Make Staying Productive During the Summer a Priority!
Spending 10 weeks away from the classroom during the Summer can make us forget a lot of what we have learned throughout the school year. We have to put in extra effort to find ways to stay productive during the summer so as to not lose all that we have worked for, especially when we’re in high school with college entrance exams around the corner.
This Summer is especially tough for most of us with this Covid-19 virus situation. Students have been forced to close out the school year sitting home idle for the most part while having to keep up with confusing distance learning programs. Without much learning it is easy to fall back academically and with Summer around the corner, it adds for even more time away from the books.
Get Ahead of the Competition
Summer is really the best time to catch up on things and should be viewed as an opportunity to get ahead and put your time into your academics. Of course, making time for fun activities and pure relaxation is also a priority but here at MTP, we recommend setting aside an hour or two each day to conquer your academic needs and goals.
Wouldn’t you love knowing half the material of next year’s math class by the time school starts in the Fall? Wouldn’t it make sense to do all your SAT/ACT prep over the summer so that you are not cramming for it during your tough junior and senior years, when you have so much going on? Take advantage of your time off and you will come out ahead!
Set Aside Time Each Day
You might be asking ‘how do i academically stay productive during the summer when there are so many fun things i could be doing?’ The answer to that is discipline. Remember it’s easy to fall into day-to-day habits such as playing video games and hanging out with friends. What’s not that easy to do is to be disciplined and to work hard.
It is through work and discipline that we make it to the top and differentiate ourselves. The struggle gets us to where we want to be. Do you want to differentiate yourself from your classmates and make it into the school of your dreams? Well, you have to put your time in. It’s like that with anything in life.
Why do basketball players continue to practice their free throws and shooting when the season is over? The great ones continue to put their time into their craft. The off-season is really the true time we can separate ourselves from the pack. Great stories come out of times when no one is watching us; when we put our work in behind closed doors.
Enough motivation talk. You get the point. But how do i put the time in you might be asking?
You need to start setting aside 1 or 2 hours each day. If you are a morning person set aside that time in the morning; otherwise do it at night or after lunch. But the key is to be consistent and to let that be your study time each and every day.
Do you realize that if you practice just 1 hour each day for 10 weeks that you will have studied a total of 70 hours! How hard would it be to study 70 hours for the SAT during the school year?
Preparation Tip for Getting Ahead
A great tip for you if you’re anxious about next year’s math class it to figure out which book you will be using next year and purchase it from Amazon or a local bookstore. For example, if you just wrapped up Geometry in school and next fall you will be taking Algebra2, figure out which book your school will be using and either loan it from your school or find a way to purchase it.
We can’t tell you the countless stories of students Acing their math classes simply due to the fact that they got ahead over the Summer. If you can’t figure out what Algebra 2 book your school will be using don’t worry about it. Math is such an exact science that any Algebra 2 book you get online should also help you out just the same.
We do realize that some subjects don’t work this way so you will have to get creative, but for the most part you can find most anything on Amazon these days.
How to actually Learn and Prep
The next question you may be wondering is how in the world will i learn SAT Math or Algebra2 by myself even if i get a book? Nowadays, you have so many more resources online than students used to have. Take advantage of them! If you are stuck on a topic check out great videos on Khan Academy or Youtube.
Another great resource which a lot of schools are currently using is Kuta Software. It provides free practice worksheets along with answers. Make use of the tools around you since nowadays answers are much easier to find with all the technology and the help of Google.
But don’t forget of our excellent tutoring services as well. We provide Nationwide Online tutoring services for all subjects and test prep. We are Not Just Math. We also do in-person tutoring in South Florida. Our nationwide online services work really well to make sure you stay productive during the Summer, since you could be vacationing in another city or country. As long as you have internet or phone service we can always help you.
Form Small Study Groups with Friends or Classmates
Another great tip is to make small study groups with your close friends or classmates. For example, if you are all studying for the SAT, get together once or twice a week and challenge each other with group study sessions.
