Things to do During Summer

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: Personal Development
• Date: May 5,2008

Some students will spend their summers working, partying, and sitting in front of the TV or computer, but summers are an excellent time to explore new opportunities and grow as a person.

Internships

It is a late to apply for internships for this summer. If you are doing an internship, then great! I hope you enjoy yourself. But if you aren’t you can do two things to help you get an intern next summer. The first thing you should and can do is work on your resume. By working on your resume once a week for thirty minutes you will have a clean and organized resume that you can use to apply for internships.
The other thing you should do is begin searching for an internship and decide what type of intern you would like to do. It will take a lot of research. Deciding on an intern should not be a task you take lightly. After you come across a few internships you are interested in, spend your summer researching the internships and the information you will need for the intern. The more knowledge you have of the position the better cover letter you can write, and the more prepared you are for an interview.

Improve a Hobby

Do you have a hobby that you haven’t been able to do since last summer? School can take a lot of time away from us, but you should keep up with your hobbies. Attempt to take your hobby to the next level, or to a different area. For example, if you are a pianist (like me) who has spent your entire time at the piano playing classical music, begin to learn a new genre of music. Learn how to play jazz or compose your own piece.

Get a New Hobby

photo by KhayaL

If you aren’t a musician, maybe now is the time to get an instrument and teach yourself how to play. There are plenty of free lessons on the internet to help teach you. You are probably smart enough to teach yourself a few things. One thing I would love to do is build model ships (the real thing, not the cheap plastic stuff from the dollar store).

Improve a Skill

Are you a science major? Unfortunately, science majors rarely get the opportunity to work on their writing skills. Perhaps summer is the time that you can improve your writing skills. Or maybe you are a writer and you could study sciences.

Tangent: If you do want to be a writer you should consider studying things outside of writing. Though it is great to imagine becoming a New York Times bestselling author, that can take time, and you will need a job to support you. As a writer having a large database of knowledge will greatly increase your chances of getting employed.

Research

Summer is also a great time to work on an individual research project. If you are doing any type of historical research it is a great time to travel the country, visit libraries, find hidden text, discover ancient Native American cities inside Mount Rushmore. Alright it may not be that intense, but you would be surprised at how much is hidden inside libraries right under our noses. Just because someone has looked at a piece of writing or photo, does not mean they understand the significance; therefore the item is still hidden.

An Out Doors Trip – Road Trip

photo by Bitterroot

By the end of spring semester I am sick and tired of being inside. I don’t think there is anything healthier for the soul than staying out side for a week. Plan a camping, hiking, or canoeing trip. Take a few friends with you and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Set a Goal

Give yourself a goal. Read X amount of books, or write X amount of pages. The great thing about summer is that you can have goals that push you to the limit, without all the stress of deadlines and expectations of your professors and parents.

Structure

If you really want to maximize your summer, you need to have a structured schedule. That means you wake up at the same time every day, go to bed at the same time every night. But remember it is summer. If you end up staying out all night a few nights that’s great, but don’t make a habit out of it. Try to get back on schedule. Finding the balance between social fun, and some form of academic fun is the key to having a productive and enjoyable summer.