Three Tips for Balancing the Summer Semester

View all tags
Daniela Gomez Lopez
A computer monitor displaying a student’s schedule and a laptop displaying class documents.

With the summer semester right around the corner, some college students are looking forward to taking additional courses. And while it can be a great opportunity to get ahead in classes, students also need to understand the importance of taking a break to avoid burnout. Here are 3 tips you can incorporate into your semester to make sure you can focus on your academics, internships, extracurriculars and social life. 

Organize your time

Assignment due dates and test dates can be impossible to keep track of mentally, so write them down on a planner or virtual calendar. In my opinion, Google Calendar is the best way to organize your weeks since you have the availability to access your schedule everywhere there is internet. While you are making your schedule, remember to fit in your personal plans. Whether you are interning, doing extracurriculars, or working, your calendar should display all the events you can’t miss. 

Extra tip: avoid Friday classes if possible, so you won’t have to turn down every fun summertime activity. If you have the availability to choose online classes, try them out; they provide a lot more flexibility.

Set your summer goals 

Whether school, travel, or socially related, write down what you want to accomplish this summer. After you have written down realistic goals, go through and prioritize them. It’s important to rearrange and plan out your priorities. Note that even though a social life and school are essential, so is your mental health, which might mean saying no to plans sometimes.

Take advantage of the weather

Studying doesn’t mean you need to stay cooped up in a library or your room. Take advantage of the weather and find new parks or coffee shops to explore. You’ll be taking advantage of that nice summer weather while also being productive. Since I love coffee, I always lean towards exploring new coffee shops. I also make it a habit to invite my friends if they ever need to get work done. When I do these “study dates,” I feel the most productive and inspired to keep trying out new places. 

Summer classes offer a great opportunity to earn additional credits and can be successfully balanced with other summer activities with a little planning and goal setting. What will you accomplish this summer?

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!