In just three short weeks, the school year will be over and summer break will begin. Like most other college students, I’m personally looking forward to sleeping, catching up on all my shows, and laying out in the sun. But if I know myself at all, I’ll start getting bored after a few weeks of this routine. In an attempt to avoid this yearly problem, I’m planning on using my free time wisely this summer. Summer is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby or work on a skill that you’ve always wanted to improve. Here are a few ideas to inspire a productive summer:
Cooking
In my opinion, cooking is the perfect summer project. It’s time-consuming, very useful, and your family and friends will appreciate the leftovers. There is no shortage of recipes and video tutorials on the internet, so you should have no trouble finding something that you can master.
Exercise
If your summer body isn’t ready yet, it’s not too late! Lots of gyms have reduced membership prices for college students, but you can also do your own thing at home. There are so many amazing YouTube channels with high quality workout videos (my favorite is Fitness Blender), or you can go on runs and bike rides.
Painting
Not only is painting super calming, it can save you money on dorm decor for next year! Try going to a park or nature preserve and painting the sunset, or write out a favorite song lyric.
Journaling
There are so many benefits of journaling, but I’ll just name a few. A daily self-check-in can do wonders for your mental health. You’ll have a personal document of your summer. You’ll even improve your writing skills without even trying!
Flexibility
If you want to see fast results, this is the skill to work on this summer. A few years ago I really wanted to be able to touch my toes, so I stretched my hamstrings every single day. I was shocked by how quickly I achieved my goal!
Podcasts
I recently starting listening to podcasts, and I’m obsessed. If you want to be inspired, laugh, or just catch up on the news, there’s a podcast (or a dozen) out there for you. Bonus points for multitasking! Podcasts are great to listen to while you cook or work out.
Have a productive summer!