With the school year a thing of the past, it’s finally time to kick back, relax and enjoy some sleeping in.

While summer is great for the much-needed break from tests and grades, I’ve also found that it’s a great time to get ready for the next school year. You might not want to think about school starting again, but by doing a little bit over the summer to prepare for next year, it makes returning to school less stressful when it does happen.

Just before the end of the year, my school had an event where we learned about how to make the most of our summer to help us be more prepared for the future. Summer can and should still be full of fun, but some of these things can help you have an easier school year.

Time for service

One thing that you can do during the summer is service projects. Many scholarships require service hours, and it can also be an important part of college applications.

No matter how far away college may seem, the more service hours you track, the better. The summer is a great time to do service because you don’t have school or homework to worry about. Service projects can be really fun and are always great because they help someone in need.

There are many service projects all around. In your neighborhood they might include doing yard work for a neighbor, babysitting kids in the area or offering to take care of pets while people go on vacation. Community centers, animal shelters, food pantries and more may also be looking for help and can be a great place to volunteer.

Study a little

Another way to use your summer is to do test prep. For those of us in high school, the ACT is very important. By simply doing a few math problems a week or reviewing vocab, you not only review for the test but also create a habit of studying that will continue as the test gets closer.

The studying does not need to be intense either — answering a few practice questions is better than answering none. Doing this also keeps the material in your brain so you can avoid the “summer slump” of not remembering that so many of us are familiar with.

Take a class

Finally, the community is filled with opportunities to grow your strengths, both academic and otherwise. Many colleges, including Weber State University and the University of Utah, offer summer programs. Likewise, school districts and other groups offer similar programs.

These programs cover many areas of interest. This means that you are bound to find something that you would enjoy. You can strengthen your skills in certain areas or just learn more about a topic. It’s a great way to spend your summer and the opportunity to help build skills and find hobbies will help you for your whole life.

College websites usually have a special page for summer programs. You can search these pages to find a program that interests you, and many schools have information or packets about them as well. For example, this year, Weber State University is offering camps about medicine, coding, welding, leadership and various sports. Brigham Young University has many camps about dance while the University of Utah offers a lot of STEAM-focused camps. These are just the beginning of what’s out there.

Summer is a time off from school that we all deserve. However, if you want to get ahead of the game and be even more prepared for next year, it’s the perfect time to get a head start!

Annie Roe will be a junior this fall at Ogden High School. She enjoys theater, reading and watching romantic comedies. She can be contacted at annie.roe25@gmail.com.