Winter break has finally arrived.
A whole month free from the stress of schoolwork. No deadlines, and best of all, no waking up at 7 AM. It can feel so wonderful to sleep the day away, and after a long and exhausting semester, it's sometimes exactly what you need. But do keep in mind that lazing around all day every day is unhealthy, and there are lots of things you can do in your free time to ensure that, once the new semester starts and your adult life kicks back into gear, it'll be your best, most successful year yet! Over this next month, catch up on lost sleep, veg out and watch plenty of Netflix, but try to squeeze in time for these activities as well--you'll be glad you did!
1. Clear out clutter
Get rid of all those papers you no longer need, clothes you no longer wear and electronics you no longer use to make room for the new in 2017! Set aside a day (or a little time each day) to sift through your space and find clutter you can clear out. You may come across items you've been holding onto for years! This is the first step to getting a clean, fresh start to the new year (literally!).
2. Apply for spring internships
Work is probably the last thing you want to think about right now, but the truth is, now is the time to jump at those internship opportunities for the upcoming semester. It'll definitely feel worth it when you've got something awesome to put on your resume.
3. Make some extra cash
First and foremost, of course, you can sell back your used textbooks. But if you're feeling serious financial pain after the holiday shopping, consider selling a service to make a little extra money over break. (Computer troubleshooting, web design, car repair, hauling, tutoring, home maintenance or repair, snow shoveling, etc) There are also survey websites that will reward you with points you can redeem for cash, and apps you can download that will pay you just for doing what you normally do on your phone. Running these apps allows companies collect user data for research.
4. Plan a road trip to visit a faraway friend
It can be really fun and interesting getting to know your college friends' lives outside of school, and it will feel great to catch up in person!
5. Get in shape
There are tons of quick at-home workouts you can do to shed the few extra pounds you put on over the holidays!
6. Spend quality time with your family
As much as you get on each other's nerves when you're home, they'll miss you once you go back to school.