So for most college students, the spring semester has ended, hopefully with good grades and positive vibes. It is easy to hop into your summer break and break routine, I mean, who doesn’t? (Congrats to you if you are one of the few that manage to stay incredibly productive no matter what.) Heading into my last year of my undergrad, and having only worked my first serious job this past summer, I have found that staying on some type of schedule can have dramatically positive effects for your overall productivity throughout the summer. Previously, I woke up at all hours of the morning, had pretty relaxed days with little priorities or commitments, and had what many people would consider a dream summer, and yes, many times I miss just sitting on the beach all day, getting a tan and splashing in the waves, but I found myself dreading to go back to school, even though I go to a music program and get to study what I love every single day. This past summer, I picked up a waitressing job that kept me on a steady schedule, working 6-12 hours a day, between 11 am and 11 pm. Before that, I treated summer as a serious time to download my thoughts and relax. Yes, waking up every morning at the same time sometimes killed me, but I found the transition back into the fall semester to be much more of a breeze, and my overall stress was kept at bay, because I was already used to an “earlier” schedule that kept many simple tasks and responsibilities engrained. I am not saying your summer schedule has to remain as rigorous as your academic year schedule, in fact, it might be best to give your “brain a drain,” and have some much deserved off/relax time, but you might thank yourself later, when school comes around again and you have to return to the many commitments required of you, on a daily basis. For me, this summer, I gave myself 10 days off, am going to a summer music “internship” of sorts, and when I return I will work at my job for the remainder of the summer break. Thoughts?