If you are a college student who has the fortunate opportunity to witness an earlier or longer break than you would have in high school, then I am sure a number of things must be going through your mind. Certainly for me getting out of school three weeks earlier than usual has left me wondering, what do I do with all of this time? Time is an interesting thing, we are always using it, but hardly ever know when we are wasting it. Summer is probably the easiest time of the year for this to occur. However, I assure you, this does not have to be the case.

It's A Mindset

Hanging around with your friends is certainly a fun and necessary activity that I recommend everyone to do, yet I submit if one is to do nothing, but this then one is wasting his or her time. Furthermore, getting away from studies is a sort of trick for some. I recognize that when I was in high school, the summer for me meant that I had no "school work" to do and nothing to learn or focus on. So when I attempted to practice piano or take classes that might augment my intrigue and progress my skills, I did not take them as seriously as I could have. Summer really is a mindset. Do you want to hang out all day and relax with your friends? Do you want to learn something new or substantially progress in something you already know? Either way is fine, but for those who are seeking the latter, you might have to change your mindset. The struggle of work is hard, especially in college and after just taking your final exams, you may be tempted to just flop down for your extended break. I urge people who are prone to this sort of mindset to think of summer break / vacation as neither a break nor a vacation but a change -- a change from school work to your own personal work

Find What Interests You

If one is to think of summer break as a change instead of a break, then I believe the options to be endless. Finally! After eight months of grinding it out and studying subjects that might not interest you as much as others, you can focus solely on what you want to do. If you want construction work experience, then you can join Habitat for Humanity or work on a construction site. If you want to learn to garden, then you can try and start your own garden. The weight that is on my shoulders during the school year does not remain there just because I am as busy; it is alleviated because there is no pressure. You aren't graded necessarily, and if you are, then you are hopefully receiving some sort of curricular credit for the work that you do. In other words, your passions and interests should not be things that are exclusive to the school year. Use this extra time to relax and do something significant, use your new freedoms to broaden your perspective and make sure that by the end of the summer you know it was all worth while. Have a nice summer!