8 Tips for Managing Your Time This Summer

Student Life

July 05, 2021

For some of us, summer is busier than the school year due to the amount of projects we expect to accomplish in only three months. While it's good to have plenty to do during the summer months, unless we properly manage our time, it's easy to crack under the weight of our undertakings.

So how do we keep track of everything and still find time to have fun?

Decide On Your Priorities

As much as you might like to end your summer with a list of completed tasks a mile long, it's not always a plausible goal. When you're planning out your summer activities, you have to decide what are the most important things you want to do.

Write down everything you want to accomplish this summer, including internships, jobs, and even fun stuff like concerts and beach days. After you make your list, think about how much time each item will take before it's completed. Remember to be realistic with your expectations.

Once you have an idea of what you want to do this summer, decide which things are the highest priority. These should be your main focus this summer.

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Buy A Planner

Planners are a great way to keep track of all your obligations. There are so many different types and styles to choose from, so it's easy to find one that will suit your needs.

If you're feeling particularly creative, you can even make your own out of a plain journal or notebook. This option will work best if you want to have a very personalized planner.

Plus, most planners have 12 to 16 months' space in them, so you can use your new planner for more than just the summer.

Set Goals For Yourself

One of the best forms of time management is to set reasonable goals for yourself and then aim to accomplish them. Some of the things on your list might take all summer, like having a summer job. Other things like reading this book that you've had sitting on the shelf in your bedroom for the last year will probably take much less time.

If you have a goal to aim for, it allows you to make better decisions about how to spend your time and keep you from muddling through your summer.

Have A Variety Of Activities

If you spend the summer only doing one type of activity, you may find yourself wanting to throw in the towel half way through the summer, due to boredom.

Use your time this summer to explore an assortment of activities and interests. Spend time doing what you love, but don't be afraid to try something new.

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Relax From Time To Time

As tempting as it might be to just go until you can't anymore, eventually you will run yourself into the ground. When you are planning out your summer schedule, make sure to set aside to let yourself relax and breathe. Taking a break is one of the best things you can do for yourself this summer.

Jess Loiterton Via Pexels

Don't Say Yes Too Quickly

If a new opportunity arises, before jumping in and saying yes immediately, take some time to think about whether you can devote time to this obligation. Do you have the time to devote yourself to a new commitment without having to take something else off your priority list?

Coordinate Schedules With Family And Friends

Spending time with family and friends often makes the top of the summer to-do list. If everyone is just as busy as you are, the only way to make sure you can spend time together is to coordinate schedules.

When you both have a few minutes, sit down and work out when you can do something together, even if you are just eating dinner together.

You could also work together with your friends or family to accomplish your to-do lists as a team.

Don't Take Your Time For Granted

You will only get to live this summer once. When you look back on this time years from now, you shouldn't have a pile of regrets because you didn't do what was important to you.

After we finish high school and college, there may not be as many opportunities to spend our summers having fun, because we will have to be "adults" for real.

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It's great to have a summer full of activities, because it means we'll not only stay busy, but have so many great memories later on. Remember to work hard but still, make time for the people you love, because they should be apart of those memories too.

Cassandra Stinger
50k+ pageviews

Writer since Jun, 2020 · 31 published articles

Cassandra Stinger is a journalist, aspiring author, and preschool teacher from central Kansas. When she's not writing or working, she can be found reading, cooking, or pursuing photography.

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