Many students make use of the summer vacation time to take a break. But the lack of classroom engagement may lead to academic cognitive decline. When vacation ends, some students may need a longer time to get back on track to start learning again. In this article, we have a few fun and easy suggestions on staying motivated during summer vacation!
Plan adequately
Students should plan their schedule effectively, having an appropriate amount of rest time and extracurricular activities. Not only will planning help college applications (because admissions officers really want to see how you spend your vacation), it will also keep your brain exercised and engaged. A productive summer does not mean that every minute of planning must be arranged, but you should spend time continuing to explore your interests.
Watch educational clips
An interesting way to stay motivated during the summer is to look at some interest-related materials that you may not have the opportunity to explore during the school year. Find some new podcasts to listen to during your summer trip, or watch some documentaries or movies that interest you. Some educational clips may include ‘Headspace Guide to Meditation’, ‘Super Size Me’, ‘WALL-E’ and ‘Schindler’s List’. These are some clips that may fuel up interests in you as the movies discuss different themes relating to history, environmental impact and health.
Sharpen your skills
If you are struggling in a specific subject or area at school, summer vacation is a good time to sharpen those skills. Don’t procrastinate! You can ask a good friend to help you out or engage a tutor to help you in the areas you are weak in. Not only will it help you be more prepared in the fall when school starts, it will also give you more confidence to tackle the next set of problems and give you a sense of achievement.
Going over old notes
Staying idle and out of school may cause some students to forget things they learnt in class. Going through old school notes will refresh your memory and one way to do that is to focus on concepts that will be important for the next semester. Learning data analytics in the Fall? Then refresh your concepts on statistics this summer! It is also important to keep your old notes so they are easily accessible if you need to refer to them next time.
Engage in reading
Extracurricular reading is very important. Not only does it help keep your brain active, it can also help you better explore topics of interest, and even make you a better writer. Now is a good time to get some new books, magazines and other publications. Find resources related to your interests. For example, if you are really interested in international politics, read more on international news and spend some time watching videos of political debates. If you are keen on US politics, ‘A Promised Land’ by Barack Obama can be a good choice.
Learn online
The internet contains a vast amount of content and knowledge. Online forums and apps are some useful platforms to get in touch with other students to learn together. YouTube is another website that will most likely contain anything you want to learn from academic content to instructional hobby videos.
Summer is a good time to relax but being away from school for a few months will often cause students to become lethargic. It’s not always easy to stay motivated but things are easier if you find new and interesting ways to stay engaged.
