for the day and then unplug, you’ll find it easier to enjoy time with your friends and family than if you know you have more looming work. Of course, this isn’t always possible, but the more often you can separate work and play, the better you’re likely to feel.

3. Study and be prepared.

Just as you’re not going to want to head into your first Algebra test of the year without having studied that chapter and completed the homework and some practice problems, you’re also not going to want to show up to a client meeting or take a certification test going completely off the cuff.

Preparation is key to success.

4. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Being mean or vulgar to people isn’t likely to get you anywhere great — and if it does, it won’t be very satisfying.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t be critical or point out things that might seem negative to you, but you can generally find a decently nice and kind way to do so.

5. Be on time.

In school, you might be marked tardy and punished in some small way.

But if you’re an adult, being late to an important meeting can have some seriously negative implications for your career. Showing up on time is one of the best ways to make sure you’re being efficient, and it shows the people with whom you’re working meeting that you respect them and their valuable time.

With the above lessons in mind, have a great school (or work) year.