It’s that time of the semester where the school year is almost over, and it seems as if someone asks you at least once a day what your plans are for the summer. Although it’s great to hear from friends and classmates about how they plan to go abroad, intern in New York City or stay in Richmond and work on a research project, answering this question can be difficult when the only summer plans you have so far involve binge watching Netflix and hanging out with your siblings. If you’re worried about still not having productive plans for the summer yet, don’t. There’s still time ! Here are 5 things you can do this summer if you still haven’t secured an internship yet :
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The obvious : Start applying for internships
Although it may feel as if it’s too late to start applying, it isn’t. Websites like indeed.com, internships.com and looksharp.com can help you to search for summer internships in different cities across the county where the application deadline hasn’t passed yet. And remember that if you need help funding your internship, you still have time to apply for the Richmond Guarantee, which has an application due date of April 3.
2. Return to your old high school job for the summer
If you worked while you were in high school, there is often an opportunity to return back to your old job for the summer. One of the benefits of doing this is that you are going back to a job that you already know, so you can skip through the whole hiring and training process and start working again right away. Reach out to your old managers and see if they need any extra help this summer !
3. Take up a babysitting job
A lot of parents who work need some kind of childcare for their kids once school lets out for the summer. If you’re good with working with kids, reach out to some of your neighbors or family members and see if they need a babysitter for the summer. You can also use Care.com, a website that connects babysitters with families who are looking for some extra help.
4. Work at a summer camp
One of the good things about working at a summer camp is that they usually start in June, so there is still some time to apply if you haven’t started yet. Working at a camp is also great because you get almost the first half of your summer to just relax or travel before you have to start working.
5. Get ahead on school work
There’s always a chance to get ahead on school work during the summer. If you’re considering going to grad school or law school after you graduate from UR, the summer could be the perfect time to start researching different programs and begin taking GRE or LSAT prep courses. There’s also the opportunity to take classes at your local community college and see if these courses could transfer back to UR for credit.
Hopefully by now you feel better about not having your summer plans set yet ! And just remember that if all else fails, there’s nothing wrong with spending the summer relaxing and indulging in self-care. Sometimes after a long and stressful school year, that’s exactly what you need.