These small group sessions are not only great to bounce ideas off each other but will also make learning fun as you all motivate each other. They can also help tremendously if you happen to be stuck on a topic for instance that your friend might know very well. Challenging each other and staying focused is key. But if you feel that these sessions become less productive because of friendly banter and gossip you will need to disconnect and get refocused.
Take the Pressure Off and Study the Right Way
Don’t become a victim of cramming last minute for the SAT or ACT or panicking last minute for a tough Geometry test. Imagine if at least half of these battles were fought during the Summer. We experience so many students scheduling SAT sessions at times a month or a few weeks before the exam date. Sometimes through our diagnostic sessions we quickly discover that a lot of concepts are missing and fundamentals need extensive work.
As much as we try to help with the limited time, we often think to ourselves “What if we could have helped this student much earlier, when the pressure was off?” Now, a few weeks before the test we are all stressing and cramming like crazy.
Realize that learning a subject or studying for an exam like the SAT is an extensive task. It is treated way to casually by most students as if it’s an after thought. What also doesn’t help is that you are able to retake such tests quite a few times and lots of students don’t start taking them seriously until it’s too late.
The SAT for example is made up of 4 difficult math sections which involve concepts ranging from basic math to algebra2, trigonometry and even statistics. There is no way to master these concepts in a few weeks.
Summer is the time to iron out all deficiencies and get to work. You will also feel much more comfortable studying at a leisurely rate and at your own pace. The last thing you want to do it cram for a test like the ACT with such diverse topics.
The same goes for a tough Algebra 2 class you are about to take next Fall. Iron out the concepts over the Summer,and it will take so much pressure off of you during the school year as you have a zillion things going on with schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
At the end of the day, it’s all about discipline and how you go about making the necessary changes in your life to stay productive during the summer. It’s about getting off the social media and video games for a few hours each day and really staying focused. We can only suggest best practices that have worked for us and the students we tutor. Ultimately the decision is yours!
Make the Moment Count
Remember also that these are the best moments in your life to actually study and learn. Once you make it out into the real world, it becomes so hard many times to find time for the books. Make these moments count. Have fun, but also don’t neglect the academics.
We hear of way too many stories of students not applying themselves, wishing they had put in the time, when it was all but too late. Put down the phones and video games and make the moment count!
Study now and get into the college or your choice and you will see that your chances to land that dream job and lifestyle that you always dreamed of will be that much closer to reality. Learning opens doors and opportunities. It is hard to see that now while you’re in school but believe us, it’s TRUE and you will thank us later 🙂
Make use of Our Services – We are here to Help You!
As we mentioned, challenging yourself over the summer doesn’t come easy. It’s not trivial to dive into a trigonometry book and start figuring things out or to first open that ACT practice book and expect to just start going through the problems.
One of the things that becomes crucial especially with a subject like Math is to not move forward until you truly understand the concept you are actually learning. Math is made up of building blocks that depend on one another. It’s almost like expecting to work on the roof of a house without laying down the foundation.
So, if you find yourself getting stuck with your summer prep please reach out to us to schedule tutoring sessions. We do assessments and will put you on an effective summer plan. We consider your goals and test dates to make things most effective.
We are here to offer help with all your Summer learning needs, ranging from summer schoolwork to dealing with getting you ahead as mentioned for that upcoming class in the Fall or the upcoming SAT or ACT. Our math refreshers or crash courses are 2nd to None as we dive into topics such as Geometry, Algebra and Calculus, among others.
Our SAT and ACT prep is also outstanding as we cover all aspects of these exams. We are after all Not Just Math and tutor for all subjects and test prep. So don’t hesitate to also contact us should you need help for SAT Reading/Writing or ACT Science. Check out a few quick SAT Math Tips to stay focused on during your Summer prep.
Conclusion
At the end of the day we are here to help you whether it’s over the Summer or during the school year. We hope we offered you some great tips for you to stay productive during the Summer. Remember that Summer is a time for fun but it also is a time to really differentiate yourself for the upcoming school year or that college entrance exam that is causing you anxiety.
Make use of your time most wisely and you will live with no regrets, realizing that you gave it your all for what you wanted to achieve.
And last but not least, please have comfort that we are here to help you along the way!
Blessings & Stay Safe!