Summer break is here! Summer is a time for relaxing, sunbathing, and taking a hiatus from school. While a break from all the tests and due dates is nice, it’s still important to keep your brain stimulated during the summer months.
Not only will this help make the transition back to school easier in the fall, but it can also help you avoid boredom and feelings of laziness. Here are a few free, easy ways that will help keep your mind moving this summer!
1. Duolingo
If you have ever taken a foreign language class in school, you have probably heard of Duolingo. But if you haven’t, let me fill you in on this amazing resource! Duolingo is a program that allows you to learn just about any language you can think of via a series of interactive speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities.
To make the learning process fun, the program allows you to compete with other users based on how often and how well you practice. You can also build a daily streak and get prizes as you reach certain milestones. The best part of it all is that the program is free!
It’s available as a website and as an app for download on your phone, making it easy to keep up your streak on the go. Use your free time this summer to practice a language you’re already familiar with or pick up a completely new one. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn just by spending fifteen minutes a day on Duolingo!
2. SAT Preparation on Khan Academy
Depending on your age, this mode of learning may or may not be relevant to you. However, if you’re a rising sophomore or junior in high school, I recommend that you take advantage of this resource! Khan Academy is a reliable website and app that offers a free SAT preparation course. The course features numerous practice tests and daily practice questions that will help you feel totally prepared for both the PSAT and the SAT!
If you took the PSAT 10, you can put your scores into Khan Academy and the program will tailor your practice questions based on what you missed on the test. Unfortunately, Khan Academy does not offer an ACT preparation course. There are several other great online programs that do, but keep in mind that they will typically charge a fee. Overall, summer is a great time to prepare for and take college admissions tests!
3. Read
Reading is an amazing and entertaining way to stimulate your brain over the summer. Plus, if you take advantage of your local library, it’s completely free! One way to make reading a bit more fun is to start a book club with your friends. Have everybody read the same book and get together to discuss it. You could even have a costume party where everyone dresses up as a character from the book!
Another way to make reading more exciting is to choose a book that has been made into a movie. After you read the book, watch the movie and compare the two. You could even incorporate this idea into your book club! Whether you’re reading solo or with a group of friends, books offer endless amounts of free, educational, and relaxing entertainment.
4. Write
This is a simple option, but a great one nonetheless! If you enjoy writing, then I encourage you to set aside some time each day to pen a piece. It can be a poem, a short story, a research project. Anything you can think of. You could even try to write your own book over the summer and have it printed when school starts back!
If you’re not into creative writing, then you could make some time to journal each day and create a memory book of everything you did over the summer. Whatever way you do it, just getting some words on the page can be extremely beneficial to your brain!
There are several cost-free ways to get your brain moving over the summer months. I hope you’ve been inspired to pick up at least one of these practical learning methods, if not all of them. Whatever you choose, I hope you have fun and feel productive while doing it. Happy learning!
