It’s Winter Break! Christmas and other holidays have passed, and you finally have time to think about what you want to do before returning to school. Whether you want to make the most of this Winter Break or you want to plan ahead for your next one, here are some ways to make Winter Break productive.
#1: Take a Community College Class
As I write in this article, there are many reasons to take community college classes. You can get ahead in units, boost your registration, and try things out without too much pressure. Especially if there’s a class that you don’t want to spend an entire semester on, this is a great option to make Winter Break productive. See what credits will transfer, how long it will take, and how you can make this possible. Or, if it’s too late, look ahead for the summer!
#2: Reconnect with Friends
You’ve been away from home for a while now, and it can be strange to be completely immersed in your old life again. Even if you attend school in the same city or commute most of the time, it can be strange to be back with your parents. Seeing your old life move on without you can be jarring. However, it can also be a great chance to reconnect. You’re not home for that long. Why not catch up with the people you don’t see often? This might not make Winter Break productive in an academic way, but it certainly fills your cup back up. That matters just as much.
#3: Get Organized
The end to each semester, especially your first, represents a chance to reflect. You have at least one more semester ahead of you, and it helps significantly to go in with a clear head. This can be achieved by organizing things in your life. With the knowledge from the previous semester, as well as an evaluation of what worked and what didn’t, you can start determining what aspects of your life need attention.
Maybe you want to set some goals and make a plan regarding how to achieve them. Or, if you struggled to manage your time during the first semester, maybe literal organization is something that you want to look into. In this article, I give several methods to help you organize your work and tasks to make your life more productive.
Additionally, if you want to plan a trip with your friends or study abroad, this is a great time to organize your plans. All of your friends are likely home from college as well, so you can get together and plan. That international trip you’ve always dreamed of? The road trip you talked about? The study abroad you need to do to fulfill your major requirements? Take advantage of the free time and plan it now.
#4: Learn Something New and Explore Your Interests
Now that you don’t have to study for all of your other classes, you have the opportunity to go about things your way. There are platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning that offer free and paid courses or videos. Additionally, you can utilize Youtube and various podcast platforms to learn something new or try out a new skill. From learning about the psychology of serial killers to learning how to knit, this is a great opportunity to make Winter Break productive.
It’s difficult to do this during the school year sometimes. It can be easy to feel a sense of guilt regarding doing something for pleasure or personal interest, not necessity. This mindset might not be the best, but it is common. However, while this is great for your spiritual and mental wellbeing, it also helps you to improve your soft skills, thus looking more marketable for employers. It’s a win-win! Here’s a list if you want some ideas on what you can learn.
#5: Start a Personal Project
As mentioned above, this free time is a great opportunity to explore your interests and starts something new. If you’ve always wanted to try something, there’s no better time than the present. Some personal project ideas include:
- Writing (poetry, story, play)
- Creating art (paintings, sculpture, etc.)
- Making an Etsy or Instagram store
- Developing a coding portfolio
- Starting a fitness challenge
- Creating a website
- Making a collection of recipes
- Building or DIYing something
These are just a jumping off point. Follow your interests and see what you come up with!
#6: Fix Your Resume
A mentor once told me that it’s best practice to update your resume at least twice a year. She did hers every Daylight Savings, so March and November. For college students, however, it makes more sense to do this at the beginning of every Winter and Summer Break. You have more time, and you also can include things you just did during the current semester.
Especially if you are graduating soon or considering applying to a job or an internship, it’s a good idea to get a head start on this. If you want some help, see my articles about making a resume when you don’t have much experience and making a master resume. Additionally, if you’ve recently studied abroad, see my article here about how to include your study abroad on your resume.
#7: Start Researching/Applying for Internships
Whether you want a spring internship or a summer internship, it’s never too early to start researching. It can be difficult to find the right internship sometimes, and it can also be a frustrating process. When you use your resources, network, and practice ahead of time, it becomes much easier. Make Winter Break productive by starting the process now. If you want to learn more about internships and the application process, read my article here.
#8: Nurture Your Needs
During the school year, it can be hard to make time for everything. Between internships, studying, jobs, friends, and other responsibilities, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Take this break to remember what lights your fire. Maybe that’s reading. Maybe it’s just watching TV and turning your brain off. Or maybe it’s going out into nature. All of these are great, and all of them are ways to prioritize your mental health and maintain motivation. Sometimes a little break is all you need to become more productive in the long run.
A Final Word
While the spring semester is approaching, there is still a lot you can do to make Winter Break productive. Take the time to nurture your emotional and spiritual self: do things you love, relax, spend time with family, and try new things. However, also consider the opportunity to improve academically and professionally–on your terms. Organize your life, try to learn something new, and fix up that resume. The time is yours. What will you do with it?
Photo Credit: Photo by Ruth Georgiev on Unsplash
