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As your final year in high school comes to a close, it’s only natural to start procrastinating and taking things a little too easy. After all, summer’s just around the corner and it won’t be that long before you’re packing your bags and heading off to college, right?

Unfortunately, adopting this mindset is an easy way to fall behind and derail your post-graduation plans. If you’d rather not fall prey to this scenario, take some time to look over these tips and tricks for beating the final semester blues and keeping your dreams on track.

Figure Out Your Time Management Plan

First on the list is dropping the distractions that currently surround you and refocusing on the task at hand. As Lindsey Mayfield of U.S. News and World Report notes, this process is all about prioritizing what’s really important during this crucial time.

Now, this isn’t to say that you have to completely give up your social life and bury your head in a book until it’s time to walk across the graduation stage and accept your diploma. Quite the contrary, actually. Instead, learning to manage your time well and handling educational duties first means that you can truly enjoy your downtime with friends and family while staying on top of homework and other responsibilities.

Gauge Your Status

If you’re finding it hard to muster up enough motivation to get back into the swing of things, it might be time for a healthy dose of reality to put your situation back into perspective. Specifically, Mayfield suggests a little one-on-one chat with a teacher or a guidance counselor as a way to put this plan in motion.

It might seem a little scary initially, but you’re much better off facing any potential issues or roadblocks as soon as possible. In doing so, you’ll have the insight and information needed to formulate an effective plan that snaps you back into shape before it’s time for teachers to submit final grades.  

Create a “To Do” List

On a lighter note, taking some time to create a summer “to do” list for after graduation is a fun exercise that helps keep your eyes on the prize and makes these final few weeks of school far more manageable. Whether you incorporate goals like buying supplies for your dorm room or planning a summer trip with friends, the key is to use your list as a way to tether your current responsibilities to future rewards.

Work as a Team

Speaking of friends, Larry Ferlazzo of the George Lucas Educational Foundation points out that sometimes, it’s easier to reenergize a waning interest in school by enlisting the help of others. In fact, this tactic is a great way to get your entire social circle back up to speed if these fellow students are also feeling the final semester blues.

It is important to note that these meetings and collaborations can be counterproductive – or even destructive – if your group lets distractions sneak back into the picture. However, if you’re able to stay on task and share goals, ideas, and motivation with one another, then getting together regularly and making these meetings a part of your routine as you approach graduation can reignite your desire to do the right thing in a big way.

Set up some Incentives

If all else fails, there’s nothing wrong with laying out a few incentives to help kick start the push to the end of the year. Whether you give yourself something little for each milestone or accomplishment, or you have a major prize waiting when you cross the proverbial finish line, the idea remains the same: incentivizing key milestones in your final semester can bolster your motivation significantly and leave you with tangible rewards.

At the end of the day, there’s no single method or strategy for beating the blues that come with your final days in high school. Fortunately, with these tips and tricks leading the way, you now have the tools you need to craft a plan that not only overcomes these hurdles, but also matches your unique needs and concerns.

About the Author:

At PrestigeTracker.com, Joy Miller reviews and researches accredited colleges and universities offering reputable online degrees and classes.