Having school in the summer sounds like a bad idea — with vacations, work and relationships, how do we manage it?

The key is to constantly motivate yourself and if you haven’t clued into that now, you’d better start. Think about how good it’ll feel to raise your grade point average or get ahead of your fall schedule by tackling a class or two with ease. Yes, you could be spending the entire summer on a beach somewhere tropical with friends, but getting your ducks in a row could be the next step towards your future.

Our professors understand that not every general education course will be a part of our career and that some classes are required to take — the key is to try your best, stay motivated and always ask for help.

Set goals for yourself

Since the summer semester is halfway over, it’s best to have a good idea of where you stand in your courses. Set goals from now until the end of the summer session for where you want to end up in the course, and meet with your professors to figure out how to ensure that happens. If you’re taking an online course, take it upon yourself to re-read the syllabus to see that you’re right on track for your summer goal.

Stay organized

If you haven’t already curated a plan to do summer homework, it’s not too late to build one. Getting organized is crucial for a successful summer school year. It’s hard to have a summer break when you’re still in school, but both are achievable when you handle your school work well. Set aside certain days for school, do your work and stick to it. Don’t let your work, significant others or anyone deviate you from that plan.

Ask for help

Because it’s mid-summer there’s no turning back on your courses, so if you need help from someone who either took the course before or is an expert in the field, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Having people in your life that want to help you succeed will alleviate the stress of summer school and motivate you to try harder to reach your set goal. It’s not too late to ask for help. Whether you’re a taking an intense summer journalism law class as I am and need to meet to call your older brother who once endured NIU Law School for an occasional definition or two, or simply fulfilling general education courses and have to ask your roomates, ask for help in times of need.