It’s the end of the year and you’re completely exhausted from endless exams, essays, and packing. All you want to do this summer is relax on the couch with pizza, wine, and 12-hour long Netflix binges. However, as great as that sounds, the Michigan summer is four months long, and you want to make sure that you’re using those four months to their fullest potential. Here are some tips to stay productive throughout the summer, while having some relaxing fun at the same time.
Get a job/internship. This is the ~ultimate~ goal of many college students for the summer. Check out Michigan’s career center to help find that perfect summer position. Whether you’re making money for the school year, or simply gaining valuable work experience, an internship or job is a great way to stay productive throughout the summer.
Catch up on your reading. Between all the textbooks, articles, and essays you have to read for class, the school year doesn’t provide much time for leisure reading. This summer, catch up on that series you’ve been meaning to finish, try the latest best seller from the New York Times’ list, or simply go to the nearest library and pick the first book off the shelf. Reading will keep your mind sharp and will also provide you with hours of entertainment.
Exercise. During the year, it can be pretty tough to fit in a decent workout between all your school and extracurricular work. However, in the summer, the long days and warm weather provide the perfect opportunity for an awesome workout. Exercising will keep your body strong, your mind healthy, and will even make you happier through the release of endorphins, which also helps reduce stress!
Pick up a useful hobby. Summer is the perfect time to improve on new skills. Want to cook better? Learn a new language? Invest in a startup? You’ll have plenty of time this summer to pick up a new skill that’ll be useful in your newfound adult life.
Make relaxation a priority. After a harsh, tiresome school year (with quite possibly one of the shortest winter breaks in college history), we students could all use some much-needed R&R. In order to de-stress and prep yourself for the upcoming semester, make sure you prioritize plenty of relaxation time throughout the summer so you won’t be too burnt out once the second semester rolls around.
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