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5 Productive Things to Do Over Break

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Siena chapter.

So break is coming up and you’re ready to chill and relax after a hard semester…and you totally should! But if you ever get bored of watching Netflix all day, here are some productive things to do over the break!

1. Start your new coursework

If you know some of the readings that will be required for your coursework in the Spring semester, get a head start! While break is meant for a relaxation and a reprieve from work, if you do a little each day, it won’t be a huge burden and your Spring semester self will thank you! (Plus you can take cute study pictures!)

2. Organize Your Semester

Put that new planner and Google calendar to use ASAP! Start penciling in dates for things you already know will happen. Put in class times and club meeting times and figure out when you’ll do homework during the semester. Make sure to reserve some room for fun and downtime as well!

3. Volunteer

Help others and get your volunteer hours in! Serving the community is always productive and never a waste of time! There are plenty of places to volunteer over the holiday season. Find something you’re passionate about and look up organizations that help your cause and sign up!

4. Catch up on pleasure reading

Have a novel you’ve been dying to read but couldn’t fit it in during the semester? Well, now’s the time to catch up on reading the books that you want to read. Take a break from all that academic reading and pick up a novel! It’ll refresh your brain and give you some space before you have to pick up all those scholarly articles again!

5. Learn about something new

Heard about something in one of your classes that sparked your interest but didn’t have time to research it over the semester? Now’s the time to look into something new and learn about it. You don’t have to do super research, but a quick Google search can lead to so many things! Maybe it’s a historical era, a type of philosophy, or an event, but whatever it is, it can never hurt to learn new things!

Break is a great time to rest up and catch your breath after a whirlwind semester, but towards the end, it’s also a good time to prepare for the next semester. Try some of these things and you’ll go back to school feeling productive and ready to work!

Emily Radigan is a Siena College Class of 2020 alumna. During her time at Siena, she triple-majored in Political Science, Philosophy, and a self-designed interdisciplinary major in Gender and Sexuality Theory and Activism.