Summer school isn’t the most exciting way to spend your break, but it won’t last forever. Plus, you’ll be getting ahead on your classes! If that still isn’t enough to help you survive three to six weeks of school, follow these simple tips and your summer classes will be over before you know it and you can celebrate summertime to your heart’s content.
Set aside time each day to study.
We know that after you’ve been sitting in class for 3+ hours, the very last thing you want to do is go home and study. But if you want to succeed in these fast-paced, intensive classes, you will need to hit the books on your own for at least a few hours a day. It doesn’t have to consume your entire day, but you will need to sacrifice a couple hours of free time. One strategy is to try to get it done in the afternoon; then you won’t have anything school-related on your mind until the next day.
Don’t deprive yourself of fun summer activities.
Yes, you are in summer school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to a lake day or a few drinks by the pool. It’s still summer! If you don’t allow yourself to have any breaks from school work, you are more likely to get burned out, then your grades may start to suffer. As long as you stick to your pre-planned study sessions, there’s no reason not to binge-watch Orange is the New Black or relax by the pool after a long day.
Plan a small reward for yourself after you’re done.
It doesn’t have to be big or expensive, but looking forward to something after your class finishes may help you power through those last couple of weeks or days. You could plan a trip to your local water park with your friends, a wine tasting at a local (or not so local) vineyard, or you could even go all-out and head to a big city and shop all weekend. When you’re studying for your final and the end seems nowhere in sight, remembering your soon-to-be reward can help keep you sane.
Get to know other students in your class.
The other students in your summer class are probably just as unenthusiastic as you are about having to be in class, so you already have something in common! Even if you have never seen these people in your life and may never see them again after this class, having some acquaintances/potential friends in your class could make you not dread getting up at 7 a.m. quite as much. Also, if you decide to form a study group, you’ll have a built-in group of fellow classmates to get together with.
Plan ahead for hunger.
Especially if you are one of those people who chooses sleep over breakfast in the mornings, hunger will likely strike during your three-hour lecture. Being hungry can lower your ability to focus and before you know it, your notes about organic molecules will soon turn into mindless doodles of pizza. To counter this problem, be sure to pack some snacks in your bookbag, like trail mix, cheese and crackers, or low-sugar granola bars.
