Although by this point in February the several months of cold, rain, snow and darkness we have endured makes it tempting to believe that winter will never end, that whole business of how the earth revolves around the sun makes it inevitable that at some point winter will turn into spring. And as we all know, after spring must come summer. Unless the sun goes out, of course. But let’s try not to think about that eventuality.
Anyway, summer isn’t just great because it means there will be at least a couple of days of sunshine and warmth. It also means that school’s out (someone should really write a song celebrating the coincidence of those two events…). Yes, with the summer months comes an endless expanse of free weeks and a break from the academic year’s grind of classes, assignments and exams. What better way to spend that precious time away from the stresses of study than by doing absolutely nothing?
Well, we can think of at least a couple. While it is tempting to see summer approaching and look forward to lots of lie-ins, is that really the best use of your time? But, ah, you say, don’t I deserve to have some fun? Haven’t I earned a holiday? Can’t I just chill out for a bit before I decide what to do with my vacation time?
Well yes, you probably have, and yes you probably can. But the problem is that time–and especially the summertime–is precious, and very easy to throw away. At the start of the summer holidays, many people have grand ideas of things that they’ll do, once they’ve given themselves a week or two of R & R. But then those one or two weeks become a month, and then two months, and then before they know it September has rolled around again. September’s a bit of a stealthy ninja like that, always catching you out.
The best way to prevent this sorry scenario from happening is definitely to plan ahead for the summer. You don’t need to get anything set in stone right now, but you should definitely start setting the wheels in motion for arranging something interesting and worthwhile to do over the summer. And if you’re stuck for ideas, here are some suggestions from the leavingschool.co.uk team that are yours to keep for free.
#1 Do some travelling
By this we don’t mean travelling to Tenerife for two weeks of partying, though of course you are more than welcome to do that as well if you please. No, we’re talking about visiting some new and exciting countries and expanding your cultural horizons.
Obviously this option is dependent on two things: your age and your bank balance. If you’re too young to go off travelling on your own, or if you’re not awash with cash right now, then jetting off to Thailand for some backpacking probably isn’t going to be an option.
Fear not, however. For there are a couple of other ways you can enjoy a spell overseas this summer without needing to be swimming in money.
#2 Work, volunteer or study abroad
If you’re over eighteen and a student, there are various countries, for example Canada, Australia or New Zealand, that’d love to have you pop over for a few months to do some casual work. Nothing too fancy, probably just waiting tables or serving drinks; but the point is you’ll be young and free in an exciting, vibrant city on the other side of the world. All you need to do to make it happen is apply through BUNAC for a student work visa–but do get your act together with this, as they’re limited in number.
There are also other overseas work options. Working in a hotel or some other part of the tourist sector is also a popular choice, as is working at summer camps, whether they be the classic American camps out in the woods or language-learning camps in the European Union. The beauty of these positions is that you arrange the employment before you go, so there won’t be any uncertainty as to whether you’ll find work or not. And you’ll probably even get free accommodation into the bargain.
For those who are under eighteen, your best bet is probably to look at participating in some sort of summer language school or exchange, where your folks will be able to sleep soundly knowing that you’re being looked after by either the language school or a host family. Just make sure you don’t tell them about any late-night sneaking out that you do…
#3 Take a summer course and learn something
Further study might be the last thing on your mind over the summer. But then again, what if there’s some sort of skill that you’ve been itching to learn but as of yet haven’t had the chance to? Something a little bit different from what you study at school or university, such as photography or acting?
Summer’s a great time to take courses like this, as you won’t need to balance doing them with your standard school workload. So check out what your local FE college has to offer and get yourself enrolled!
#4 Get an internship or work experience
For the more career-minded, the summer can be spent getting work experience that relates directly to your future professional or study hopes. This is probably the least relaxing of the options we’re offering up here today, but if you’re prepared to put in the sacrifice of spending a summer in a busy office or an A & E department, that investment of your time could play a decisive role in getting you a future job or a place on your top-choice university course.
More so with travelling or studying, finding an internship or work placement, even if it’s an unpaid one, requires forward planning and applying. You can’t just rock up at your local hospital and expect them to let you start looking after the patients. So start researching where you’d like to work, polish up that CV and get drafting that cover letter!