With the abrupt change in weather, a new attitude often takes over the minds of students who become ready for the summer months. The long and sunny days give the false illusion that school isn’t in session and motivation for studying looms. It’s quite unfortunate that right when this change in mindset is occurring, AP exams and finals are approaching.

“When the weather gets warm, I usually lose focus because I get the feeling its summer when it really isn’t,” said Nidhi Gopogani, junior.

Some people have coined the term “summer fever” to describe this phenomenon of lack of motivation and, quite bluntly, laziness that students feel at the end of the school year. To avoid all of the symptoms of summer fever and finish the rest of the year strong I came up with some tips to help.

1. Stay Organized. It is so easy to lose track of assignments and due dates near the end of the school year because we are often so focused on more substantial assessments like AP exams and finals. So, we forget the smaller assignments that, even though they are small, will affect our grades. In my personal experience, writing everything down in an assignment notebook or planner helps you stay on top of things and plan your time wisely at home.
2. Try to get rid of distractions. It is hard, especially in the summer months, to not be distracted by the sight of all your friends going out to ride their bikes or getting ice cream, but this is also a time where you must stay focused on school to succeed. To avoid distractions, try putting your phone away and maybe study with a friend who will help you get back on track when you seem to be slacking off.
3. Enjoy the weather while simultaneously studying. To not feel entirely left out of summer, try finding a quiet place outside to study so that you can enjoy the weather while also doing the work you need to do to stay on track for school. You can easily find an outdoor work area at a coffee shop like a local Starbucks, or if you have an outdoor desk area, you can do this from the comfort of your own home.
4. Set Goals. This may seem cheesy but setting explicit goals for yourself like getting a five on one of your AP exams or an A in one of your classes can help motivate you to achieve it. With those goals always in your mind, you will be encouraged to work harder so that you do not let yourself down.
5. Make a schedule. At the end of the year, it’s essential to manage your time to make sure that you can get all your studying done before the day of the test and all your assignments in on time. Many people leave studying for an AP test for the week of the test which can cause unnecessary stress and might even cause them to do worse. To avoid this, make a schedule of the month so that you know what to study on which days depending on when your assignment is due or when your exam is. If you can’t plan a month ahead of time, at least make a schedule every day of how much time you will spend on a specific subject and how much you expect to get done in that time. Doing so will give you a clear idea of what you need to accomplish.

Hopefully, with these tips, you will be ready to take on the end of the year. It can seem like a daunting task- studying for AP’s, working on important assignments, completing homework, and preparing for finals- but if you follow these tips and stay on the right track, there is no doubt you can accomplish what you set your mind to.