Summer can be a stressful time for college kids who don’t have an exact path or plan yet, who don’t have it “all figured out,” which in reality, is all college kids. Yet an illusion is cast by people who have serious jobs or internships during the summers in between their college years that their lives are planned out to a T and they are shortly on their way to having their futures, while you, the one without an intense 9-5 internship that perfectly correlates to your major, you have been left in the dust by your peers and you will never have a successful career. This is not the case, so take a deep breath and put things into perspective. Surrounding yourself with hard working, ambitious people is never a negative thing and just because you may not find yourself in the same situation as your friends in terms of your “path,” this does not mean that you yourself are not hardworking and ambitious. Instead of allowing yourself to feel bad, to feel like you did something wrong for not taking huge, visible leaps, realize that every day you can do simple things to push yourself steadfastly in the direction of your goal, and who cares if you are not wearing a suit while you do it.
If you find yourself without a 9-5 job during summer break, it is easy for all your motivation from the year to dissipate and find yourself laying on the couch for eight hours a day mindless watching Netflix. Instead, use this copious amount of free time you have been blessed with to make something of your summer, to do things that you seem to never have the time to do during the semester when you are swamped with school work and struggling to find balance. Here are a few simple things you can to not lose sight of your path, maintain motivation and feel accomplished this summer:
1. Update on your resume.
Spend time on your resume actually going through it with a fine tooth comb, bringing it to date and making the little tweaks you have been too lazy to make but do actually make a difference.
2. Work on your Linked-In.
3. Use Pinterest for things other than cute clothes and makeup, find ways to organize for the upcoming semester, professional tips and of course, motivational quotes.
4. Read. Read. Read. Stray from typical fluffy beach reads and plan to read at least three books this summer. My friend Liza shared her reading plan with me that I believe is completely doable as well as productive: read one book you are able to talk about in future interviews, one classic, and one purely for your entertainment.
5. Use a planner- yes, use a planner over the summer. Besides the fact that it is the most satisfying feeling to cross over something on your “to-do” list, a planner helps you keep your life in track even when you feel like you don’t have much going on. Also, it is a great habit to get into before the semester, so when the first week of classes arrives you will already be a professional planner and you will know what method works right for you.
6. Start looking for internships for the year or next summer, even if companies do not yet have their application forms available, start emailing some and put your name in their minds before they’re even thinking about the next round of interns or hiring. Making connections consistently will only ever help you in the long run.
7. Come up with a workout plan and stick to it. Not only will you look great for the school year, you will be in a routine and routine aids in productivity.
8. Take an online class. If you have the time to commit to an online class during the summer, do it. You will not only gain some extra credits, but you will enter into the new semester with an active, engaged brain that isn’t just fried from TV and lounging by the pool all day. Hey- your fingers actually might not go limp and not know what to do when you put a pen in them for the first time next semester!
9. Get a part-time job. Any experience in the workplace is worthy experience. Working any sort of job, whether it is waitressing or working in a clothing store, gives you the opportunity to hone your communication skills and work ethic, and teaches responsibility. Also, making money for the upcoming year is always a good idea.
10. Relax. You are a student, you may not even be twenty yet, you work hard and you deserve some time in the sun without constantly worrying about your future. Do not compare how far along you are on your path to how far others are along on theirs, because this is absolutely not a measure of how successful you will be in life. Enjoy the ride and stay focused.
