With the dreaded week of finals finally here, and plenty of essays and tests to do, I have found my mind wandering to Summer instead of my work. Summer is in less than a week now and the only thing I want to be doing is going out on the lake to relax and not worry about anything. I am completely and totally in Summer mode with several finals left to take.

This is a horrible mindset to have when you have what feels like dozens of pages to write before the end of the week. What really doesn't help with this summer mindset at all is the beautiful weather we have been getting these past few days here at Saint Mary's. I believe several people can agree with me when I say that it is very hard to focus on studying when it is such a nice day.

I tried studying outside, but that didn't do any good. Sitting out in the sun, especially with friends, does not lead to actually studying for finals surprisingly. I decided I needed to find a way to get out of the Summer mindset and focus on the work that I need to get done before I am allowed to relax. What I had to do was close all the blinds and just crank out my work before allowing myself to enjoy the sunny day. I have never been more ready for Summer to start than I am right now.

Even though I know I'll be looking for a Summer job and working most of the time it will still be Summer. In my family that means trips out on the boat, wake boarding, and having lazy days in the sun. My favorite part of Summer, the thing that I anticipate since Winter, is our annual week long trip to Lake Almanor with family friends.

Since starting college this tradition has been made more special because it is one of the few times a year that I get to see my brother, who now lives on the East Coast. So yeah I guess you could say I'm distracted from my finals. I may still be sitting at Saint Mary's, waiting for my last final to be completed, but my mind has been on the water for a week.

So here is some advice for anyone else who is distracted by the prospects of Summer when you still have finals to do. First get a cold drink, (soda, lemonade, smoothie, whatever) then sit down with some good music, (if you're writing an essay I suggest epic film scores from Google Play Music) and finally just take a deep breath and finish this term strong. We will be fully into Summer before you know it and all that it entails. So, for the sake of getting good grades, pull your mind away from Summer for the next few days. You will thank yourself later if you do.