Summer is approaching rather quickly. One second we have another semester left, then one last six weeks, and now there are fewer than twenty school days until the school year is over. And with summer break approaching, it’s important to know how to make the most of it. How to make the most of just two months of stress free relaxation. How to prepare for the next school year, or for some, college or university. Each year goes by faster and faster as we grow up and become independent adults. So it’s important to make the most of the time we have now, before life gets serious.
First of all, and arguably the most important thing to do when summer break starts, is just exhale. Throw all those old papers into the air if you feel like it. Have a ceremonial camp fire with your old assignments if you feel like it, and if it’s safe to do so! You did it! You worked hard, woke up early when you felt like going back to sleep; you did it! Your hard work has paid off. And this is the reward. A period of no homework, no tests that look nothing like the study guide to worry about, no complicated equations to figure out how to type into your calculator, nothing. Just you, and two months of free-time. So, after you’ve decompressed and released the stress you built up over the school year, now what?
Now that you’ve exhaled, both literally and metaphorically, you’re ready to start making the most of the break. Spend time with your friends. Don’t forget about your family too! Go out, get out, get some fresh air, “touch some grass,” enjoy not having to be locked in a building for 8 hours. Get a coffee, maybe two if you’re feeling wild; once again, it’s summer! Enjoy your time off in whatever way makes you happy. If you enjoy spending this time indoors reading or writing, or simply lying in bed all day watching TV, that’s okay too! The key is doing whatever brings you happiness and relaxation in this period of summer break. Don’t worry about the upcoming school year, or sports, or the schoolwork you’ll have to do because that can wait. Right now, it’s about you, and the ones closest to you.
Now it’s the middle of summer. And it’s filled with fireworks, sparklers, parties, the strong smell of bug spray, and the colors red, white and blue. You’re now half way through the break. You’ve spent the first half decompressing, and enjoying the time with friends and family, and doing what makes you happy. And while you’re still free to do so, the next school year is only a month away now. What once seemed so far, is now viewable. Still, it’s a distance away, but it’s visible. And because of that, while you continue to enjoy your summer, prepare to switch into a more productive and focused mindset. Now would be the time to start thinking of things that you couldn’t take care of over the school year. Maybe cleaning your car, cleaning the house, cleaning your closet, reorganizing. Perhaps think about ways to stay mentally sharp and ready for the upcoming school year. Maybe it’s a flashcard set, an app on your phone, or just reading a book to get your mind sharp again after relaxing the first half of summer. Now is the time to think about these things.
After a great time of relaxation, hanging out with friends and family, fireworks and all sorts of fun, it’s time to fully shift back into a school mindset. It is now the last few weeks of summer. Now is the time to start waking up at less embarrassing hours to prepare your body for the upcoming school year. Getting fresh school supplies, or making sure you have enough supplies, is an important action to take now. Maybe now is a good time to go shopping for some new school clothes. This is the period when you should be preparing for the upcoming school year, so preparation steps like this are important. Still, spend time with friends and family, but don’t let that be your absolute and only priority. You don’t want to be rushing to the store at nine o’clock the night before school starts because you don’t have enough paper, pencils, binders, clothes, and other important materials for school. This all needs to be taken care of so that the last week before school starts you can do the most important step of all, mentally prepare yourself. All of these steps prepare you, but pencils and paper can’t help you mentally. You need to give yourself time to adjust and prepare for the upcoming school year and the stresses that will come with it. Maybe now is a good time to set goals for yourself this school year. For example, what grades you plan on making so you can enjoy another summer next year and not summer school. Perhaps practice going to sleep on the exact time you plan on going to sleep during the school year, so it’s not a struggle once school starts. You don’t want to immediately jump right back into a school mindset and schedule the day school starts. It’s important that the adjustment is more gradual and not immediate and out of nowhere. You don’t want to be caught off guard by the next school year.
Finally, it is now the next school year. And, since you’ve followed this guide, you have not only made the most of your summer, but you have been able to adjust to the school year easily so that you only have to stress about homework, not trying to go to sleep. Now all you have to do is get through the next year, just as you did before, and repeat the cycle.
