From not having homework to worry about and sleeping in on weekdays to hanging out with friends all day and going on family trips, summertime is easily every student’s favorite time of the year. And now that lockdowns are officially behind us, it’s time to get your summer plans in full swing. But just because you’re bent on having fun under the sun doesn’t mean learning has to take a back seat. After all, there are plenty of ways students can stay productive during the summer break and prevent learning loss while still having the best time.

Why Is Summer Important for Students?

We all equate summer as a time of fun and relaxation–two things that both students and teachers alike look forward to after a full year of grueling schoolwork. Studies show that taking a break is extremely important for one’s mental and physical health, reducing stress, and improving productivity. For students, summertime allows them to recharge and recover from the stress and anxiety that often come with their studies. This much-needed rest is vital in maintaining a student’s energy, motivation, and interest in school.

But as much as you’d like to stay up late to play video games all summer long, being productive is also essential if you want to hit the ground running when fall rolls in. It’s important to sustain learning and remember what you’ve studied the previous year. This keeps you from slipping into the dreaded “summer slide” and helps you transition smoothly into the new school year.

If you’re a high school sophomore or junior, your summer break can also be a great time to consider your college options. You may not be starting your application process just yet, but it’s never too early to make a list of schools you’re interested in, research programs you’re curious about, or take part in extracurricular activities that can help boost your application.

Summer is all about fun and excitement, but it’s also an important time for students who want to stay or get ahead of their studies. So if you’re looking for ways students can stay productive during the summer break, we’ve got you covered.

Top 5 Ways Students Can Stay Productive During the Summer Break

Studying is probably the last thing you want on your list of summer activities. After all, we can all agree that worrying about homework can dampen the summer vibe. However, that doesn’t mean discovering and learning new skills can’t be fun. Quite the opposite, in fact! So if you want to make the most of your school break while still having a blast, we listed the best ways students can stay productive during the summer break.

1. Take up a new hobby.

With no strict schedules to follow, summer is the best time for you to engage in new hobbies or learn something new. Technology has made it incredibly easy to learn new skills. You don’t always need to go out of your way or spend a lot of money to access tutorials, online classes, and other resources. Want to learn a second or third language? There are free apps for that! Have a newfound love for cooking or baking? You can find lots of free cooking or baking videos with a click of a button. Want to channel your interest in video games into something more productive? Try Scratch! It’s a programming language and website developed by MIT Media Lab to teach programming to students of all ages. Students as young as eight years old can learn to program interactive stories, games, and animations.

2. Refine your skills.

Whether you want to hone your creativity and writing style, express yourself through dance, art, or music, or dream of becoming a game designer one day, there are plenty of summer classes you can be part of to further improve your talents and skills. This is something you should especially consider if your skills and interests align with the college major and career you’d like to pursue in the future.

You can also take this time to explore interests that are not typically offered or included in your regular school curriculum. Perhaps your computer or design class inspired you to learn more about web development or graphic design. Your summer break gives you a chance to build and expand on the new skills you learned in school and explore other ways to improve your talents.

3. Practice your STEM skills with activities and experiments you can do at home.

If you’re a parent, you know it would be next to impossible to tear children away from their video games just so they could review their lessons from the past year. Especially if it involves subjects that most students struggle with, like math and science. Here at Stemly, we already know how fun and exciting math and science learning can be, but we understand that not many students think the same way. At least, not at first. 

One of the ways students can stay productive during the summer break is through activities that engage their minds and encourage their natural curiosity. That’s where STEM activities come in. You can find plenty of age-appropriate DIY science experiments and challenges online that you can do with your child  (such as these cool activities from Do Try This at Home by the Institute of Physics). Not only are you helping to hone your child’s critical thinking skills, but you’re also developing their love for math and science (and limiting their screen time!).

4. Go over your lessons from the previous year with a tutor.

Successfully completing the previous year’s classes certainly adds a feather to your cap, but remembering to apply what you’ve learned to your future lessons is another story. In other words, just because your Algebra 1 class is over doesn’t mean you can forget about linear equations and graphs. Especially with Algebra 2 on the horizon. Granted, reviewing your lessons from the previous school year may not be your idea of the perfect summer activity. Still, it’s a crucial step if you want to get a leg up when fall comes. 

We understand that the motivation to study in the middle of your summer break is hard to come by, so it’s best to consider working with an expert tutor who understands your needs and how to address them. Notably in subjects like math and science, which many students often struggle with.

Stemly’s math and science tutoring is designed to help students learn exactly what they need to know and address areas where they have the most difficulty in a fun and engaging way. Our math and science tutors can help you review your past lessons and make sure you fully understand the concepts before moving on to the next topic. By strengthening your fundamental knowledge and skills, you are more prepared to tackle more advanced math and science content.

5. Get a headstart for the next school year.

It’s not uncommon for some students to suddenly struggle in a subject they used to do well in. Take students introduced to algebraic concepts for the first time as an example. Before taking a pre-algebra class, a student’s experience with math will typically only involve arithmetic (numbers and their operations), which makes understanding unfamiliar algebraic concepts challenging. This is also true for science subjects, like biology, chemistry, and physics. While these subjects often have topics that overlap, they also require students to grasp different concepts and skills.

It goes without saying that as you progress through school, the skills needed to meet your new curriculum's demands also increase. Familiarizing yourself with the course material will allow you to jump right into learning once school resumes and ensure you don’t encounter the same struggles you may have had in the previous year. One way to do this is by working with a math and science tutor who can guide and support you in your learning journey. 

Stemly’s math and science tutors specialize in teaching STEM subjects to students of all ages. Our math and science tutors assess your skills and identify the gaps in your learning. We design our tutoring plans based on your current level of learning to ensure that all areas of need are addressed, setting you up for success in your academic journey. 

Stemly Tutoring’s highly specialized STEM tutors can help you with math tutoring, physics tutoring, chemistry tutoring, biology tutoring, and more. And because all our math and science tutoring is done online, you can have the flexibility of learning anytime, anywhere. That means you don’t need to cancel any of your planned summer activities or worry about fitting your lessons into your vacation schedule.