LIFE

When the final bell rang on the last day of school, you probably skipped down the hall with your hands in the air and made a mental checklist of the million and one things you wanted to do this summer. You couldn’t wait to start tackling those ideas because learning was the *last* thing on your mind. After all, catching a concert totally beats cleaning out your locker!

But we’re in the dog days of summer now. Mornings are hot, afternoons are humid and there’s a good chance that your hopeful list disappeared weeks ago. We know how you feel – the blazing sun can make it pretty hard to focus. Want to wake up your vacay mind? Here’s 7 ways to refresh your summer routine. 

Tour a museum

Saying that museums have so much to offer is the understatement of the century. There are *tons* of things to see and learn! Every exhibit is a lesson, and some even have interactive features that allow you to get hands-on with whatever’s on display. If you’re new to the scene, then the American Alliance of Museums has a cool feature that locates museums in your area.

Sharpen your chef skills

Homemade snacks are delish. However, making them can be as much fun as eating them. Cooking and baking are awesome things to do over the summer because both require math. You may not have to crunch huge numbers in order to whip up a yummy treat, but there’s still enough adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing involved to keep you on your toes. Amp up the difficulty by figuring out how much of each ingredient you’d need if you doubled a recipe or cut it in half. 

Job shadow

Being stuck at home while your parents head to work is a drag. Instead of spending yet another afternoon on the couch, why not go on-the-clock with your mom or dad? Job shadowing will give you a preview of what your life might be like once it’s no longer filled with homework and tests. You’ll get a firsthand look at a work environment, and, if you like what you see, it could open the door for a future career path.

Become a writer

Writing is great for your brain and really gets your creative juices flowing. Unfortunately, not knowing what to write about can drive you nuts. Don’t let writer’s block keep you from being the next J.K. Rowling! Lucky for you, there are entire websites dedicated to giving you starting points for your stories. The Story Starter, Jr. has a super easy story starter generator. Use it to find the perfect opening sentence.

Go geocaching

Give Pokémon Go a break and check out the treasure hunt that was around way before you could catch a Magikarp at the mall. Geocaching is an outdoor adventure game. As a player, you’ll use your cell phone to track down a set of GPS coordinates. The location will be home to a hidden geocache container. It’s free, you can team up with your friends and doing it will make you feel so map-savvy.

Start an online class

This isn’t your average summer school. A Massive Open Online Course is an online class that’s offered to an unlimited number of students. Many MOOCs are created by top colleges and universities (Harvard! Johns Hopkins! Yale!), and you don’t even have to pay to register. They cover everything from songwriting to environmental science. Nervous about taking a college course? There’s no obligation to finish or pass, so feel free to sample as many classes as you’d like.

Get (and stay) active

Finally, focus is made possible by fitness. Getting your mind back on track will be a lot easier if you work out regularly and fill your plate with healthy eats. First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative is a nice source of inspiration for exercise and nutrition ideas. Find what works for you, stick with it and show these dog days that you’re the real top-dog! 

What have you done to stay focused this summer?

by Megan Sawey | 7/20/2016