For many college students, summer is the perfect time to go back to your family, catch up with friends from home as well as to catch up on some much-needed sleep. However, for others, doing all those things can be pretty easy and, if you are used to a busy schedule, you may fall into boredom causing you to feel down if you think you have nothing to do. Luckily, for those who want to keep themselves busy and active during the summer, there are several things you can do to make your summer more active and productive.
Apply for a summer internship
Summer internships are one of the best ways to explore your career options and get hands-on experience in your future field. Deadlines can be tricky for most of them and you should try and plan ahead of time if you really want one. However, since every field is different, deadlines to submit your application can vary.
Doing a summer internship will not only keep you busy, but help you learn more about the field you are interested in as well as provide a unique experience that will help you grow in many ways. Having a summer internship on your résumé can make you a more desirable applicant and a more experienced one, factors that are highly important for employers. According to Harvard Business Review, 39 percent of employers state that lack of experience causes hiring shortages. Having an internship will give you an advantage over those who don’t have experience.
Apply for a summer job
Having a job over summer may not sound as appealing to some, but there are many advantages to having one. One of the most important benefits is that you’ll be making money. A few extra bucks won’t do harm and that way you can save for college, a trip you have been wanting to take or buy something you always wanted; the possibilities are endless.
Another big factor of having a summer job is the experience, especially if you work in customer service or sales industries. Even though your major or your goals may not be focused on that particular line of work, working in customer service or sales is a valuable experience that everyone should have at least once. You never know, it may provide a new perspective on how you see sales or customer service jobs.
Nevertheless, having experience and gaining those skills are highly valuable. According to an analysis of 2.3 million LinkedIn profiles for The Wall Street Journal, nearly 58 percent of employees who demonstrated stellar communication skills were hired over the course of a year. This suggests that employers do take into consideration those basic, but necessary, skills when looking for someone to hire.
Practice a sport
Instead of laying on your couch watching TV and being unproductive, why not give all you can to a sport you like, or have always wanted to try? Trying a new sport or just giving your maximum effort in a sport will not only get you healthy and active, it can help you boost your confidence since sports can affect you both physically and mentally.
You release endorphins when you play sports, which reduces your perception of pain and also triggers a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine, according to WebMD. Trying a new sport can also be beneficial since you can learn a lot about yourself when practicing sports. Practicing a new sport challenges you to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.
