Elementary Students:

  1. Learn Chess

Chess is an extremely beneficial game, helping teach a variety of skills. For example, you can learn sportsmanship by saying, “Good game!” after each match. The advanced planning used in chess can help you throughout life. And finally, playing chess increases several cognitive abilities, like fluid intelligence (the ability to consider new problems and solve them).

 

2. Practice a Sport

Enough exercise is important, and playing sports helps meet that requirement and also gives you a chance to have some fun! Whether it’s basketball, soccer, football, or something else, gather up some friends and have a good time! It doesn’t even have to be an organized sport; come up with your own ways to enjoy exercising.

 

3. Try Something New

It can be hard to find time during the school year, so summer is the perfect time to pursue something new. You can take up a sport, an artistic skill, or anything else. Focusing on something new can break the monotony and occupy your time.

 

Middle School Students:

1. Improve Your Vocabulary

Learning new words allows you to read more difficult books, understand more people, and even perform better on state-wide assessments. And don’t worry, there are countless websites and programs online to develop vocabulary skills!

 

2. Learn a Language

There is a good chance that knowing another language will come in handy. Maybe in high school, you have the chance to travel abroad, or international business will take you to a different country. Exploring another language is interesting and definitely worth knowing.

 

3. Improve Geography Skills

Geography is especially important because you should know where everything is, or at least have a general idea. Both local and international geography are important; knowing where the nearest grocery store can be helpful in day-to-day life, and the location of Switzerland can be used in school. 

 

High School Students:

  1. Learn Programming

If you plan on working in the STEM field please start this right now. With the power of computing expanding every day there are always jobs in computer science that would lead to many doors of opportunity and even if you are becoming an engineer it would be useful to at least understand how the code works as many jobs want people to work with computers rather than designing Jets or Cars.

 

2. Practice Public Speaking

Public Speaking is really a skill that will take you further than anything else because in our world we need more people who can clearly communicate with their fellow colleagues, students, and professors. An added bonus to public speaking would be getting higher positions in your job or even running for office as a mayor or even as the president; people are more likely to take you seriously if you are able to better communicate your ideas and express them in a way that helps them solve their problems.

 

3. Create Projects

Creating a Project is very useful for anyone for whatever field you’re going into. It shows colleges that you are productive and passionate; and to employees that you have a background in your field and know what you are talking about. Examples of some good projects could be; Creating RC planes, CSS website design, Arranging a Mission trip to combat the spread of malaria.

 

  1. Study for the SAT,AP and even the classes ahead

Studying for the SAT as early as possible will give you a leg up above everyone else because you will end up spending a lot more time plus you don’t have to stress about it the same way everyone else who didn’t study earlier will. This should also apply for AP and Calculus, because of the intensity of it is important that you study earlier so that you can stay ahead of your peers.

 

4. Get Competitive

If you find something you love and are really good at it please don’t waste it, get started with a competition. It will help you in today’s college admissions and job market as competing or even winning might be the difference between getting a job at Google.

 

Recommended competitions for high schoolers:

  • Math Olympiad
  • USACO
  • Texas Novice State Tournament
  • DECA
  • Congressional  App or Artistic competition 

These are just some that are well known but do what you do best because that is what will set you apart from everyone. 

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