Here at Emerson, we embrace the warm summer months in Boston as the perfect time to reset, relax, and, perhaps, begrudgingly, prepare for the upcoming semester. We know we all cringe at back-to-school commercials in July, but the slower summer pace is the ideal time to get organized and set yourself up for success. Whether you are just beginning your grad school journey or entering your final year, this list of tips will help you strike the balance between remaining rested and productive, and helping you feel more prepared come September.
Practice Your Commute to School
Whether you’ll be traveling to Emerson’s campus from home or work, summer is a great time to test the best route to get here and avoid any stress on the first day of class. We recommend trying different methods as well. See which MBTA T-line gets you here the fastest, or consider whether walking or taking a bus might be more efficient. It’s even better to know multiple ways to get here so unexpected closures or delays don’t lead to last-minute scrambling. Remember: since many graduate classes start at 6 PM, give yourself extra time to commute through rush hour traffic!
Organize Your Work Space
Set up a designated space in your apartment or home where you can focus and do your school work. Most importantly, be sure it’s somewhere other than your bed! Studies show that doing work in bed can not only affect your productivity, but impact the quality of your sleep. And as busy grad school students, we need as much restorative sleep as we can get! Whether you’re working from a desk, kitchen table, or comfortable chair, try to make the space your own. Add a low-maintenance succulent plant, a motivational poster or note, or even a piece of school work that you’re particularly proud of.
By making a conscious effort to carve out a designated space to work, you’ll be ready for days of reading, writing, and other homework—and you might even be excited to settle into your special space to do it!
Prepare for the Job Search
We all know that applying for jobs can feel like its own full-time job in itself! The process can be daunting and overwhelming, and when we’re trying to balance class, homework, jobs, and social plans during the school year, applying for jobs or internships can be the last thing we have energy for. Although it may feel like a drag, summertime is actually the perfect time to prepare for the job search.
Make an appointment with Emerson’s Career Development Center and explore all the opportunities Handshake, Emerge, and LinkedIn have to offer. Make a list of websites you want to check frequently for new job postings. Personally, I like to keep a spreadsheet with each company’s name, the position title, job description, and the application deadline. This practice helps me avoid missing important information and lets me refer back to a job description if it disappears from a company’s website. If you want to take it a step further, you can color-code your spreadsheet based on where you are in the process (applied, interviewing, accepted, rejected, etc.).
Do the Tasks You Always Put Off
Do you have a running to-do list of little tasks that never seem to get done? This summer, open the windows to let in some fresh air, put on an upbeat playlist, and knock those items off the list. Take time to clear out your email inbox, unsubscribing from companies that send one too many sales alerts. Add your new class schedule to your online calendar, and create new folders on your computer’s File Explorer for the upcoming semester. In the same vein, clean out your downloads folder, creating space for the inevitable hundreds of readings you’ll download for class. Update your LinkedIn profile with new positions or skills you gained since the end of the spring semester. And to prepare for your best back-to-school wardrobe, go through your closet and donate clothes you no longer wear. You just might donate someone’s new favorite first-day-of-school outfit!
Take a Much Needed Mental Health Break
And finally, enjoy the summer for all that it is! Although it’s last on our tip guide, making time for relaxation should be at the top of your summer priority list. Don’t feel guilty for taking time to slow down; you don’t have to be productive every second of the day! Living in a vibrant place like Boston, the warm months bring a myriad of fun activities, and we can sometimes feel the pressure to be busy all the time.
It’s great to take advantage of the city’s free outdoor workout classes or all the amazing festivals, but “making the most of it” can also mean laying in the sun with a good book, hitting up one of Boston’s amazing beaches, or even trying a new local ice cream spot and then staying in to binge-watch a new TV show (are you Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad?). Resting your mind before September is one of the most important things we can do to prepare for the fall semester.
Let us know what your favorite way is to prepare for a new school year! It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, hopeful, anxious, or everything in between. We couldn’t be more excited to have our grad students back on Emerson’s campus in a few weeks!
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