The summer is the perfect opportunity for rising seniors to get a head start and prepare for all of the important tasks coming up during the next school year! Ask any senior, and they will tell you the fall of senior year is the worst. Here’s a list of something to do every day to ensure success in this upcoming school year.

June 18 – Clean out your Google Drive! At the end of the school year, your drive gets cluttered with lots of school work that is no longer needed. It is the perfect time to restart your drive with only the necessary work. You can drag all of the previous school year’s work into its own folder. Make sure you don’t unenroll on Classroom, or your teachers won’t be able to grade any of the work you turned in.

June 19– Now that school is out, your mom is really starting to bug you. Since school is out, you have plenty of time to apply for a summer internship or an internship for the upcoming school year. Internships are a great way to stand out on college applications and for you to get a taste of a career you are interested in.

June 20– The summer is the perfect time to check out colleges you’re interested in. Scheduling college visits is a great way to look at colleges and help you figure out which college is right for you. During the school year, college visits can be difficult because usually you have to miss school. However, during the summer it gives you a stress-free way to start thinking about which school you want to attend. An easy school to visit is University of Maryland. Visiting UMD can give you a starting point in deciding what you like, and don’t like about certain colleges. Sophomore Ethan Hart is planning to visit an ample amount of colleges this summer.

He said, ¨Taking the time to visit colleges not only helps your figure out what colleges you do and don’t like, but it also helps you decide what atmosphere fits you the best.¨

June 21 – The SATs play a crucial role in your acceptance into college. They can be very challenging, and you might not always get the score you hoped for. However, the summer is a great time to start working on raising you score. Khan Academy has a great SAT study tool that is free to use. Just ten more minutes a day can make the difference. Get studying!

June 22 – Having a large amount of volunteer hours on your resume can help you stand out next to other applicants. There are plenty of ways to obtain more hours by helping out in the community. Check online for volunteer options in our community. This website in particular can provide you with ideas of where to volunteer.

June 25 – Join the FCPL summer book club. Reading throughout the summer can help you keep up your reading skills, while having fun. The Frederick County Public Libraries have excellent summer reading programs for high schoolers! Here is a link to all the programs the FCPL libraries have.

June 26- Fall sports are starting sooner than you think. To be the most prepared you can be, start conditioning. Make sure you attend any informal summer practices.

June 27th- College can be very expensive, so it is a great idea to get a summer job. Even if your parents are paying for college, you are going to want spending money. It is time to save money for college. If you don’t have a job buy now some ideas include, babysitting, cutting neighbor’s lawns, driving young kids places, or even become a dog walker. Make a flyer to advertise your skills and the job you´re interested in.

June 28th- The best way to be prepared for college, is to talk to current college students about their experience. They might be able to give you an insight to college you haven´t heard as well as give you important tips.

June 29 – A great way to prepare for the SATs or ACTs is to get the SAT prep app or the ACT prep app. These apps give you one question a day that is similar to the ones you will see on test day.

June 30 – Send a postcard from vacation to a family member! Little things like these can mean a lot to someone. 

July 1- Your major can play a large role in deciding where to attend college. Look up which colleges have the major you are interested in. Naviance is a great tool for you college search. Naviance has a search bar that allows students to type in the major their interested in, and a list of colleges will appear.

July 2nd- You have been out of school for almost three weeks now, it’s time to get your brain moving again! Get a brain training app for your cell phone. These apps can help increase your sharpness as well as keeping your brain up to speed. Some brain apps include, Elevate, Peak, and Lumosity.

July 3rd- Time to study for the SATs. Studying once every week will increase the chances of you getting the score you hoped. For example, junior Rachel Morin spent time last summer studying for the SATs and got an SAT tutor.

She stated, ¨I think putting time in to study for the SATs helped me get closer to getting the score I want. I also think that studying for the SATs helped keep my brain active and prepared me for my intense junior year. ¨

July 4th- Today is Independence Day. Read articles about this very important day in history.

July 5th- AP Scores are coming out soon. Start checking College Board to be ready for your scores.

July 6th- Subscribe to news in a slow language. This is a great way to brush up on your language skills as well as possibly learning a new language. Type in news in slow spanish (or insert the language you´re interested in) in the app store, and an app for this will appear.

July 9th- Update your Naviance with new college ideas and plans as well as activities you enjoy doing. Complete your senior survey.

July 10th- In order to be eligible to play sports in college, it is important that you register with NCAA. This is the perfect time to check that off your to-do list.

July 11th- Now that school is over, it’s time to check with your counselor to make sure you have all of your graduation requirements. It is very easy to forget to take a required class, so before the school year starts make sure you have them all. A great way to do this is to email your counselor or check Naviance to look at all of the classes you have taken, and what you still need to.

July 12th- Now that you´ve started your conditioning, it’s time to beat the crowd to get your fall sports physical. You can not try out for fall sports without it. Fall sports are only four weeks away.

