How to Make the Most of Your Summer Break

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Break How to Make the Most of Your Summer Break By Amy Durant The long summer break from university is finally here and you’re beginning to regret not making any plans. While your more organized friends have nailed down CV-boosting internships, and your adventurous friends have disappeared to the other side of the world, you’ve got nothing better planned than a few months spent on the sofa watching Netflix. This summer doesn’t have to go to waste though. Even if you’ve been astonishingly lazy and not lined up a work placement or amazing holiday, you can still make the most of your time off. Here are some productive ways to spend your summer. Get literally any summer job OK, that dream internship won’t happen anymore but any job is better than nothing. You might get lucky and find a temporary position connected to your areas of interest, but you’ll probably have more luck applying to local bars and shops. It may not seem glamorous, but you’ll pick up plenty of transferable skills and earn a bit of extra cash for when term starts up again. Volunteer and help your local community Can’t find a summer job? Look up local volunteering opportunities. Charity shops are always after an extra pair of hands, and there are bound to be plenty of community service projects you can get involved with. Not only will it look good on your CV, helping others will make you feel good too. Start blogging or vlogging Been meaning to start a blog or vlog for ages, but never got around to it? Now is your chance. Blogging sites like Wordpress and YouTube are easy to set up, meaning you can get started straight away. You don’t even need a big topic to blog about, as it can be something that’s already part of your daily lifestyle. If you’re into food, post recipe ideas and show off your culinary creations. Been bitten by the fitness bug? Research healthy meal plans and daily exercise tips, and start documenting your fitness journey. Or, you could start a reviewing site and rate the latest films, books and art exhibitions. Make a start on your reading lists University terms fly by, and before you know it deadlines are looming. Use the summer break to make a head-start on your reading list. If you haven’t been sent one already, email your tutors and ask for some suggestions. Start work on  the inevitable dissertation This may sound super depressing, but the earlier you start thinking about your dissertation or final project, the more successful it is likely to be. Think about what aspects of your course you have enjoyed the most so far and start brainstorming some potential dissertation topics. Do some further reading on the subjects you are interested in and research the latest academic articles to spark some ideas. Start planning for next summer Haven’t been organized enough to fill your summer this year? Don’t make the same mistake again. Research companies you are interested in and start drafting cover letters ready for the next round of applications. Now is also a good time to have a think about further study. Do you think you might want to do another degree? If you want to apply for funding you need to get your application in early, so spend some time this summer researching courses and deciding where you might want to apply. Or, just carry on with Plan A: stay on the sofa watching Netflix Obviously, don’t do this all summer but it’s important you relax and make some time for yourself over the summer. Reconnect with old friends, spend time with family, and do things that make you happy. Amy Durant writes graduate careers advice for Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency specialising in matching career starters with graduate jobs. For everything from marketing internships to graduate jobs Manchester, click here.