Lily Huynh/ The Cougar

After a semester of assignments, study sessions, exams and all-nighters, summer break gives students a well-deserved break.

However, while the break is essential, keeping a balance during the summer vacation is key to staying productive and ready for the upcoming school semester.

Here are a few tips to help stay productive during this summer break.

Self-care

It is important to practice self-care after working on tough deadlines and due dates. Getting enough rest during the night is a necessity. Students should aim to get eight hours of sleep each night.

Setting this goal during summer will help keep up the routine during the fall semester, which will ultimately help students stay energized and focused for lectures and assignments.

Exercising regularly is useful for combating stress and anxiety. Studies show that exercise improves studying directly and indirectly by stimulating the release of chemicals in the brain and improving mood and sleep.

The Recreation and Wellness Center at UH gives students access to rock climbing, a variety of workout machines and personal training sessions even during summer break.

Make the most out of downtime

Students can use their downtime to explore different things such as new podcasts, books, journals and magazines to expand their knowledge and horizon on major or personal interests.

This will help students stay focused and motivated to move towards their goal, and also give an opportunity to try out things which they were not able to during the school year.

This is also a great time to catch-up and spend time with family and old friends. Students can go out for a brunch or organize a family-friendly day out.

Summer internships, jobs

A summer internship is a great way for students to stay on track and put the skills learned in the classroom to good use. Its also a great opportunity to take the first step towards a desired career.

Whether the internship includes a salary or not, it is useful to gain work experience and a great addition for résumés.

Summer jobs, aside from earning extra income, help students develop useful skills needed in the workforce, such as multitasking and problem-solving.

Regardless of what kind of job or internship it is, the skills developed serve as building blocks for future careers.

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“Keeping the flow: Here’s how to stay in rhythm during summer break” was originally posted on The Cougar