Summer is upon us. That means less time to fret about academics (yay!), but do yourself a favor and don’t go full coach potato. The summer months are a perfect opportunity to build your resume in any number of ways.

First – let’s get this out of the way – nobody’s saying summer shouldn’t be fun. You worked hard in school all year. You deserve to enjoy the warm months, hang out with your friends, and live the good life. Go forth and be merry — but also be productive.

IDEA 1 FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIES: WORK

What that looks like really depends on what you’re interested in. For many students, getting a job is a financial necessity. The good news – even if the job isn’t particularly interesting or relevant to your career goals, you’ll still be learning life skills that will stick with you. A job will also give you a chance to develop your work ethic – an invaluable skill during college and beyond.

IDEA 2 FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIES: INTERN OR VOLUNTEER

Other students may prefer to get an internship or volunteer. Those are great ways to stay busy, connect with like-minded individuals, and build your resume.  Many internships won’t offer much – if any – pay, but the experience and connections are often well worth the hit to your bank account.

IDEA 3 FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIES: DEVELOP HOBBIES

And there are hobbies. Fancy yourself a writer? Give yourself a goal: write two short stories per month. At the end of the summer, send them off to literary journals and try to get published.  You could also learn a musical instrument, try your hand at painting, whatever. The point is to challenge yourself and have fun while you’re doing it. Don’t worry about mastering the hobby. These are great ways to learn about a skill and about yourself.

Years from now do you want to remember this summer as the one where you learned to play the piano or the one where you watched six seasons of Real Housewives while eating Cheetos in your bed?

IDEA 4 FOR SUMMER ACTIVITIES: STUDY FOR THE ACT OR SAT

One more thing. Granted this isn’t the most exciting option, but it is important and shouldn’t be ignored: study for the ACT or SAT. The summer months offer students an uninterrupted time to catch up on math and English fundamentals. And while right now it may seem like the summer’s going to last forever, the first day of school will be here before you know it.

If you’re interested in opportunities to explore college campuses and improve your chances of admission, check out fly-ins and other summer programs offered by some of the nation’s top universities.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Whatever your choose to do, have fun and push yourself to try new things, engage with the world, and build your resume. Oh, and have fun, too. It’s summer, after all.

Do you like what you’ve read? Please click the links to share with friends who would also benefit from learning tips to stay productive this summer.

About Winward Academy – Winward Academy is one of the world’s leading innovators in the online education space, providing web-based academic support that enhances students’ knowledge, confidence, and competitiveness in middle and high school academics and in college applications. We help thousands of students every year by providing personalized, comprehensive ACT and SAT test preparation and extensive math curriculum support. The Winward Academy learning platform honors over 40 years of education and cognitive psychology research, incorporating proven techniques that promote effective learning.