How to Make Real Progress on Your Summer To-Do List in Higher Education

For many college academic advisors, student success coaches, career coaches, and student services professionals, summer feels like a unique window of opportunity.

The pace shifts. Appointment calendars open up slightly. Campus traffic changes. Meetings slow down just enough to finally tackle projects that have been sitting untouched all academic year.

And every summer starts with optimism.

• “This is the summer I’ll reorganize our resources.”

• “We’ll finally update the advising guides.”

• “I’m going to clean out my inbox.”

• “We’ll redesign orientation materials before fall.”

Then suddenly, August arrives.

Summer in higher education moves faster than most professionals expect. Between vacations, orientation, enrollment work, staffing gaps, and unexpected projects, the season can disappear quickly.

That is why effective summer goal-setting matters. The key is not simply creating a long to-do list. It is building a realistic, focused plan that actually leads to progress.

Start by Choosing Fewer Goals Than You Want To

One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is overestimating how much can realistically be accomplished over the summer.

It is tempting to create a giant “summer productivity list” filled with every postponed idea from the academic year. But overly ambitious lists often create stress rather than momentum.

Instead, choose:

• 1 major project instead of two,

• 2 medium priorities instead of five,

• and a few small “quick wins.”

This approach helps create focus while still leaving room for the unexpected realities of summer work.

A good question to ask yourself is: “If I could only fully complete two things by August, what would make the biggest difference for our students?”

Those answers should become your highest priorities.

Create a Tiered Priority List

One of the biggest summer productivity traps is spending too much time on easy, low-impact tasks while major projects sit untouched. Try organizing your summer goals into tiers:

• Tier 1: High-Impact Priorities. Projects that will create meaningful long-term value.

• Tier 2: Important but Flexible Tasks: Helpful projects that matter, but are less urgent and impact fewer people.

• Tier 3: Small or Low-Priority Tasks: Quick wins, but not essential right now.

The challenge is that Tier 3 tasks often feel the most satisfying because they are easy to complete quickly. But if you are not careful, they can quietly consume your entire summer.

A helpful question to regularly ask yourself is: “Am I working on what matters most, or simply what feels easiest to finish right now?”

Strong summer progress usually comes from setting aside time for high-impact work before smaller tasks take over.

Focus on Systems, Not Just Tasks

Summer is often the best time to improve systems rather than simply reacting to day-to-day demands.

This might include:

• reorganizing shared drives,

• updating canned email templates,

• improving webpages,

• or revising forms and procedures.

Strong systems reduce stress during the much busier fall semester. A small systems improvement completed in June can save hours of frustration later in the academic year. (Related Reading: The Secret to Success for First-Year Academic Advisors: The 70/20/10 Model)

Break Large Projects Into Small Weekly Tasks

Large projects become overwhelming when they stay vague. Instead, break projects into smaller action items and set deadlines and SMART goals for each small step.

Completing smaller tasks creates momentum and makes it easier to track progress consistently throughout the summer. So if your goal is to revamp the entire new advisor onboarding and training process, start small. Set a goal to outline an ideal onboarding. Celebrate it when it's done and then move to the next step.

Use Time Blocking Before Your Calendar Fills Up

One of the best summer productivity strategies is proactively protecting focused work time early. If you wait until your calendar becomes busy, deep project work often never happens.

Try scheduling:

• two-hour project blocks,

• “no meeting” Friday mornings,

• or weekly focus sessions dedicated to a specific goal.

Treat these appointments like important meetings rather than optional work time.

Many professionals underestimate how difficult it is to complete meaningful projects in fragmented 15-minute windows between emails and meetings.

Build Accountability Into Your Summer Goals

Goals are far more likely to happen when someone else knows about them.

Consider:

• sharing goals with a supervisor,

• partnering with a colleague,

• creating monthly checkpoints,

• or scheduling brief progress reviews.

Some offices also benefit from “summer project days,” where staff members dedicate time to focused work while encouraging each other’s progress.

Leave Space for Recovery and Reflection

Summer should not become an endless productivity sprint. Student services professionals often spend the academic year operating in high-demand environments filled with emotional labor, constant problem-solving, and student-facing responsibilities.

Rest matters too.

The most effective summer plans include:

• intentional breaks,

• vacation time,

• reflection,

• and opportunities to recharge.

Sustainable productivity usually comes from balancing focused work with recovery rather than trying to maximize every hour. (Related Reading: The Part of Sense of Belonging Nobody Talks About)

Start This Week, Not “Later This Summer”

One hidden challenge of summer productivity is the illusion that there is still plenty of time. June turns into July quickly. July turns into orientation season. Then fall arrives.

That is why one of the most important strategies is simply starting early.

This week, even spending:

• 30 minutes organizing priorities,

• identifying your top goals and posting them on your office wall,

• or blocking project time on your calendar

  
  

can create momentum immediately. (Related Reading: The Culture Shift That Transforms Advising Offices from Good to Great)

Summer can absolutely be a powerful season for progress in student services work. But meaningful progress usually comes from realistic planning, smaller, consistent actions, and protecting time intentionally before the busy fall semester returns.