Want to Get a Jump on the Next School Year? Here’s the Perfect List

If all you have to look forward to this summer is the family vacation to Idaho, don’t despair. Though having a job or internship may be your ideal way to spend your break from school, there are still plenty of ways to keep your summer from becoming a snoozefest.

1) Avoid brain drain

Don’t return to school not knowing the difference between an appositive and alliteration. Keep your mind sharp over the summer. Keep reading, especially now that you have the free time to do it. Dip your toe into the classics. If you read them on your own time and without any pressure from schoolwork, they can be a lot more enjoyable.

2) Take online classes

Take free classes on things you actually want to know. Websites like Khan Academy are packed with valuable information on subjects like Chemistry, Algebra, and Art History, all for free. Sites like Coursera and edX offer courses from respected colleges and universities, also for free. None of the work is required, your GPA isn’t at stake, and you only delve as deeply as you want into the material. All it takes is a click to start learning.

3) Try something new and strange

Learn how to beatbox. Have a random dance party. Wander around the city with a friend. Go to a restaurant where you can’t read the menu. Step outside of your comfort zone and experience a different view of the world. It can be as simple as picking up a nonfiction book if you usually read fiction or as extreme as taking a karate or skydiving class.

4) Start prepping for next year

Ask teens in the class above you what to expect next school year. Students are usually eager to share their triumphs and regrets for the year, and most don’t want you to make the same mistakes as they did. While other students are spending lazy days on the beach, you could be making the rest of your academic career easier for yourself.

5) Remember to relax

It’s hard work trying to become a more enlightened human being in the course of a summer. Remember to treat yourself with lots of Netflix marathons and fun times with your friends. Don’t be too hard on yourself for the past year and look forward to the next. It’s time for the next chapter in your life