As summer draws to a close, department stores stock up on school supplies. Every aisle is filled with backpacks, binders, folders, notebooks, and pencils, all of which are reasonably priced. School shopping is a critical part of the back to school process. The supplies that any given student chooses will stick with them for the entire year. Eager parents drag their children school shopping, supply lists in hand, within the first two weeks of August. However, those who wait until the weekend before classes begin, find the leftover supplies scattered across the bare shelves.

There are two types of students when it comes to summer reading, the organizers and the crammers. The organized readers create a schedule for each book and are fully aware of how long it will take to finish each novel. The crammers, on the other hand, wait until the final weeks, maybe even days, before school starts to read all of their required books. They often stay awake into the early morning hours finishing books.

Padua will be filled with students the week prior to the start of school. Students taking AP classes are to report, as well as freshmen who have signed up for the Freshmen In Transition (FIT) Blast Off program. On August 21, the freshman class will take their annual trip to Sandy Hill, a camp where they practice team-building exercises. The rest of the student body will attend school for a half day. Classes for the entire school begin on Monday, August 24.

The nights leading up to the start of school are often shared with friends and a few tears as the fun, carefree summer ends and a stressful, new school year begins. A routine begins as students head off to bed at a reasonable hour, setting their alarm for 6AM the next day.