July 13th- I bet now that it’s the middle of summer you´re running out of things to do! Time to get cleaning! Doing a deep clean of your bedroom, or maybe other places in your house is a great way to feel refreshed and productive, as well as please your mom.

July 16th- Before the teachers go back to school, now is your time to ask if they´d be willing to write a college recommendation letter for you. At the beginning of the school year, the teachers are going to be swamped with recommendation letters. Now is the time to ask.

July 17th- Getting a summer book from the library is a perfect way to counteract your boredom! Head out to the nearest library today!

July 18th- Our community has many scholarships their willing to give out that many people don’t apply for. Make a list of all the available scholarships to apply for when it´s time.

July 19th- Time to do your weekly study for the SATs!

July 20th- It’s very easy to forget the important math skills you’ve previously learned. Going on Khan Academy is a great way to brush up on your math skills before you´re expected to remember them in school.

July 23rd- College application essays can be very challenging. Many people struggle coming up with experiences to write about. Check out college application essay prompts and start thinking of ideas to write about. You can also create an outline or talk to a grandparent for ideas.

July 24th- Time management skills can be difficult. During the school year, it’s easy to get behind in school, due to a lack of time management. The summer is the perfect opportunity to work on that! Start waking up earlier or even at the same time each day and using each day to be productive.

July 25th- After receiving your AP test scores, it’s time to send them out to colleges! If you feel confident in your scores, colleges would love to see them.

July 26th- Many college programs require certain courses to be accepted. Look at college programs to be positive you have everything you need to apply. If necessary, talk to your counselor to change your schedule. Talking to your counselor could take time, make an appointment today.

July 27th- It’s time to study for the SAT again.Maybe it’s even time to pick up an SAT Prep book at the nearest book store. SAT prep books are known to increase SAT scores immensely.

July 30th through August 3rd- You deserve a break. With all this prepping for school I’m positive you´re ready for a week of just fun. Get outside and get moving. If you´re looking for places to be outside, fun, outdoor activities in Frederick County include, going to Lake Linganore, go to Baker Park, walk around Downtown Frederick or visit Monocacy National Battlefield. If you´re looking for things to do in the air conditioning, some places include, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, the Barbara Fritchie House, the Roads and Rails Museum, or see a show at the Weinberg Center.

August 6th- With school coming up soon, you´re and your parents are going to be surrounded by things to do. Now is your time to talk to your parents for college advice. Your parents went through this all at one point and will be able to help you through this stressful time.

August 7th- It’s time to beat the rush and get your school supplies! School starts in a little less than a month. Buying your school supplies now will ensure that the stores have everything you need, and that you can buy them on sale. By this point, you don’t need to wait for a school supply list. You know what you need.

August 8th- Many students find high school to be the most fun when you’re involved. Start looking for ways to be involved in school, like joining clubs or a sports team.

August 9th- SAT study time. Did you know that SAT prep can increase your score between 100 and 400 points?

August 10th- Now that you´ve received your school schedule, it´s time to email your teachers. Emailing your future teachers is a great way to start the school year on a positive note. Having a strong relationships with your teachers is a great way to ensure that you will have an awesome year.

August 13th- Where your college is located, and the size of the college can play a huge role in your overall decision. Start looking at which region and general size of the school is for you.

August 14th- Check to see which colleges accept AP scores. Some colleges don’t accept  AP scores, but if they do, it is a great way to get a head start on your classes. If you´re planning to enroll in an AP course, starting looking up information relevant to the course topic and begin studying. You can even watch a related movie,

August 15th- To ensure success in this upcoming school year, it is crucial to have strong organization skills! You can work on these by organizing your room and organizing your school supplies for this year!

August 16th- Once again, it’s your weekly study time for the SATs!

August 17th- The acceptance rate of a college can give you an idea if you will be accepted. Look at the acceptance rate for colleges your interested in to be sure the college is for you. Naviance can use your standardized tests scores and your GPA to give you an idea if you will be accepted or not.

August 20th- Extracurriculars are a perfect way to ensure that your college experience will be fun, but also filled with learning. Extracurriculars are also a great way to meet new people. Look up the extracurricular activities you can get involved in at the colleges you´re interested in. You can even contact a student who is currently in an extracurricular you´re interested in. They can give you an idea if the activity is for you.

August 21st- The first day of school can be intimidating. Walking your schedule can be a great way to feel cool and confident on your first day.

August 22nd- Your bus might be coming at a different time this year. It’s very important that you look up your bus route to make sure you´re ready on the first day.

August 23rd- It’s your last SAT study time of the summer. Get working!

August 24th- If you haven’t kept in touch with old friends, it’s the perfect time to reach out and check to see if you have any classes. Finding a friend in each of your classes,  is the perfect way to relieve stress on the first day.

August 27th-31st- This is the last week before school starts. Take this time to relax, go to bed early, and get any last minute things ready for the start of school. Have an amazing year filled with lots of learning and excitement.