When in school, we have a set schedule as to when we have class and when we have to work, and our weeks are organized by assignment deadlines and exam dates.
So what happens when that’s all over?
During the summer (really, after April), our timetables disappear and most of our time is freed up because we don’t have assignments to work on. For some people, although this sounds great, they end up wasting their summers and drowning in a black hole of lethargy and isolation. I have friends that stay up on the internet all night then sleep till 2 am. I have other friends who forget what a social life even is because they don’t have to go to school and so they don’t see their classmates.
To me, that’s a waste of a summer. Here are a few ways you can stay organized and have the most of the stummer.
Get an agenda.
Agendas aren’t only useful during the school year. They really help me layout my weeks and figure out how I want them to look like. Even when you’re not in school, there are things that need to be done (e.g. chores, going to work) and this helps keep you on track. It’s a simple way to avoid the trap that a lot of students fall in during the summer where they forget to do their laundry, clean, or cook. Agendas are also helpful to keep track of events and plans with other people. By using an agenda, it’s harder to forget the things you want to do, and you can make the most out of your summer!
Have a routine.
This may sound overboard or mundane to some people who aren’t used to it, but I promise you it’s a great way to stay sane during the summer. When I didn’t have a routine, I felt like I didn’t know what to do with myself and I just wasted so much time on the internet and sleeping. You don’t HAVE to wake up at a specific time every day, but that’s a great start to reminding your body that, although it’s the summer, there are still things to do and hours of the day to take advantage of. It’s also good to get in the habit of exercising, drawing, or working on some personal project you want to finish. Having a routine and roughty scheduling your day around these things lets you prioritize your life and keeps you motivated and productive. Routines might be hard to start, but after about a month they are second nature and you can easily walk through your day and check these things off your list.
Do more of what you want to do.
You’ll find that keeping an agenda and having a routine will suddenly increase the hours of your day. You’ll be far more motivated to use up those extra hours for productive things. Productive tasks don’t have to be boring tasks – they can be anything you really want to do but haven’t found time to do them in the past. Whether that’s gardening, learning how to cook, or reading some classics, you’ll find more time to work on those things during the week. You could become a master chef by the end of the summer if you plan right.
It’s not hard to stay motivated and productive during the summer, and it’s not boring either. Working towards things you love will make you a goal-oriented person. You can’t accomplish goals without a plan though; implementing an agenda and a routine can help you become the person you want to be, giving you an opportunity to have the best summer you can!