What is Summer Brain Drain?

At Tokyo Academics, our students are pretty excited to get the last few assignments, tests, and projects completed before the summer. At the risk of coming off as scolds, we want to encourage all of you (parents and students alike!) to do as much as you can to keep the summer productive and additive to your development!

A few quick facts:

• All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer.
• Students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.
• Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months.
• Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do.

(Source: summerlearning.org)

To keep this brain drain from happening, we have a few tips for all of you as the summer comes.

• Read, read, and read. And read. Pick up the biography of someone you admire (Steve Jobs; Elon Musk; etc.). Develop your world view (How to Win Friends and Influence People; The 4-Hour Workweek). Get a better understanding of current events (The Ascent of Money; Fooled by Randomness; The Better Angels of our Nature). Come out of the summer knowing more than you did going in.
• Review and reflect. Go through your tests from last year and figure out what went right and what went wrong. Take a step back and ask yourself why your classes were important. Why was the year important? What did you learn? What do you want to accomplish next year?
• Learn a new skill. Pick up a guitar and learn your favorite song. Get familiar with photo-editing software. 
• Create. Start writing a journal and explore what's in your head. Upload one photograph to Instagram each day. Get a head start on your personal essay you'll have to write for any application (what's an important thing to know about you that isn't on the app?).
• Take a class. Go to Khan Academy (link) and take a fun new class (programming!) for free. 

We at Tokyo Academics are also always happy to work with you to review, get ahead, or learn something completely new! We have a bunch of writing classes as well as technical classes starting this summer. Contact us (info@tokyoacademics.com) for more details.