As spring break has passed and our notions of a week off are replaced with dreams of summer, we must remember that the most crucial part of the high school year remains to carry out in the next several weeks. Luckily, the pieces of the season which tempt us to ditch endless homework and overbearing study time are just the resources that can aid us in staying on top of our grades for a few weeks more. If we use our organizational skills to manage spring time studying, our outdoor mental health to motivate our efforts, and our active physical health to provide an incentive for school success, we can turn spring slacking into a recipe for accomplishment.

Organizational skills aid spring time studying in that they help to reduce stress. Before we can venture into the wild unknown of our backyards after a winter of indoor isolation, we must prepare our materials. In order to make the most of daylight and provide ourselves breaks for our personal lives (though sometimes it seems school does not allow such an atrocity), we should divide our homework into two categories. Homework and studying that does not require a computer can be done outside in the sunshine, while computer work can be stored away for a later, much darker hour of laboring. We should be mindful that, despite teenage exhaustion, bright screens do affect our ability to fall asleep. Just as bright lights are often implemented by parents to wake children in the morning, their smaller counterparts in teenage technology can also work at the brain to alert it at nighttime. Therefore, computer work should be completed at least an hour before bedtime. Also, we can plan to complete computer tasks in between outdoor stays, all the while reapplying the suntan lotion and water bottles, which will be addressed next. Spacing out studying gives your brain time to relax, and chewing off tiny tidbits at a time make the overall burden lesser. Finally, it is important to organize all of our outside studying materials to efficiently get our building-warped bodies outside. Essential to outdoor studying is sunscreen (a sunhat or sunglasses allow for additional sun protection), water, “outdoor” homework (we can leave the rest inside to keep us from becoming overwhelmed), and items for recreation in between study sessions (music, camera, etc.).

Moreover, our Southeast’s heartwarming heat and beautiful natural setting during the spring months can also serve as a tool for academic endeavors through its benefit to our mental health. With AP tests and finals on their merry way, finding our perfect study environment is as crucial as ever. Though it can seem monotonous wherever its setting, studying in a peaceful environment with plenty of room to breathe seems to aid the mind in comprehending the material. In fact, research finds that being outdoors in a natural setting aids our brains’ functioning. Moreover, conditions such as anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit disorders are worsened by being indoors (PsychCentral). Imagine what the added pressure of schoolwork would do to an already unhealthy indoor mind! Whenever we feel bogged down with accumulating minutes of schoolwork or lose our focus due to crossed eyes on paper, we can easily transition into relaxingly walking around outdoors, listening to music, taking pictures of nature around us, or laying back in the sunlight and simply closing our eyes to reap the full benefits of nature.

In addition to our mental health, our physical health can give us reason to take advantage of the outdoor study space. Studying outside can make a water bottle the perfect companion to studiers. Not only does hydration support our functioning, but it contains many unrealized benefits. Also, the concept of a healthy, well-earned tan to wrap up the school year and initiate the summer should motivate any high-school teenager to get outside and get to studying. We must be mindful of the sun’s threat to our health and wear a hat should our heads become too hot, apply and reapply ample amounts of sunscreen, and drink plenty of water. Also, direct physical health can be addressed with a play date with our pets or a quick sports game between subjects.

The final stretch to home base and another unforgettable high school summer can seem the most oppressive and tedious of all school weeks. In reality, however, this is the easiest time for us to remain on top of our studies. If we make use of our idealistic Southern backyards and springtime weather, we can guarantee a less stressful ride to summertime. Our organizational skills, mental quality of life, and physical health depend on these actions.

Works Cited

• Nauhert, Rick PhD. “Going Green Benefits Physical, Mental Health.” PyschCentral. 20 April 2011.    PsychCentral. 28 March 2014. http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/04/20/going-green-benefits-physical-mental-health/25492.html