Going home for winter break (aka J-Term) can be relaxing and refreshing, but some of you collegiettes might be wondering what you’re supposed to do for six whole weeks at home. Withdrawal from school is unavoidable, which is why you need to find something worthwhile to do during your time off. There are endless possibilities ranging from an amazing study abroad experience (#priceless) to making money for second semester’s Redskins and Trashcans.
Here are HC’s top five things to do over J-Term:
1. Study Abroad with Miami UniversityIf you suffer from extreme FOMO, you probably can’t miss out on a semester at school. But you can use J-Term to study abroad and still save your summer for an awesome internship. Receive class credit, complete your global perspective requirements and have the experience of a lifetime. You can go anywhere including Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America and even the Middle East. All programs are faculty-lead so you have the comfort of going with other Miami students, too. To find a program that’s right for you, go to Miami’s study abroad page and search through the faculty-lead winter term programs. You can also search by your desired location and field of study. Looking for a program outside of Miami with students from other schools? You’ll find that there too.
2. Study Away If you prefer to stay in the states, simply study away! Some Miamians don’t know it, but students have the option to study in other places within the U.S. such as in Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, Denver, Seattle, Portland and New York. A very popular domestic program is Inside Hollywood. If you are a mass communications major, this program provides three credit hours, fulfills the signature experience requirement and you’ll get the chance to meet with top people in the entertainment industry. By studying away, you will get an awesome experience for a smaller price tag than going overseas.
3. Get Ahead Do you have a lot on your to-do list but never seem to get to it all during the school year? Use J-Term to start checking things off! Apply for jobs, whether that’s for full-time positions or summer internships. Applications can be time-consuming and tedious, so the winter term is a perfect time to get them over with if you haven’t already. You could also get ahead (or catch up) with your studies by taking some classes on campus. Yes, you can take a semester class in just weeks!
4. Intern Not many college students are available for internships in January, yet there are companies that would love to hire interns. The beauty of Miami’s new J-Term is that you can put your skills to work and get real world experience when other students can’t. Put the time in over break so you can have some time off during the spring semester’s weekends.
5. Detox Lastly, you can use J-Term for the thing most collegiates don’t get to do: relax. Go to some workout classes, cozy up by the fireplace with some hot chocolate and binge on some Netflix. Take some time to detox while you’re at it — we all know some of the foods and drinks we consume in college are far from healthy. Take advantage of the homemade cooking and stay away from Easy Mac and Natural Light.