Summer for pre-med, pre-law, pre-P.T., and all students can feel like there’s a never-ending to-do list: volunteer hours, shadowing, summer classes, maybe research, maybe working, and somehow still trying to live your life. It’s a lot– trust me, I get it. The job force is getting harder and harder to enter, our resumes need building, and a postgraduate academic qualification has become more important. This summer, I’m choosing to make it worth it without burning out.
Living in New York City adds its own flavor to the chaos. There’s always something happening; live music in the park, farmers markets, late-night food runs, and random art on the sidewalks. Even walking around can feel like a break from everything– it inspires me. I try to let the city give me those little moments of peace or excitement depending on what I need that day.
This summer, I’m balancing quite a bit: working at the hospital, taking a couple of easy-A Cornell classes, preparing to present at a symposium through my scholars program at Columbia University, and starting up my role as Senior Editor for Her Campus at Ithaca. It still feels surreal writing all that out– I’m proud of how I’ve made space for everything that matters to me.Even with all that’s going on, I make time for the things that fill me back up. Whether it be long walks with friends, lake days when I get out of the city, quick matcha runs, Love Island watch parties, and staying up way too late laughing about TikTok. I don’t believe you have to choose between ambition and enjoyment. Both can fit if you’re intentional.
I plan my week with balance in mind. Notion is my number one best friend and workspace. Notion is an all-in-one digital workspace where you can organize your notes, tasks, and goals. It’s not just a tool, it’s a productivity mindset. “Notion” helps create custom dashboards to plan your day, track habits, store class notes, and manage your entire life in one place. Think of it like a digital planner, journal, and study guide all rolled into one.
I discovered Notion through YouTube study vlogs and productivity creators, many students use it to stay on schedule, especially in college. It works because it lets you design a system that fits you. whether that’s a simple to-do list or an aesthetic “That Girl” morning routine tracker.
I look at what I need to get done and then block out time to just exist – no pressure, no guilt. That could be a solo walk with a playlist on full volume, or grabbing food with friends after work. The goal is to protect time for myself, like I protect time for everything else.
If you’re trying to make your summer feel productive but still fun, keep it simple. Make sure you take the summer to see if you are truly interested in the career path you are in. It’s a time to immerse yourself and explore. Pick two or three solid goals, maybe shadowing, one class, and some kind of volunteer work, and then protect the rest of your time like it’s sacred. Don’t stretch yourself so thin that you forget to actually live. Maybe summer could be a time for something different like traveling outside the country. If I were to go somewhere, maybe I’d look into language classes or even a short internship just to experience something new. Something like that might even look cool on a resume. Or even doing something online just to keep my brain engaged – a small certification or course maybe. I feel like having at least one interesting thing to show for the summer might be nice. You don’t need to dive too deep. Some of the best moments I’ve had this summer have nothing to do with my resume. Laughing with my best friends, getting too much sun, running into old classmates on the subway, these little moments are the ones I’ll remember most.We’re not just pre-med students. We’re people. We’re allowed to live lives that feel meaningful and full of fun, not only to seem impressive on resumes. Sometimes having a unique identity is all they’re looking for.