Imagine the summers of your youth — days off from school, playing games or going to the beach, even flying to another state or country. These warm, nostalgic days evoke the carefreeness of childhood.
Right now, instead of carefree, most of the people reading this article are preoccupied. Enough has been said about the struggle for college students and recent college graduates to find stable employment, but our existential struggle has infected the summertime. The months leading up to May are occupied with internship and job hunts, or convoluted to-do lists about all the things we’ll (hopefully) get done to stay ahead of the game.
It’s tempting to view the ‘days off’ of summer as vaguely-defined workdays instead. That’s the case for many, myself included. But how do we draw the boundaries between productivity and relaxation? When should we put the laptops away, rub our eyes and head outside?
The answer, as with many things, depends on who you are and what you intend to do in your future. But there are some ways, at least, that one can maintain a degree of a work-life balance over the summer, both as a means of relaxation and as a chance to make some firm steps toward the future. I hope to demonstrate how through four main principles.
1: Goal-Setting
It might seem trite to suggest goal-setting in this context, but it truly can be valuable when taken seriously. It is also worth noting a difference between ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ goals.
‘Macro’ goals are overarching goals that you might pursue over the entire summer. This could include getting an internship, improving your writing, studying for the LSAT or practicing mindfulness and starting a meditative routine.
I usually plan my macro goals at the start of the summer, breaking them down into a few categories: commitments (like internships), mental health (like routinizing meditation), writing (such as working on this article), career goals (like reaching out to some alumni) and fun projects (like working on making a game with some friends.)
The next step — and this is often overlooked — is to sort these goals, not just by priority but by how long they might take. I typically assign a number from 1-5 for both categories, with the awareness that my estimates are a shorthand. This process itself can be helpful for understanding what matters most for you to achieve over the summer.
A particularly naive reader may scoff at the prospect of needing to sort these tasks by priority — after all, one might say, it is best to achieve everything. True as this may be, it is crucial to be realistic and acknowledge that time might slip away, a task might take longer than expected, or that you — a fallible human being — might not have the motivation to get everything done.
In fact, I often overplan my summer, giving myself more tasks to do than I honestly expect to fulfill. This way I can rest knowing there’s always something to do, while also teaching myself not to expect to get everything done.
Lastly, some helpful questions to ask yourself during this macro-planning process are: what would I most be proud of to get done this summer? How upset would I be if I didn’t get to this task? What can I do that might tie into my overall goals going forward?
On the micro-level — when it comes to planning individual weeks and months — you should set smaller, feasible goals for yourself. These can be stand-alone goals (do three things for the Fourth of July) or tie into your larger, macro-level aims.
Hopefully, by having a clear idea of what you most want to accomplish over the summer — whether in a given year, month or week — you can not only achieve more but stress less.
2: Planning and Utilizing Time
So, you’ve brainstormed a few goals for the summer, as well as for individual weeks and months. How might you go about planning and utilizing this time, and avoiding the siren call of procrastination?
I have found calendar apps to be a game changer. Aside from letting you visualize when you might have a meeting, these apps offer the opportunity to carve out your week to correspond with specific tasks. For example, Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. could be the time for writing exercises, while Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. might go toward applying to internships.
It’s important to plan days and even weeks ahead of deadlines, too. It’s also best to prioritize your tasks for a given day by how much effort they will take. If you tend to be most awake at noon, for example, you should spend that time working on an essay — if you’re tired at night, that’s a better time for less intensive tasks.
It’s also worth taking advantage of places outside of your dorm or home to work. Even if you’re away from UW, you can find a local coffee shop or library to get some work done (and get out of the house, especially if you’re working a remote internship like I am). That being said, it’s worthwhile to space out difficult tasks with some less intensive ones in between.
So, to a certain extent, planning and utilizing your time effectively requires a certain degree of self-awareness. Which leads us into my next suggestion…
3: Know Thyself
This is the shortest section, but perhaps the most important for having an enjoyable and productive summer. Who are you, and what is your work ethic like? What motivates you, and what gets in the way of achieving your goals?
I, for one, struggle to work at home, hence my previous suggestion of going outside to work. I also know I tend to push difficult tasks to the end of the day, and therefore force myself to prioritize them earlier.
In essence, knowing your work ethic, as well as your ‘breaking threshold’ — the point where you stop being productive and need to take at least a few minutes off — is essential for success.
One approach would be to force deadlines upon yourself, or other conditions that you believe could make you work to your best. You might even look to friends or family in town to hold you accountable to your own standards.
But you still might find yourself struggling to remain motivated, especially when your goals are self-led and not reliant on a deadline. This is where my last piece of advice comes in.
4: Reward Thyself
Rewarding yourself for hard work isn’t just a strategic, psychological move to condition yourself into getting things done. It’s also self-care, and especially important during the summer.
What are your favorite things to do? What brings you the most joy? What are some things that you usually can’t do during the semester but find available over the summer? Ponder these questions and make a list of ‘rewards.’
Then, assign a few important tasks to each reward. Let’s say there’s a lock in front of going to the beach or watching “The Odyssey.” The key to open it would be finishing an article or making your 500th cover letter. You’ll not only be proud of forging that key yourself, but you get to reap the rewards behind the lock.
The way you actually spend this leisure time is important, too. Though it can be difficult, try to focus entirely on whatever it is you’re rewarding yourself with. Meditate a bit. Appreciate the moment. Exercise whatever it is you just worked on or might need to work on next.
