Stay Focused in the Summer
As we’ve officially reached summer, students are realizing it can be difficult to focus when they’re used to being off. Indeed, it can be hard to stay on track when the weather is nice. You may want to travel or go to amusement parks and zoos. If you have kids, they’ll be out of school. However, taking advantage of summer courses can be very valuable. Below, we will go over how you can stay focused in summer classes and why you should consider enrolling.
Graduate Faster
First, students who enroll during the summer graduate faster. The traditional four-year degree doesn’t include summer enrollments in its timeline. Instead, these degrees take four years if you go fall and spring every year. If you enroll in the summer, you can cut one to three semesters off the normal time.
Save Money
Additionally, summer classes are often online. When there are fewer people on campus, colleges prefer to save money by keeping fewer buildings open. As a result, more courses are offered online. Thus, you can save money by staying home and spending less time in the dorm rooms.
You also need fewer credit hours for full-time status, normally. This statement isn’t true for every college or funding type. Check with the financial aid office before you enroll. However, you will generally need to take fewer courses to receive financial aid. Additionally, many universities even offer cheaper classes during the summer. In the end, taking summer classes helps you save money.
Spend Less Time in Class
Summer semester is usually shorter than spring and fall. Thus, you can get courses out of the way in less time. You might spend as few as five weeks in class. Therefore, you won’t spend your entire summer stuck in school. Of course, the short timeframe means they can be more intensive. Often, there will be longer lectures and more work. If you take online courses, you may have several assignments each week.
Consider using summer semester to get retakes and easy prerequisites out of the way. With those courses, your time will be less stressful as you’ll be more comfortable with the material. Then, you can spend more time on difficult classes in the long semesters.
Overall, your summer semester can save you time and money. However, it doesn’t come without challenges. Keep reading to learn about our top 5 tips to stay focused.
Top 5 Tips to Stay Focused
Staying focused when all you can think about is fun is difficult. Consider the below tips to stay on track and succeed in your summer classes.
Set Realistic Goals
Your first step when scheduling your summer courses should be realistic goal setting. Know your limits, and don’t burn yourself out. Above we suggested getting retakes and easy classes out of the way. Notably, summer semester is shorter than fall and spring. Thus, it’s more intensive. If you try to tackle new and complex material during a shortened semester, your grades may suffer.
Consider a course like calculus – you may need time to study and sit with the material to understand it. If you’re rushed to turn in assignments every few days, you may not fully learn the concepts. Then, if you don’t pass during the summer, you may have missed an opportunity to get ahead.
Overall, plan a realistic, easier semester for yourself. Know what you want to do outside of school.
Leave Time for Fun
Many individuals plan big events during the summer. It may be a wedding, vacation, or family gathering. Indeed, you shouldn’t pass up on all of the fun for school. As you schedule your courses, leave plenty of time for hobbies and other events. This scheduling could mean fewer, online, or asynchronous classes with no lectures.
Ensure your study schedule won’t burn you out outside your class schedule. Consider breaking up your times into smaller blocks. For example, don’t plan on doing all your work in one night. You may get invited out and wind up procrastinating on your assignment. As a result, the quality of your work could fall. By breaking up your schedule, you can spend some time each day studying and still have nights free.
It’s easier to stay focused when you’re not missing out. Make sure to enjoy yourself.
Stay Focused, Even if You Don’t Enroll
Even if summer classes don’t work for you, you can still stay on top of your education. Notably, several training courses are cheap or free online. Consider enrolling in Udemy or using an app to study.
Additionally, you can attend events for your field. You may find interesting opportunities to network and learn more.
Finally, you can stay focused by staying up-to-date on trends. Keep an eye on what’s going on through searches and forums. You can also read journals and books related to your major. Overall, any work you do to improve your understanding over the summer will help you when fall semester rolls around.
Build a Routine
You can stay focused if you build a routine in the summer. Indeed, fighting to find study time can leave you feeling stressed and impact your work. You might be unable to complete all your assignments if you don’t plan ahead.
Creating a routine ensures you always have time to do what you need. Consider setting aside specific hours every day to get work done. If you have kids, this may mean during naptime or after they’re in bed. If you work, you might utilize your break time to spend ten minutes studying for an exam.
In the end, we adapt to routines fairly easily. When you set aside time to work, you’re more likely to work. Additionally, if you know when you’re busy ahead of time, you know when you’re available to go out with friends.
Practice Self-Care
Practicing self-care as a student is important. When you don’t have a summer break, it’s vital to stay healthy, happy, and on track. Notably, summer is a great time to relax and cool down. So, when you spend that time in class, it can be overwhelming.
Take time for self-care to prevent burn-out. This idea can mean asking for an extension so you can have fun, an extra reward for yourself, or even learning to say no. Indeed, it can be difficult to turn our friends down, especially if something sounds fun. However, going out every night can be just as exhausting as working too much. Consider spending a night watching movies instead.
Overall, self-care is about getting enough to eat and drink, adequate sleep, and treats for our mental and emotional health.
As a suggestion, you can plan a reward at the end of summer break. If you get through the semester, treat yourself to a new game or your favorite food. You deserve it for staying focused during summer break.
Final Thoughts
There are many benefits to summer classes. However, many distractions can make staying focused difficult. Make sure to practice self-care, set realistic goals, and set aside time for fun.
Alternatives to traditional degree programs can help you finish your education. For example, online courses are often cheaper and self-paced. Additionally, you don’t need to sit through hours of lectures or live on-campus to earn your education. Ultimately, you can save time, money, and stress.
Lakewood University offers affordable and fully online asynchronous programs. You can complete work when it’s convenient to you and take a step towards the career of your dreams.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact our admissions department today!
