Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Life > Academics

How to Stay Motivated When Summer is in Sight

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Poly chapter.

It’s that time of year: the weather is getting warmer, we’re counting down the weeks until Summer break, and… motivation may be lacking. It’s hard to stay focused on school and studying when there is so much to do in SLO and the end of the quarter is in sight. It’s easy to say “just push through”, but it is harder to actually put that into practice. Thus, here are a few steps to staying motivated this spring quarter. 

  1. Schedules

If you’re like me, having a set schedule of not only when your assignments are due, but what time you will be working on them, can be useful for staying on top of your work. Such lists can help you to make sense of how much work you actually have and allow you to budget your time.

  1. Mini breaks

Burnout is real, and it can be easy to get distracted and let whatever is distracting you take over. To combat this, make sure to take regular, short breaks to keep your mind active and engaged. While it may seem to take time away from your work, in the long run, giving yourself breaks can keep you productive for longer.

  1. Plan your summer!

It’s inevitable that you will be tempted to daydream about your vacation plans rather than review your lecture notes. So, use “summer planning” as a reward when you hit a checkpoint in an assignment or finish a class. Pin a couple ideas to a pinterest board, set a day to collaborate with friends on your day trip or browse your summer wardrobe options. Then, get back to work and let the fun of planning your summer motivate you. 

Summer is just around the corner everyone! We believe in your ability to finish this quarter strong!

Emi Nishida is a fourth year English major with Linguistics and Child Development minors from Irvine, California. She serves as Editor in Chief for Cal Poly’s chapter of Her Campus. Other than writing, her passions include music, dance, romcoms, anything arts & crafts, and exploring the outdoors.