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College Prep Activities: Staying Motivated to Learn This Summer

Posted on May 28, 2012 - 06:00 AM | College Prep | Comments (0)

The one complaint students have about summer vacation? It’s too short.

It feels even shorter if you get nothing done.

As tempting as it is to enjoy the beach, hang out, and put in a few days a week at your job, you need to remember that you’re preparing for college, too. Your summer activities and accomplishments should be part of your college resume. They show colleges that you’re motivated all the time.

Four Ways to Stay Motivated This Summer

Set goals. Say to yourself, “Here’s what I need to accomplish this summer,” and then set about doing it. It could be something you know is coming up in the fall, or perhaps something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have the time.
Create a time-management schedule. Managing your time this summer means having plenty of time to do what you need to get done. It cuts down on wasted moments. If you schedule your goals for a certain day, then a certain time of day, you’re more likely to do it.
Create a team effort or participate in group activities. It’s easy to stay on task when people are counting on you. Tour a college campus with friends, or volunteer at a local program where your participation is required. The first helps you pick a college; the second impresses them.
Have fun. Don’t look at college prep as pure work. Some of it might be, but much of it can be fun and all of it should improve your future. Look at the big picture. It makes it easier to get started, and once you do, it’s much more difficult to stop.

Outline Your High School Plans

Start working on things you know are due next fall. If you’re taking the PSAT, SAT or ACT in October, study now, 15 minutes a day rather than cramming for two straight days before the test. If you need to write several admissions essays for your college applications, outline and write samples this summer. If you’re taking American history, read a book or two on the subject. Does the freshman class always read Romeo & Juliet? Add it to your summer reading list.

The summer is a time for fun, but it can also be useful and effective. After all, is it really all that much fun if you’re putting more pressure on yourself for the rest of the year?

By finishing a few tasks this summer and staying on top of your college prep, you’re not cutting your summer short – you’re giving yourself way more time the rest of the year!

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