3 Things you can do with your summer…
So, you’re thinking about your summer plans, right? Maybe you’re looking for a job; maybe you’re about doing something special, unique, that stands out from the crowd; maybe you have no idea what you’ll do! Oxford Hub is here to help you plan with our round up of the three top things to do this summer.
- Explore your interests and learn something new.
In addition to the millions of existing articles already written on why to learn a new skill, top bods at Stanford University are showing that passions are not just something waiting to be unearthed, but in fact need to be cultivated and actively pursued. With your summer break, this is the perfect opportunity to dive head-first into some new activities. Perhaps kayaking is really your calling!
Reading and researching activities are great ways to build existing interests, but sometimes you reach a cul-de-sac and will just need to try something fresh. This could mean checking out any of those Facebook events that took your fancy, perusing the Daily Info board or testing the waters and trying something a friend enjoys.
Here at the Oxford Hub, we’re all about social action — so alternatively, if you have a blossoming interest in making change happen (or want to cultivate one!), we have activities and events that will run throughout the summer.
2. Take time to relax and have a break
With the fast-paced modern world we live in, chances for relaxation can be few and far between. It’s also a well-known fact that stress has a multitude of effects (Warning: tough reading if you’re stressing about exams!), so using what free(ish!) time you have over the summer to get some real “me” time is beneficial in both the long and short term.
“ Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
- Leonardo da Vinci
Modern relaxation techniques include activities like mindfulness and yoga, but Harvard also recommend exercise. With the beautiful scenery around Oxford, why not take a stroll, jog, or bike ride? It was a tough pick with so many options, but Oxford Hub’s top destinations are the lovely Shotover Hill and idyllic Port Meadow.
3. Upgrade your internship!
For those of you who already have experience in social action and are considering a career in charitable causes, social action or politics, then at Oxford Hub we have just the opportunity for you. We are selecting ten ambitious students to join our ‘Become a Social Leader’ scheme. More than just an internship; this is an entry to the social change world.
To start, you’d take part in a multi-faceted, 5 week internship and volunteering opportunity, with training and learning hand-in-hand. Join a local charity and face their on-the-ground challenges and head office headaches; meet and learn with like minded peers; progress your social action journey.
Completing participants then become Oxford Hub ‘fellows’ and join Oxford Hub’s community of changemakers where they can continue to put their skills into practice through leadership positions on projects.
Excited by this summer plan? Click here to apply to the programme before the deadline on Monday 25th February!
Alternatively, if you are in your final year and social action is your thing, have a read of our interview with Yasemin and see how extracurriculars can turn into careers. For more information on graduate jobs, we also recommend visiting https://www.worthwhile.org.uk/.
