What to do after exams — the best way to spend your summer break

There’s no shortage of things to do on campus during the year.
Between academics, sports and the college social scene, we have plenty of options to stay busy. But all that changes when semester break rolls around.
Notice how the start of the year always seems to go past very fast? It’s because the Summer break actually represents ¼ of the entire year and it goes by because we don’t plan properly.
So what’s the best way to use all that free time? Visit with friends and family? Decompress and vegetate on the couch? Get a head start on the new semester by hitting the books? Well, here are some things you could do -
Exercise
Stay healthy and combat the holiday bulge by keeping up with a regular exercise regimen. You’ll look — and, more importantly, feel — better.
How to do it? Join your local gym, during the holiday season they tend to give out discounts for new members! (better than the larger mainstream ones)
Revamp your resume, cover letter and/or essays
Whether it’s a part-time job or an internship. It’s important to keep updated documents on hand at all times — after all, you never know when you might need them! Opportunity knocks the moment you’re least expecting it so it’s always best to be prepared at a moment’s notice.
How to do it? If you’re having some trouble, check out 2hats, a startup that gives free resume feedback.
Apply for Summer Internships
Believe it or not, there are still many summer internship opportunities available. Undergoing a structured summer internship is one of the best ways to accelerate not only your career but also personal growth. This puts you ahead of your peers and really gives you the opportunity to differentiate yourself from the rest of the state.
How to do it? Use 2hats to get matched with paid part-time work at some of Australia’s leading startups.
Spend quality time with family
You love them and they love you. No matter how much you hate to admit it, you miss them terribly.
How to do it? For this one, you will have to get up from your couch and make an effort!
Volunteer
The holidays are a great time to volunteer. There are so many options out there, with something suited to everyone.
How to do it? Look out for charity organisations such as Greenpeace or Habitat for Humanity, volunteer at events, emergencies or for environmental causes.
Catch up with old friends (and stay in touch with new ones)
Pretty much everyone you went to high school with will be off school for the holidays. You can use this time to catch up, relive old times and get the gang together to reminisce about the good old days.
How to do it? You can either catch up by watching a holiday movie or do something crazy by heading up to the coast, attend a music festival or the blue mountains.
Plan next semester’s schedule
It’s time to get a jump start on planning next semester while you have time and there’s no time like the present! Additionally, you should start creating a game plan for next semester now, before you get too busy to do so later.
How to do it? It all begins with a calendar, write down your things to do and set deadlines for yourself.
Learn a new skill
These skills will improve your life, I bet.
How to do it? Learn a new language on Duolingo, take cooking, public speaking or negotiation classes. There are thousands of online courses to choose from on Coursera and Udemy.
Finish a whole season of TV in one day
Holidays are the perfect time to fire up Netflix, get comfy in bed and not resurface unless it’s an absolute emergency (aka you run out of snacks).
How to do it? You know you are guilty of this during exams…
It’s impossible to do all the 8 things described. Besides, I know you also want to have plenty of fun. So don’t feel overwhelmed and do as much as you can!
