Let’s face it, not everyone lands their dream internship. So now what? The summer is right around the corner, and we are all faced with the question of how we should spend our precious summer days. I want to tell you first hand that just because your original plans may not have worked out, your summer possibilities are still endless and exciting. Here is a brief list of my personal suggestions!
Travel: Have you always wanted to lie on European beaches or wander the streets of Rome? Maybe you’ve dreamt of exploring Africa or going on adventures in South America. Well stop dreaming and do it! (Nike’s onto something.) The world is a magical place and simply seeing it in photos is absolutely nothing like experiencing it first-hand. Spending your summer taking dips in the Mediterranean Sea is a feeling you’ll remember for the rest of your life. I can’t even count how many times people with full-time jobs have told me how much they regret not traveling when they had the chance. College flies by and before you know it you’ll be working 40 hours a week with barely any vacation time. You must explore the world and travel while you still can! Worried about money? Try taking loans from family members. Enjoy the experience while you can and worry about the money later!
Pick up a new hobby: Are you envious of your friend who plays guitar or the girl you see taking amazing photos with her killer camera? Why not learn something new? You’d be surprised how much YouTube videos can teach you! I simply searched “how to play guitar for beginners” on YouTube and there are 15,400 results! This applies to almost any hobby you could think of: crochet, sewing, photography, sports and much more.
Get a job:Spending the summer working may not sound so exciting, but it’s a great opportunity to make some money. If you are staying in Chapel Hill over the summer, you should scout Franklin Street for job openings. Most of the employees at restaurants, bars and boutiques are college students who will be leaving for the summer, so this is a perfect time to get your foot in the door. You’ll be extremely happy when fall semester rolls around and you actually have spending money!
Take summer courses: Is next year looking rough for you? Free up some of your time by taking classes this summer! Summer courses are always praised for their small class size and unique learning experience. Plus, a little GPA booster never hurts. Not interested in summer school? Well if you’re planning on grad school, then take a test-prep class and start studying! You’ll be too busy during the semester to worry about the GRE, MCAT or LSAT, so study during the summer when you know you have more free time.
Most importantly, just live. It may sound cliché, but college really does go by so fast and then before you know it, it’s over. So whether you choose to spend your summer making memories or making money, make it worthwhile!
Sources:
Lagos, Portugal: Google Images, http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.hotelclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/lagos-portugal.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.hotelclub.com/portugals-pleasant-paradise-10-spectacular-holiday-delights-in-algarves-abode/&usg=__MnaLzp_N91REflF_f9AXc3ibetE=&h=338&w=450&sz=43&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=wUux7c3CnxIjdM:&tbnh=146&tbnw=194&ei=4SSfTYbSIs3AtgeDmc2dAw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlagos%2Bportugal%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7ADFA_en%26biw%3D1659%26bih%3D798%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=276&oei=4SSfTYbSIs3AtgeDmc2dAw&page=1&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:21,s:0&tx=7&ty=56
Photography: Google Images, http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/local/morningnews/blogs/Photography.jpg&imgrefurl=http://weblogs.wpix.com/news/local/morningnews/blogs/2011/02/&usg=__2Y7W2ZH6H2UdpqVMjrPrA06Bcy8=&h=960&w=1280&sz=149&hl=en&start=4&zoom=1&tbnid=E3O4NIzF5ufAZM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&ei=riWfTa7lENShtwfMurz1Ag&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dphotography%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7ADFA_en%26biw%3D1659%26bih%3D798%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1
Kaplan Test Prep: Google Images,
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://webarts-lamp.cit.cornell.edu/…