It’s that exciting time of year again. Exams are finished, assessments are submitted, friends are jet-setting off on their annual summer holidays and family are planning the Christmas barbeque. Summer is around the corner and it feels like there is no better time to wind down from study mode, focus on work and catch up on some well-deserved rest.
For those of us taking on a summer subject, November comes around with an email from ‘noreply-interact2@csu.edu.au’. It lets us know the first module has been uploaded for the summer subject you’re studying – the one you forgot about fleetingly during your post-Session 2 bliss.
If you’re studying a summer subject, here are five tips to help you survive Session 3 study.
Plan your time
Go easy on yourself for the first couple of weeks while you work out which subjects require more study time and what your assessments are to help you fit study into your daily routine. Allocate one subject per day and try to leave weekends free to spend time with friends, family or doing things you enjoy. If you work full-time, give yourself one night off a week to watch a movie or go on date night.
Don’t forget your social life
While it may seem like all your friends, family or work colleagues are soaking up the sun somewhere exotic, don’t let summer study stop you from enjoying life too! Make time to indulge a little with the people in your life, it’ll make you feel less left out and gives you the chance for a change of scenery. Besides, you can always write that accounting report tomorrow!
Remember why you’re doing it
Maybe you failed a subject last session? Maybe you started mid-year and are trying to catch up? Or maybe that elective you really wanted to study was only offered in Session 3? Whatever the reason, remember why you’re doing it and this will be your motivation.
Be engaged in your learning
You might receive a Snapchat from your best friend at the beach, your husband on a boy’s weekend or your sister visiting the Eiffel Tower, so snap back a shot of your progress on your psychology assessment! Tell people what you’ve learnt and look for ways to engage with your learning. If you’re studying environmental sciences, join a nature conservation group or if you have a passion for theatre media, get involved with the local theatre company so you can actively enjoy your study.
Treat it like any other session
Sure, you may not be driving to class every day, listening to a lecture, then retreating to the library to re-write notes, but studying a summer subject doesn’t need to feel so difficult. Treat summer session the same as any other semester at uni – because really, it is!
No matter what point you are at in your degree, summer study can sometimes make you feel like you’re missing out. But embrace it because when February comes around you’ll have another one (or more) subjects to cross of your list!
