Maximizing the Summer Slump: How to Make the Most of Studying During the Summer

Let’s face it, it’s hot outside. We’ve officially reached peak summer: there’s still enough time to savor the sunshine, but the start date of the school year is rapidly approaching, and the last thing most of us want to do is study for the SAT or ACT. Although unideal, the summertime actually proves useful and pivotal when studying for your upcoming exam. Here’s how to navigate the “Summer Slump” and maximize your time off to getting the test score you desire.

The Study Setup:

The environment where you choose to study affects your study results. Whether you prefer a quiet space, loud chatter, or even listening to LoFi beats on YouTube, your study setup matters. Pick a space, setup your materials, and start studying for intervals at a time. We all would rather be at the beach or catching up on our favorite tv shows during the summertime, but if you find a productive study spot and set aside an hour a day, then the summer will be an incredibly productive time for your test score.

The Schools:

Keep abreast of the schools you plan on applying to and ensure that you know their respective application date and deadlines. Some universities also require a supplemental essay asking “Why Us,” so use the summer to do some research on why you are interested in your specific schools. A couple of ways you can set your “Why Us” essay apart is by looking into specific school traditions, curriculum (majors, minors, professors, etc), by expressing how you can imagine yourself embracing all your future university has to offer in your own way. Find something you like about the city where the university is located or the overall school community and start your “Why Us” essay from there.

Another one of the major components of maximizing your summer is figuring out your common app essay. While this task can be daunting, it is important to remember to be authentic. Find a topic you resonate with and write. Putting words down a page, no matter how many times you start over is better than nothing at all, and the summer is a perfect place to start.

Below are the themes for the 2024-2025 Common App essay. Find one that resonates with you and write!

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

‍

The Standardized Test

One of the biggest ways to maximize your summer is to continue to study for your upcoming exam and the key to making the most of your summer is persistence and consistency with studying. Find a study schedule that works for you and remember: repetition; persistence; understanding. Let’s break them down:

• Repetition: Taking practice exams consistently and frequently will only help you to improve your score. The more you see the test, navigate the different sections, and keep doing them over and over again, you will instinctively know what to expect and will probably feel more prepared come test day.‍
• Persistence: The ACT and SAT aren’t not intended to be easy, sometimes you may get a score you weren’t expecting, but persistence and showing up frequently for the test and for yourself will only leave you feeling more confident.‍
• Understanding: Ensure that you understand which types of questions you frequently get wrong and practice those. These standardized tests are designed to trick you, but if you truly understand what the question is asking and the most effective way to achieve the answer, then there’s no stopping you.

The summertime is supposed to be restorative and fun.; it also should be a time where you can focus and set aside time and energy to studying for the SAT/ACT, reach out to Top Tutors so you can arrive on test day as your best, most prepared self.