Most people that I know, who are students, absolutely love summer for the reason that they don't have to worry about homework, tests, discussion, etc. However, once I got into college, I realized that summer classes were very much of a reality for college students. In order to get done in four years, their are some students that have to take classes in the summer in order to keep on track to graduate. I am a accounting and pre-med student, and in order to keep up with my different curriculum, I had to take summer classes. One of the struggles that I found was keeping motivated to do school work during summer, and the first summer was especially difficult because I had to learn to balance having fun in summer and doing homework. Going into my third summer with having to take classes, I have learned some different ways that have helped me to keep that balance.

1. Write Out Your Daily Homework/Study items

If you write out what you have to do in a day, this gives you a checklist and when you finish that checklist then you feel better about going out to enjoy summer!

2. If You Feel Bogged Down By Homework, Go Take A Break And Do Something Fun!

Last summer, I had to take Organic Chemistry I & II with both of their labs (Yuck!) and I always felt so bogged down by both my lecture studies and writing lab reports. Once I would get to a certain point, I would go outside and just take a walk!

3. Exercise

Okay, I know for some people they may roll their eyes at this one,however, it is true! I have to workout almost everyday for rowing, however, I have also found that working out between my study sessions has helped me to get my mind refocused. I also feel better about myself!

4. Keep Marking Down The Days On Your Calendar

On your calendar, keep crossing off those days! Before you know it, it will be your final week of classes and you can take a breath!

5. Stay On Top Of Your Class

When you first start your class, it can be difficult to get the ball rolling in terms of how you study for the class or what the homework is. However, you do NOT want to wait too long to figure this out. Summer classes go at a much quicker pace then semester classes. So, it is very important to stay on top of the class demands so that you are not play catch up and end up stressing yourself out too much.