School years often end with an onslaught of summer laziness. Before that lethargy strikes, you could make a whole deal of improvement this summer holiday. Every single person I’ve talked to has felt unfulfilled with their productivity over the break. I might be biased though because all my peers are also lazy and stressed high school students.
So what’s the plan?
I’m not recommending you to just work throughout the entire break. You deserve this time to spend on enjoyment. Despite this, I believe you should allocate some time to build a schedule for days without social plans. Scheduling is already a massive component in time management and productivity. Using it will only boost you forward.
For me, being productive is mostly overcoming the mental block. I’ve gone through summer school for the past 2 years, volunteered, went for vacation, and experienced a whole plethora of different situations. I know it feels draining to do work when your already have plans during the day.
First, keep in mind productivity isn’t limited to school subjects, or sitting at your computer the whole day. Lets say you’ve got a family camping and hiking trip planned. The exercise, freedom, and time spent with others is massive for your mental wellbeing. That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid of ‘losing time’ in the summer, because you are fundamentally enjoying your break. That’s what’s important.
However, you need a balance, especially to combat summer learning loss. According to Oxford, only 2-3 hours a week are necessary to reduce learning loss, which can overlap and be incorporated into the other activities you pursue., For example, going forward in your science classes uses reading and problem solving skills while accelerating you forward. Though you probably aren’t going to retain all of your high school math or science knowledge without direct review.
Here’s some general recommendations on projects you can pursue for this 2021 summer.
- Learn new language or skill
- Pursue a passion project
- Take an online course
- Read Books
- Volunteer
- Find a job or internship
- Start a research project
- Get ahead/review school curriculum
- Variable. Anything else you want to do that will improve your current self.
Keep in mind. Some of these suggestions are full lifestyle changes, so don’t put too many on your plate at once. Instead, get used to scheduling by applying a gradual change. Additionally, something like learning an instrument requires constant practice that you don’t want to lose over the next school year. Therefore, be prepared to continue flourishing that skill to become a more well-rounded person.
Additionally, set realistic goals. Don’t work out to become attractive because ‘it will make you happier’. Focus on the road of fitness and self-improvement, such as the added structure of setting a time to exercise.
This is your summer, so spend it doing what you want to do. Enjoy it, you deserve this break.
Other Summer Learning Loss Report by David M. Quinn and Morgan Polikoff
