I can’t count the number of times I swore I was going to do X, Y and Z while I was home – only to wake up on the day before classes start on the couch covered in granola bar wrappers, three seasons deep into my latest Netflix binge.
As busy college students, winter break is a blessing that only comes once a year – and we need to take advantage of it. After all, what other time of year can you sit down to update your LinkedIn page or apply for a summer internship without realizing your paper was due an hour ago?
Just think about it; I’ll wait….and in the meantime, here are ten ways to spend your winter break more productively. (And bonus: you can always play Netflix in the background!)
1. Update your resume.
It’s suggested you update your resume once a semester in college – but when you’re busy with homework and group projects, it can be hard to find the time to waste an hour on entering action verbs into Microsoft Word. Thankfully, winter break is the perfect time to update your resume without missing any pressing deadlines.
2. Read for pleasure.
Remember reading? You know, that thing people used to do before Netflix was invented? Well, even in today’s digital age, there are benefits to reading just for fun. In fact, people who read for pleasure have higher GPAs – so, go ahead. Pick up that bestseller, and if Dad asks what you’re doing on the couch, tell him it’s helping you get into grad school.
3. Get tested for STIs.
Weird as it may sound, you probably don’t have much time to go to the doc during the school year – and since it’s super important to get tested for STIs at least once a year when you’re sexually active, that period between December and January is the best time to pop into your doc’s for a little test.
4. Start a side hustle.
Have you always wanted to become a fashion blogger, or open your own Etsy store? Winter break is your chance to finally put your big business dreams into action! Sites like WordPress, Shopify, and Etsy all make it super easy to start a side-hustle at the click of a button. Almost every college girl I know nowadays has a kick-ass side hustle – for example, my roommate manages social media accounts and another friend in my sorority sells DIY candles. Time to get on board with the #girlboss trend and make it happen, girl!
5. Start a bullet journal.
If you haven’t heard of them yet, bullet journals are DIY notebooks that roll your planner, your to-do lists, your phone reminders and all those random notes into one convenient place. Starting a bullet journal over winter break will help you roll into Spring 2018 more organized and stress-free than ever before. Pinterest is chock-full of inspiration to help you doodle the perfect bullet journal for your life – but if you honestly don’t know where to start, this Buzzfeed guide can also help.
6. Solidify your summer plans.
Last summer, I was the girl who didn’t think about her plans until the absolute last minute…and then realized all the internships I wanted were already full #ouch. To prevent this from happening to you, start googling internship and summer job applications over winter break. You can even create a spreadsheet of all the opportunities that interest you and their deadlines to ensure you stay on track once you’re back at BU.
7. Embark on a new exercise plan.
Getting fit in college is honestly the worst – especially if, like me, you live as far away from FitRec as humanly possible. On the other hand, when you’re home for the holidays, you have tons more free time and more access to affordable classes (thanks, President Brown, for jacking up on-campus prices), so it’s a great time to start creating healthy habits that you can bring back to school with you in the spring.
8. Take a class at community college.
I know, I know: over winter break, the last thing you want to think about is textbooks and final exams. But taking a class at a community college over the winter can help you knock credits out of the way for a more affordable price tag than classes at BU. Just make sure you cross-check BU’s list of accepted credits so you don’t end up wasting your winter on a class that doesn’t count!
9. Save money.
You could take your grandma’s Christmas check and go out to a fancy brunch with all your friends from home…or you could stick it in a savings account and let it earn interest for the next 1-4 years so you have a little nest egg after graduation. I mean, it’s your choice – but if I were you, I’d just make eggs at home.
10. Reorganize your schedule.
I suffer from this disease that makes me drop at least twenty classes and enroll in at least ten new ones every semester. So, if you’re anything like me, why not try rearranging your schedule over winter break instead of trying to transfer into classes once they’ve already started? That way, you don’t end up wasting money on textbooks you don’t need (@ the economics class I dropped in Fall 2017).
If I’m being honest, I’m probably just going to watch all five thousand seasons of Game of Thrones over winter break anyway…but at least we both have some alternatives for that awkward moment when Netflix asks if we’re still here.
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