From Beach to Books: Making the Most of Summer Learning

Studying during the summer holidays can be tough. Tough due to the fact that

IGCSE’S & A/AS-Level exams just finished and it's exhausting to bring

yourself to studying yet again as you shift from a school to vacation mindset. For some people, it is great to start topics before the next year while some

people may prepare to redo some challenging exams. While there are a

multitude of benefits of studying during the summer holidays, it is important to

enjoy and rejuvenate before the start of the next academic year.

1. Set Objectives

• It is important to decide what you want to study for specifically, as this

helps to be concise.

• It is vital to stay consistent to these objectives in order to maintain that you

don’t forget certain concepts.

2. Create a Schedule

• While it may not appeal to everyone, for some people, creating a routine

may help identify what topics/concepts require more attention and what

topics have been perfected.

• Review what you’ve learnt in order to recollect past knowledge gained to

reinforce memory.

3. Balance

• Indeed, one of the main reasons for a summer vacation is to relax and

enjoy the time off, it is important to allocate a significant amount of time for

having fun and taking time off. That’s why when studying during this time

it’s important to avoid burnouts.

Benefits of studying during the summer

1.Avoiding Summer Slide: - Summer slide is common where students fail to

retain certain concepts learnt before the summer as they it may be forgotten

during the vacation as there is a big focus on non-academic activities.

Therefore, continuous studying (need not be for longer times) can be

extremely effective in recollecting whatever was taught in the previous year.

2. Academic Head Start: - Most students would not think to start studying

beforehand and rather make the most out of the summer. This means that you

could get a head start in coursework and start preparing for upcoming subject

content. As a result, this may lead to better grades and confidence right at the

start of the new school year.

3. Self-Paced Learning: - By starting content/concepts a few months before the

next year, students have more time to learn at their own pace without the

pressure of deadlines. This may also prevent burnouts and result in lesser

chances of demoralization and stress during the school year.

4. University Applications: - Instead of studying for the next academic year,

students may choose to get a head start on starting university application

processes like making an activity list or a personal statement essay. This time

could also be used to study for and give standardized assessments like the

SAT’s or IELTS or gain credits to make the transition to university easier.

In conclusion, summer studying definitely has more merits than possible drawbacks

and these disadvantages should not be taken seriously to an extent as looking and

sulking on possible drawbacks may just increase stress. Nevertheless, summer

studying should definitely be done (along with the obvious focus on mental health and

individual needs) as it crucial for growth academically as the next few years in high

the school are definitely the most important ones and thus should not be taken for

granted rather fulfilled to the maximum