LIFE

It's back to school szn, bb! You may be thrilled to finally rock your cutest back-to-school fits and get your study game on. Or you may be dreading the first day (we've *all* been there).

If you had summer reading or homework to do, odds are you still have some left to finish. Don't feel bad if you've been too busy to get to it. So many of us have summer classes, jobs or volunteering, which means summer work just has to wait until August. If you've been procrastinating on it, there's probably a good reason!

But if you haven't even started The Grapes of Wrath yet, or you have 100+ AP Spanish vocab words to learn...don't stress! Here are our top tips for tackling your work on a time crunch before school starts.

Step 1: Make a plan

@studynotesbyjen

300 pages left of a book, dozens of math review questions and an essay left to write—it can get overwhelming! If you're faced with several summer tasks, your best bet is to make a complete list of everything you need to do.

Having everything you need to do organized in one place will help you stay on track and make sure you don't forget anything. Meanwhile, checking something off of a to-do list has been proven to send your brain a little hit of dopamine. The more you get done, the more motivated you'll be to keep going.

Step 2: Break a task into smaller parts

@clarasdesktop

Got an entire book to read before the first day of school? Getting all that reading done will feel much less daunting if you focus on reading one chapter or section at a time, giving yourself short breaks in between.

Ditto for an essay. Start with an outline (if you're an outline kind of writer), then write one or two paragraphs at a time. Breaking up your jobs, no matter how huge, will make them seem so much more manageable and possible. 

Step 3: Delegate

@morgan_bsn22

When you're drowning in work before the first day, don't be afraid to reach out for help if you need it! While your parents can't do your math problems for you, def let friends and family know that you're feeling overwhelmed with summer assignments. They can help you clear your schedule of other obligations or even plan a fun last-day-of-summer celebration when you're all done.

The same goes for online resources. There is a wealth of YouTube and Khan Academy videos that can teach you a wide range of topics, so absolutely do a Google search if you need help doing a certain kind of algebra problem or understanding the themes of a book. While we don't recommend not doing the reading yourself (there may be an in-class essay or test on the smaller details), reading an online summary of a book can help you get a better understanding of the plot and themes before you do your own analysis.

Step 4: Don't give up!

@noemi.papers

Every student knows what it's like to have a pile of homework creep up, and you are *so* not alone if you're stressing about finishing it all. It can be a downright awful feeling to know that time is ticking away before school starts, but the best way to get through the work is to dive in with a clear head.

No matter what, you're far from the last student who still has summer work to do. If you buckle down in the days before school starts, we know you'll get it done. When you do, make sure to celebrate with a little back-to-school treat.

What are your best tips for last-minute summer assignments? Let us know on IG @girlslifemag!

Looking for more BTS advice? Check out these other GL articles:
📚 5 things to do this summer to make the back-to-school season less stressful
🎒 Back-to-school outfits based on our fave albums of 2023
🏫 5 storage hacks to elevate your dorm room

Slider image: @sun.daze18
Top image: @storiesforcoffee
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by Ava Slocum | 8/15/2023