The bad news: spring break is over.
But, that also means the school year is already three-quarters of the way done. Summer’s just around the corner.
But, with vacation creeping up in just a couple of months, it’s important to remember that you still have to put in the work to end the year on a good note. So, with that in mind, we thought we’d type up a few tips to help finish the year strong now that you’re back from Spring Break.
Here are our top five tips for staying focused in the last weeks of the school year:
#1. Dial In
Alright, now that spring break is over, it’s time to make sure you’re in a good position for the end of the year.
The first thing you should do is make a list of the top three priorities you want to accomplish before the end of the school year. If your grades aren’t strong, make that priority one. If you’re struggling in a particular subject, make it a goal to dedicate more time to that subject.
Now, with the list in hand, take a moment to think about the kind of student you want to be. How would that version of you get started? What goals would you set? Some ideas include:
- Moving from a C grade-point average to a B+.
- Improve your study skills.
- Write stronger essays.
#2. Get Organized
There’s more to organization than you think. It isn’t just about making your physical space less cluttered. It’s also about arranging your priorities to suit your study needs.
For this example, let’s assume that improving your overall GPA is your first priority. This means you need to spend more energy studying the subjects you’re lacking in. Next, if you find you’re not absorbing, or don’t understand the material, you’ll want to find ways to get help learning that material through tutoring or remedial material online. Maybe even research ways to improve your study habits and help you retain more information (without spending more time studying).
Now, take the top three priorities you listed out in the previous section, ad rewrite them in a more approachable way:
- Studying subjects in which you need more help.
- Learn to make your study time more productive and retain more information.
- Writing fundamentals.
#3. Time Management is Key
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Considering the focus list you’ve just made, now you have to figure out ways to make it happen. Take a look at your day-to-day schedule: What time do you wake up? When do you eat? Around what time do you get home from school? Once you have your day mapped out, it’s easier to apportion some or all of it according to the priorities you wrote down in steps one and two.
How you manage your time will make all the difference. The best students are rarely the “smartest” students. They get the grades they want through dedication and diligence, rather than any particular genius. You are smart enough to get through the subjects you’re stuck on; you just need to manage your time effectively.
#4. Be Honest With Yourself
It’s good to force yourself to reach outside your comfort zone. However, you also need to be realistic regarding both your limitations, as well as the ways in which you indulge yourself.
Make reasonable, achievable goals, but think about it: how much time do you spend each week either gaming or scrolling social media? Could you cut even an hour out of that time to meet your daily study goals?
The trick is to knock out your study time before you make plans or sit down at your monitor. Get it out of the way early, then enjoy yourself without guilt.
There is no cure for procrastination. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan around it. Remember, how your day gets organized depends fully on your priorities. If you have big dreams, you can’t afford to put out small energy.
#5. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Look: school is hard.
Every student faces challenges, and some stumble and fall over and over again. The falling down part doesn’t matter. It’s how you get back up and how far you get the next time that sets you apart. You’re human. Move forward, upward, and on. The only limitations on you are those you set for yourself.