Tips from Tom

Some summers unfold like a drive through the countryside without a road map. In the midst of your peregrinations the landscape begins to get monotonous and you realize that you have passed this way before. You become frightfully lost. The long journey begins to get tedious: it suffers from lack of planning. Here are some useful tips which can help you escape boredom and improve your mental acuity:

Keep a journal—the daily routine will add some structure to your day. You will be surprised at how your writing improves over the course of several relaxing months. If you are travelling, be sure to make journal entries.
Never go anywhere without a book. Keep one in your car. Do the summer reading list. Read your favorite authors. Try to improve your reading rate. Now is your chance to read the stuff you didn’t have time for during the school year.
Exercise regularly. If you’re like me, you need this time to burn calories so that you don’t feel so guilty about attending the next picnic. If you tend to sleep in, try getting up early for a change of pace. Try a new sport.
Turn off the TV for a week or so. Disconnect the cable. Go to the movies, rent a video, visit a museum, read a newspaper, draw, paint, write.
Try some crossword puzzles, brain teasers, SAT review questions—math or verbal.
Make a point to visit a library once a week. Look up something that interests you. Try listening to a book on tape. Check out a CD or video.
Write letters to your friends, parents, relatives, or anyone else who might like to hear from you.
Go some place you have never been. Find out about its history before going there.
Check out the stars at night. Identify various constellations.
Rest, but do not succumb to slothfulness.