By Elena Brand, Studying English with Creative Writing
The Summer holidays are within reach. Four months of freedom, late nights and lie-ins before the next semester starts. This is the time to take a step back from coursework, deadlines, submission stress and revision-week. Time for getting your head clear. That way you can concentrate on your degree come September feeling refreshed.
Or is it?
Getting degree related experience over the summer doesn’t have to be stressful. It also doesn’t need to require sitting at a desk all day.
It is up to you to enjoy your holiday in a smart way by integrating what might be useful in the future into your time off. So, you can do some research on what would further your interest in your area. Local part-time work, potential internships, evening courses, voluntary positions or summer camps (perhaps even abroad).
Find Inspo
Research people whose work inspires you and find out what helped them get where they are. (You don’t know anyone who might inspire you? Find someone! From Elon Musk to an awesome past teacher or your favourite author. Inspiration works wonders!)
Get Involved
The university, offers an abundance of information on activities to join. Signing up to job alerts on different websites takes only minutes and could bring about the perfect opportunity to get experience for your career. Look at shop windows for signs. Alternatively you can take action by emailing companies which may want to take you in for a few weeks. (Even if they don’t advertise an intern-position, there is no harm in asking.)
An educational summer activity shouldn’t spoil your holidays with its workload. It should be a way of getting involved with what you’re passionate about. Make use of your time between academic years to focus on what you want to do after graduating and, most importantly, why this work interests you.
Find your path
Discovering what you don’t actually enjoy doing very much now may save you a lot of trouble later on during full-time employment. Therefore it is great to be aware of the opportunities in your area. For example, trying out different fields is a great way to help you gain versatile knowledge. Depending on your degree this ‘versatile knowledge’ can differ but there is a multitude of opportunities for anyone of any degree.
Find out more about the Careers Service
Explore your options: Careers and Employability Service | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)
