For our last article of the semester, we thought we would write an article collectively. With an unprecedented job landscape, sudden disruptions in our summer plans, and a lot of free time, we thought it would be fun to set some goals for ourselves. We’ve all tried to take up hobbies before, but the majority of us put them down almost as soon as we start. We’re hoping this keeps us accountable. Here’s a list of some of our chapter members’ hobbies and projects for the next few months… Check back in with us in the fall to see how we did!
-
Nora: I most definitely won’t have a real internship or job, so I will have lots of free time to pick up a project. I plan on painting a table and tie-dying clothes. In addition, I want to learn how to drive my Dad’s manual car, but we’ll see if I chicken out… I am super excited to have a project to focus on!
-
Katharine: I found an online cooking certificate program, so I think I’m going to try my luck with that. I figure it’s beneficial for me as well as everyone I’ll live with in the future. Kind of nervous about getting the supplies during a pandemic though…
-
Lynden: Don’t have a job but really want to make some money. I’ve decided my summer goal is to become a Poshmark entrepreneur a.k.a. sell all of my old clothes on Poshmark and make some decent money doing it. No luck yet. Literally not a single thing I’ve listed in the Q has sold.
-
Brooke: Growing up, music was always a huge part of my life but once I hit high school, I totally fell out of touch with it as schoolwork and other things started taking up a ton of my time. So my summer goal is to learn how to play the guitar! I don’t need to be the next Taylor Swift–as long as I get to a point where I’m good enough to play around the campfire, that’s good enough for me.
-
Grace: I’m on the Equestrian team and am lucky enough to live in a place where I have horses and lots of space to ride! So I’ll most likely be spending my summer working with my horse and getting in shape for next competition season, whenever that may end up being… I also have wanted to learn how to play piano for a really long time so that’s (hopefully) on the agenda as well. Not sure exactly how yet- if anyone reading this knows how to play and wants to Zoom shoot me a link!!!
-
Maddie S: I desperately need a hobby other than scrolling through tiktok and sleeping past 12 when I’m not in school. Since this summer will be so different because of the lack of job opportunities / other activities that would normally keep me busy, my goal is to become crafty. I want to complete some cool (albeit basic) arts and crafts projects like embroidering a pair of jeans or painting a table. I’ll be on the lookout for other DIY projects as well. Don’t worry though, I refuse to stoop so low that I turn to tie dye.
-
Celia: I’m going to try to make myself meditate for at least ten minutes everyday. For some reason, even with all the extra time on my hands in quarantine, I haven’t been devoting enough time to self-care! I’ve found that meditation helps so much with mitigating feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, which, I think everyone can agree, is so necessary right now. I’m going to get myself back into the habit by using the app Headspace, and my goal is that by the end of the summer, I’ll be able to do unguided meditations.
-
Edie: Some may say I’m not the most exercise-inclined person – they would be absolutely correct, to put it mildly. After rebelling by skipping sport lessons all throughout high school, I’ve found it difficult to find exercise that I enjoy. However, this past year I started dipping my toes into running, and this quarantine I want to make it a habit that sticks. I’m going to be using the Couch to 5k app to learn to enjoy running outside as opposed to in a gym. Although the lack of treadmill to track my progress will be confronting, I’m willing to put in the work to become a ~fitness queen~.
-
Hannah: Since I read a lot for my classes during the school year, I don’t ever find time to read books for enjoyment. I have a running list of books that I want to read and am looking forward to getting into it this summer. Some of the books are classics that I have never read, and others are new novels that my friends and family have recommended. I don’t have a goal for how many books I want to read over the course of the summer. My goal is just to make reading for fun a part of my daily schedule, which I think will be really calming and entertaining.
-
Maddie: While my internship was canceled and even some of my babysitting opportunities have crumbled, I am hoping to be productive and entrepreneurial this summer in order to stay busy and make some money. So far, I have negotiated with my parents in pricing out various odd jobs around our house. By the end of June, I will (hopefully) l have cleaned out our garage, painted the guest room, sanded our deck, and cleaned out various closets. This form of summer work is far from ideal, but I hope it will keep me occupied during this socially distant summer. Surprisingly, parents can be very enthusiastic about the prospect of paid housework, so I would recommend that as a part-time job for anyone looking for employment!
-
Bea: As of right now, I am still planning to work as a sailing instructor in Rhode Island this summer. However, I have a feeling my boss is going to email me any day now, canceling the sailing program for the summer. Since I will most likely be unemployed, I plan to fill up my free time by transforming one of the walls in my room into a giant collage wall. I’ve been collecting different photos, postcards, drawings, and signs for a while now, and I have a very boring and very bare wall in my room that needs to be spruced up. Besides this project, I hope to make at least a little money this summer by tutoring my neighbor and potentially working as a COVID-19 contact tracer for New York.