Whether you’re about to start high school or just graduated, there are plenty of ways to continue your education and better prepare yourself for the next school year. Every year when August comes around, students struggle to remember topics from the prior academic year and feel lost and behind in their classes that just began due to a relaxed summer schedule.
One of the easiest and more beneficial ways to utilize the material you just learned is getting a job. Entering the workforce allows you to apply the information you studied for the past 9 months and see firsthand how it is helpful in real-life situations. If possible, you should look for a job or internship in your prospective industry—this allows you to see if you enjoy the field and apply your knowledge while making some money.
Taking a course online or at a community college over the summer is another great way to get ahead in your studies or explore subjects that your high school may not provide you. By working ahead and expanding your knowledge you’re setting yourself up to differentiate yourself from your peers and find more niche topics that interest you. While exploring new topics, you will undoubtedly find connections between your prior and future classes as well.
Last, and probably the most important reason to continue your education between school years, is to fill in any gaps of knowledge that may have happened from working through chapters too quickly in large group settings. Going back through your coursework and reviewing topics can help you feel more confident when entering the next school year, but you must be honest with yourself and if there is any confusion write it down as a topic to study further. If you’re unable to figure something out, reach out to a friend (or favorite ESM mentor) to help work through specific topics.
Luckily, you’re not alone. Many people look to the summer as a time to grow as a person. Finding people with similar interests that make education fun and engaging will help encourage you to keep pushing yourself to be better too. So, instead of forgetting the math, grammar, or science topics you’ve just learned, put them to work and reinforce them in your memory.
