Summer is the ideal time to unwind and recharge your mind. Though with all that free time, it's just as essential to practice skills crucial for the next year. By doing this you are giving yourself a head-start and relieving a lot of the stress involved in the first month of school. However, when the sky is the perfect shade of blue and all you want to do is relax, it can be difficult to be encouraged to work.
#1- Make sure you have a clean work space
Having a clean workspace may seem irrelevant for staying motivated and studying, but a clean work environment is the first step to encourage yourself to sit down and work. The perfect workspace would begin in a location with plently of natural lighting, this because well-lit locations will keep you engaged and relieve tension in your eyes. You also want to make sure that the desk or table is not cluttered, the less stuff on your desk or table the better. These minor steps will help provoke your interest to take the time and work on something that may not seem so fun, but will most definitely come to help you in the future.Â
#2- Find a app/website or book that follows your curriculumÂ
To get the most of your studying time you're going to want to find a system that keeps you engaged and gives you plenty of space to learn in your way. Ask a teacher about what textbook you may be following next year and then search for online pdfs of that book. If one is not found, you can always consider purchasing a second-hand textbook. If this is not an option I highly recommend using Khan Academy to guide your learning. It’s completely free with well-explained concepts, followed by problems that you may see in class. You can even search for a website that teaches your desired course but be sure to see if the content lines up with what you are expected to learn.
#3- Set reasonable goals
The greatest mistake most students make when building a strong work ethic is either overloading or underloading yourself. You want to attain the perfect balance between how much work needs to be done and how much time will you receive. I tend to follow the basic rule of studying 2 hours with a 30-minute break, and then going back and doing 2 more hours. Though this may not apply to everyone for I have been studying long hours for many years. A novice may want to study 30 minutes with a 5-minute break in between, followed by another hour. If you are simply choosing to study ahead without the guidance of a teacher, you want to choose a subject that you believe will challenge you most in the upcoming year. With this, don’t expect yourself to master the whole subject within your break, rather perfect ⅓ of that subject to make it easier on yourself.
#4- Discover your reason for learning
Anyone can force you to study but only you can push yourself to learn. Take time to find out why you want to learn. Most of the time the real motivation you need has always been in the back of your mind, waiting for you to realize it. Your intentions should never be, for my parents or I need to do better than my classmates, but why will this benefit me and me alone. My drive is often the goal to find a career that I love and I can excel in. So really ask yourself what is it that I want?Â
#5- Find enjoyable ways to get the work done
If you're anything like me, you most definitely will often get bored and make up excuses to skip a day or two. Though I have realized that the most interesting way to study is with friends. Even though we are currently in this pandemic, you can always video chat a friend while you work. You both may not be doing the same thing, but I find it nice to have someone to talk with and ask questions. Though, be careful that you don’t get carried away and end up not doing anything. Other ways to make studying more enjoyable include studying outside or making a game and then rewarding yourself with your favorite snack or dessert.