I make sure to meditate before and after each big task that I do. This helps my day feel simultaneously structured and free-flowing, placing me in control of what happens instead of just feeling the sensory overload of a hectic day.
These are, of course, just my suggestions. I also spoke to a UW alum and a current student about how to manage remote work and in-person work over the summer.
Others’ Viewpoints: Remote Work
Dominic Zappia, who graduated from UW in 2025, is currently working as a Tech Ethics and Policy Rising Scholar at Stanford University, and serves as a research assistant on AI governance. Though his work is more structured during the academic year, the summer gives him more flexibility and even the opportunity for remote work, Zappia said.
Other responsibilities Zappia has over the summer include his work with a critical-AI research group and potentially conducting research with a theorist at Harvard, he said. Though he is able to hypothetically work from home, he finds himself going to campus to work for the sake of his productivity and mental health, he said.
“Having that separation for work-life balance is very, very nice,” Zappia said.
Zappia has also taken advantage of having a smaller workload compared to the academic year, by spending more social time around Stanford, he said. He said his current, more laid-back approach to work is prefaced by the awareness that his fall will be quite busy.
According to Zappia, maintaining daily routines like waking up early, exercising and eating frequently significantly improves his mental health and productivity. Though these habits have helped him maintain a similar work ethic as during the summer, one downside of the time of year is how few students are around campus, Zappia said.
Other things Zappia has been doing to improve his summer work-life balance include taking more active satisfaction in the completion of tasks and treating his body less like a machine, he said. Instead, he has linked his self-care to his productivity, he said.
“The productivity metaphor I use now is like gardening — [working on] the parts of me that I want to nurture, grow and give life,” Zappia said.
According to Zappia, he has a history of procrastination and struggling to start heavy tasks. One approach he is taking is by trying to make the work itself fun and therefore less daunting to start, he said. When it comes to planning his days and weeks, Zappia identifies a few core things he needs to get done, then works early in the morning or late in the evening, he said.
Students in similar situations should prioritize one or two tasks to accomplish a day, be very intentional in setting aside time for socialization or leisure and prioritize their self-autonomy and health, according to Zappia.
“Don’t treat yourself like a robot, even if the system does … give yourself grace to make mistakes and acknowledge that’s how you get better at things,” Zappia said.
Others’ Viewpoints: In-Person Work
Ruby Schneider, a rising third-year studying psychology and educational policy, has spent her summer working at a children’s day camp. The camp, aside from being an enjoyable experience, serves her interest in being a school psychologist one day, she said.
“It’s been a lot of fun, but definitely tiring,” Schneider said.
Working with the day camp is Schneider’s main commitment for the summer, but she also helps with her family’s business as necessary, she said.
Since she does not have a full-time job during the school year, Schneider’s summers are usually her main opportunity to earn money to sustain herself during the fall and spring semesters, she said. Still, she considers it very important to find the opportunity to recharge, she said.
“When I do have time off work, I try to prioritize doing things for myself, recharging and refilling the cup in ways I can,” Schneider said.
A challenge is the temptation to simply lie down or scroll through her phone, Schneider said. Instead of doomscrolling, which actually makes her feel more tired, Schneider makes the effort to go outside and connect with friends and family, she said.
Schneider’s favorite way of relaxing is indeed to go outside, especially in the beautiful nature of summertime Wisconsin, she said. She also tries to balance her social life with much-needed alone time, she said.
“Sometimes being overly social can be tiring, so it’s [important to] find that balance,” Schneider said.
One advantage of working in-person is the opportunity to connect with coworkers during and after work, Schneider said. When she does need to do work at home, such as planning camp activities, she tries to remain relaxed while doing so, often giving herself something to do on the side, she said.
It’s evident that maintaining such a schedule requires planning. According to Schneider, she is an over-planner who gives herself days in advance to work on any major projects, then breaks them down hour by hour and task by task.
“Lists save me a lot of time, and [so does] looking farther ahead than you think is necessary and always having everything written down,” Schneider said.
What about other students going through a similar balancing act? According to Schneider, it is crucial to fill one’s cup and keep oneself happy regardless of what work lies ahead of them. Taking care of oneself first can make even boring tasks easy, Schneider said.
Though doing so is a difficult task at times, it is this prioritization of self-care before work that helps Schneider most, she said.
“Making sure that I feel well-rested, restored and happy … is so helpful for me in being able to be a good student and good worker,” Schneider said.
Conclusion: What’s really important?
Hopefully, this article has at least given you some food for thought as you navigate the rest of the summer as well as future breaks. It’s important, though, to bookend with a reflection on what really matters.
Summer break is, at its core, meant to be a break. This sounds asinine to say, but it really is the case. Think about what you really need from it to succeed. Is it burdening yourself with a mountain of rote tasks, or is it — the thought scares me as much as it does you, I’m sure — actually relaxing and enjoying yourself?
This isn’t to neglect the genuine concerns many of us have about our future, or the many students who have to work through the summer to support themselves and their families financially. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that, if there is any time in the year to give yourself some slack, it is now.
With that all said, enjoy the rest of your summer, whether it’s by making the next step in your master plan of a career path or by catching up on your beach read backlog. We are still young. The future ahead of us is immensely uncertain. Why not spend our time in the here and now … enjoying life?
