How to Actually Have a Productive Summer: Planning the Perfect Summer Break
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Summer is finally here, and it is the perfect time to reset your brain, focus on personal goals, and have fun. However, it is also easy to fall behind and fall into endless doom-scrolling. Summer flies by fast, and many people take the three months of no homework, no tests, and no early alarms for granted. That's why I created this guide to teach you exactly how to make the most of your summer break!
Choose Your Activities
Being productive may be interpreted differently by every individual. Some teens may believe that being productive involves studying a new subject and mastering academics, while others believe productivity is trying out a new hobby or working on personal goals, such as going to the gym every day. Either way, it is important to understand how you personally define productivity. Think about what goals you have for this summer, how you will accomplish them, and list them out. If you don't know where to start, here are some summer activities that will keep you productive.
Build a Passion Project
Have you ever had an idea that you've been putting off the entire school year? Well, now is the time to bring it to life. Whether it's developing an app, starting a non-profit, launching a business startup, or writing a short story, passion projects allow you to turn personal interests into something impactful.
Educational Enrichment
If you are someone who wants to go above and beyond and continue learning during summer break, use this time to explore personal interests such as learning a new language on Duolingo or taking major-related summer camps.
SAT/ACT prep
If you are a rising junior or senior, now is the perfect time to prep for your SAT or ACT. Determine which test is the best fit for you by taking practice tests and consider taking lessons to sharpen your test-taking skills. Set your goal on what score you wish to achieve on your next test.
Plan a Family Trip
Apart from academic goals, summer is all about having fun, traveling, and making memories. You can start by deciding on a destination and budget with your family while listing out activities to do along the way. Even if you are unable to travel, discovering local attractions for just one or two days is also meaningful. Don't forget that going outside and taking time to care for your mental health is also being productive.
The Union County Library Summer Reading event, Unearth a Story, has begun! This is a great way to keep yourself busy this summer. Participating will encourage you to keep a fresh mind by reading books and completing activities to earn points and win prizes. Teens will be required to complete these tasks to earn 1,000 points until August 1st to get a completion prize, $5 book bucks to spend at the Friends of the Library book sale in August, an invite to the end-of-summer reading teen party, and a chance to win the grand prize: a Polaroid camera bundle-
Read one book
Attend one program
Attend a Union County Library book club
Read five magazines or newspapers
Visit OLiVe, the Outreach Library Vehicle
Volunteer in the community
The Union County Library offers a variety of teen programs throughout the summer for teens ages 13-18, including gaming, STEAM activities, crafts, and more. If you have time, definitely swing by to visit. You may even develop new skills and connections!
Create a schedule/outline
After gaining a clear vision of your goals for the summer, the next step is to create your schedule. Start by calculating how much time you have before the end of summer to achieve these goals and map out the days to assign each priority. Going into each week, outline the specific tasks that need to be completed each day. For example, mowing the lawn on Monday, writing a blog on Tuesday, running a mile on Wednesday, etc. This can be done in a planner, Google Calendar, a document, or even a blank sheet of paper. Having a clear schedule written out will make your goals feel more attainable and keeps you organized.
Commit to your plans
The most important and hardest part is actually committing to your plans. Keep track of your progress by completing checklists and keep yourself accountable. It is also essential to maintain a healthy amount of break time in-between tasks, and don't be too hard on yourself. The goal isn't to burn yourself out with an overwhelming workload, but rather to keep a balance between summer fun and personal growth. So be sure to make every week count!
Sources:
