The summer can be a long time to relax the brain for college students, but for those pursuing a post-bachelor's degree, it is important to stay mentally sharp over the break.

Writing for USA Today College, Jon Fortenbury outlined several ways to keep the brain sharp during an extended break from the classroom. Oftentimes, graduate students have more responsibilities than undergrads do, making it easier to push school completely out of mind.

Below are five ways to stay sharp during summer break:

1.     Be social

Fortenbury noted to make use of Meetup.com, a website that professionals and people in a certain field use to meet their peers. This is great for networking or just to meet with people in a similar career path and spark an intelligent conversation.

One of the best things about college is being surrounded by people who are pursuing something close to what you are. You do not have to miss out on this kind of interaction while on break from school.

2.     Exercise your brain

A past multi-institutional study from researchers in London found a difference in people who played video games like "Starcraft" and those who played something like "the Sims." A strategy-oriented game, "Starcraft" players performed better on cognitive tests than their peers who played less stimulating games.

Another good habit to get into is to do math without a calculator, which is really easy now with current smartphones. A past Texas A&M study suggested this promotes logic and clear thinking.

Fortenbury also recommended keeping a journal because writing is a basic skill that any grad student needs. Plus, the main concept of a journal requires you to exercise your memory to recall things that happened recently.

3.     Read/watch/listen to mentally stimulating material

Unlike witch video games are more mentally stimulating than others, this can be more open for interpretation. Books, movies and music are supposed to capture your imagination, think critically and feed your creative side.

This can be especially important for students in an arts or humanities major.

4.     Use a map to get somewhere, not a GPS

Amy Lobben, a geographer at the University of Oregon, told Wired last year that reading a map requires people to alter their perspective. By looking at a map, the reader must shift the map and keep in mind which way is North, South, East and West while always being aware of which direction they are headed.

5.     Cut out time in the day to sit and relax

This was not on Fortenbury's list, but any student - graduate or undergrad - should take advantage of school being out for several months. Everyone has different ways they like to relax, but it is important to do this throughout the day.