The holidays are here…
In the immortal words of the (very) old song – ‘School’s Out’!
You may be recovering and relaxing after finishing your GCSEs (well done), and waiting to move up to college, or maybe you’re moving to another year of your course.
Either way, you will have a good few weeks of holiday –so how to spend them?
Obviously, you will want to catch up with friends and family, but it’s easy to combine this with useful stuff too!
1. Work /volunteer/learn new skills
Get a job – there are often summer jobs available in cafes, shops, cinemas etc. A job is great experience and will let you gain skills while earning.
Where to look for summer work online.
If you can’t find a paid job, then work experience can be just as valuable – especially if it’s an area you’d like to go into.
For both of these, it’s important to think about putting together a CV. If you don’t have one, here are some useful links: https://www.yourspaceonline.net/careers/employability/
Volunteer– volunteering can be a great way to gain new skills and experiences and to give something back.
You can visit your local volunteering centre, or join a scheme such as NCS, or the Princes Trust.
Learn new skills – take a course online, or develop life skills, such as cooking, basic DIY and budgeting. YouTube can be a great resource for tutorials and for online courses – futurelearn, coursera have scores of options.
2. Make the most of your interests
Get involved in your hobbies now you have the time- be these art, books, music, exercise, gaming, cookery…
3. Take a break
Going on holiday? Great. But if not, why not become a hometown tourist? Looking at where you live with fresh eyes can turn the mundane into the new. Visit the beauty spots, go somewhere you’ve never been before.
4. Get into good habits
Try healthy eating, exercise, and getting plenty of sleep before the academic year begins. Start a routine, and this will last you into next year too.
5. Get ready
Prep your study – your course may have study material or activities to complete over the summer, or you may find it useful to read up on what you’ll be studying. Either way, this can give you a head start next year.
Get organized – Also remember to get the equipment you’ll need and start thinking abut how you’ll organize yourself – travelling to college, budgeting etc. The earlier you do this, the better you can relax.
Lastly, get outside (great for the endorphins and vitamin D) and enjoy yourself –see you next year!
