How to Make Your Summer Count When You're a Student

For most university students, summer is the time to take a break and breathe a sigh of relief that classes are over (for the time being). However, it doesn’t have to be all about relaxation and fun in the sun. It can also be a great opportunity to build some skills, learn some new things, gain some work experience and prepare for the next school year. All of these things can help make your summer vacation as productive and enjoyable as possible. Below are five ways to make the best of your time off.

Find an Internship

Summer internships are a great way to gain work experience and learn about your future career. While they can be challenging, they can also provide a wealth of knowledge and growth. Plus, the more challenging the internship, the more you learn about being an employee and working in your chosen career path. Working during the summer also gives you a leg up on the competition, as it allows you to devote more time to your internship. It also helps to ensures your job won’t intersect with your classes, which translates into more energy and focus. And more energy means a greater capacity to learn. Internships are also great resumé boosters, showing that you have industry experience. With the industry experience garnered from an internship, you’re more likely to secure a future job.

Take Summer Classes

This may seem counterintuitive, but taking summer classes can be highly beneficial. Some of the greatest benefits include:

  1. Challenging courses can be taken during the summer when they’re easier
  2. Gives you the opportunity to take fun electives or classes in subjects that truly interest you
  3. Allows for exploration of your degree program, including the opportunity to take unique, unscheduled courses that fit your program
  4. Taking the boring stuff during the summer means you can take more of the fun, interesting stuff during the other terms
  5. The more courses you take in the summer, the faster you graduate

Taking summer classes may seem like a lot of work, but they’re generally easier and even laid back.

Travel

Taking a vacation during the summer is a given. However, for college students, it can mean more than just relaxation and time away from work. It can be a time of exploration and experiences they can take back to the classroom. So, use your summer vacation to travel, explore different cultural environments and learn useful information. Vacations can be expensive for college students, however, so create a budget and plan a trip that’s as affordable as possible. For example, you could:

  • Take a road trip (Canada and the US offer plenty of unique road trip friendly destinations and sites)
  • Stay in hostels or share living expenses with friends or others
  • Backpack through a country like Europe (The ever-popular student vacation option)
  • Volunteer with an organization that will deploy you to a foreign country
  • Take a family vacation
  • Eat cheap and don’t buy anything that’s out of your budget
  • Look for and only take budget flights
  • Plan to vacation at an affordable destination

Read

Reading is an engaging way to pass the time and keep your mind fresh for the coming term. Recreational reading can help you retain information better and improve your critical thinking skills. It’s also affordable, which can help you save money on summer activities. Joining a book club can take your reading to another level, as it allows you to share and test the limits of your thoughts and skills. Plus, it’s a social activity where you can meet new people and find unique entertainment.

No matter what your summer brings, get a leg up on the competition and secure your Ottawa student housing for the fall term. Contact us today!

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