Whether you are finishing your first year or your last year of high school, the end of the school year is always the most difficult. Students contract “summer fever” as the end of the year comes near and begin to slack off and lose interest in school work. It’s almost as if the sun and warm weather are taunting us and purposefully trying to ruin our GPA.

It is extremely important to finish the school year strong, so here is a list of 10 ways to do it.

Set Goals
Setting goals for yourself both personally and academically will help you stay on track. It can be to get a new perspective on personal things or to get straight As and pass all your AP exams. Whichever goals you choose, try your absolute best to achieve them.

Stay Organized
Staying organized will prevent you from losing or forgetting about assignments. Keep track of your assignments and test dates in a planner or calendar to stay organized and prepared for upcoming final projects and tests. Set reminders on your phone for different upcoming events or tasks.

Don’t put off responsibilities
Slacking and procrastinating are just ways of putting off responsibilities. Putting off school-related responsibilities will leave you scrambling and stressed at the last minute. Do what you need to do when you need to do it, and you will be well on your way to finishing strong!

Remember what you’ve worked for
It may help to remind yourself of all the hard work you’ve put in this year. One bad performance on a final test or project could undo all of your efforts for a certain letter grade. Lucas Nolte, sports section editor for North Star News, said, “I look at my Swagfolio to remind myself about all the hard work I’ve put in, not only this semester but last semester too.”

Get motivated
It is time to get motivated! Whether you have to bribe yourself with rewards or create penalties for not trying your best, do whatever it takes to stay motivated and beat summer fever. Try a motivational playlist, music stimulates the brain. Italia Cato, a student at Niles North said, “I promise myself a fun day out after finals to keep me going.”

Take advantage of the nice weather
As the weather begins to get nicer, you don’t have to stay cooped up inside studying. Get creative by studying and doing homework outside instead.

Take a timeout
Don’t forget about taking time out of your day to regroup and simply have fun! This will help you stay focused. Giving yourself breaks for fun is good for your sanity and attention span.

Adjust your attitude
What is your attitude right now? Are you feeling down? Can you not wait for school to end? Simply adjusting your attitude to be more positive can make an incredible difference. “Negativity in the workplace saps energy and diverts attention from productivity and performance, and because of this, leaders need to be proactive in maintaining a culture of positivity,” according to researchers from the University of Southern California.

Take care of yourself
Taking care of yourself by eating well, exercising and getting the proper amount of sleep will help you remain focused. Give yourself little rewards for finishing work.

Focus on the finish line
Visualize your finish line- and your goals- and focus on that. The school year is almost over- you can do it! Start a countdown, and don’t worry- the end is near.