Summers are special to many people for so many reasons, and for students, summer means the end of a semester and the much-needed respite. After a hectic exam, your brain cells deserve a break too. But that doesn’t mean you should spend time lying in your bed and staring at your phone/or laptop screen.
Now, if you want to make optimum utilisation of your summer break, then there are some ideas that you can consider to have a productive summer break.
1. Join a book club
Summer break is the time when you can catch up on reading the books that you were curious about, which you probably had to put off due to academic pressure. An excellent way to spend time on your vacation is to read books that you’ve wanted to, no matter in which genre you prefer, whether it’s a crime, non-fiction, romance or even history.
You can even join a book club where every week the group could decide on a common book they’ll read, opine the experts. And after a specific period, you can sit together with other members and share your views and listen to others’ perspectives as well.
2. Get an internship
Obtain hands-on work experience by opting for internships for the summer. Many internship opportunities provide a stipend to the interns, along with providing you with excellent opportunities that could help you in the future as a student and employee. Maybe your internship isn’t exactly what you’d hoped for, or you feel like you’re not given meaningful responsibilities, but having the experience still counts.
Apply for internships and do your best work. This way, you’re developing your work ethic. Also, you’ll require employment references later in life. Supervisors or managers won’t provide glowing reviews for sloppy work.
3. Attend interesting and fun workshops
Workshops are a great way to stay productive during the summer break because you get to learn new things. Additionally, you get to meet new people that have the same interests as you.
The workshops you take part in can be about anything that seems interesting to you, whether it’s origami, baking, drawing, singing, dancing, public speaking or even life skills. Though you may have to pay a sum of money, it’ll be worth it.
4. Learn a new language
Learning a new language comes with an advantage for your career. It also helps you get a good grasp of your language by maintaining a deeper understanding of their language. So, you can either take online classes or join an institute.
Learning any new language will never go to waste, and if you learn it well, it’ll lead to lucrative career opportunities. It’ll also be useful when you travel to a place where they speak the language.
5. Acquire a new skill
Summers are an excellent time to explore and learn new skills and create new hobbies. Not sure what skills you want to hone? You can conduct a little research about the small businesses within your community and look for different classes that they offer that will help develop new skills.
For instance, you can join a dance studio that provides summer classes, or start taking part in a writing workshop, watch DIY videos to learn baking. Use this summer to nurture new a skill you’ve always wanted to hone. Just look out for classes online and offline and sign up.
6. Volunteer within your community
Use your summer break to give something back and boost your resume in return. Volunteering is one of the most rewarding things to do, and you can make a real difference. Look for charities and volunteer groups in your city that you can join. Devote some of your free time helping others. It also serves as a great addition to your resume when you’re applying for jobs or internships in the future.
For instance, you can help out at a local homeless shelter or food bank. You could also connect with different charities to find ways you can get involved locally.
7. Declutter and get your house in order
While attending school/college, you may not get enough time to look at your cupboard overflowing with clothes, screaming for some space. But during your summer break, this is one thing you should get done. We know spring was just over, but it’s always a good time to indulge in some spring cleaning. After all, your house/room deserves some tender loving care, too, from time to time.
Decluttering and keeping your house neat also has a direct impact on your mental well-being. So maybe you could dedicate some time during your summer break to put your own room/house into order. If you feel too inspired, you can give your room a summery makeover too.
8. Devote time for exercising
Now that you have this break, spare some attention to your fitness. Your health and wellness can sometimes take a backseat during the semester (particularly around finals). You may have been too stressed and busy to squeeze in some work out during the semester, so use this summer to get fit. This way, you’ll be heading into the new semester looking rejuvenated and feeling healthy.
While at it, you can try some different workout to keep things interesting? Maybe a taekwondo class or try out some pilates.
9. Spend some quality time with loved ones
With all of your focus being on school/college (and some extra-curricular), you may have lost out on a lot of family time. So, take some time out to see your cousins or extended family members that you don’t get to visit too often.
Go out with your parents and your siblings, too. You’ll actually be surprised at how much you enjoy catching up with them without the stress of the semester looming over you. If you live away from your family, it’ll be great to see your hometown after a long semester away.
Wrapping it up,
Like all good things in the world, the summer will come to an end too, so make sure you spend it wisely. But that said, it’s okay if you don’t feel like doing anything. You don’t always have to be productive with your time, and that’s fine.
Author – Lauren Thompson is a visiting faculty for a reputable college in Australia. Thompson has pursued her PhD in Sociology from Murdoch University. She has been associated with many philanthropic organisations in Australia. She’s also a member of myassignmenthelp.com and provides assignment help online to students.