Summer is here to stay. You’ve been in school for two consecutive semesters. Semesters full of assignments, essays, group projects, all-nighters and exams. You’ve earned a lengthy school break. Summer breaks are usually the best time to go on a trip to a different country. Or you may also stay home and save up.

Whatever you decide to do for your summer break depends on you. But what if you’re unsure what to do, like the rest of us? There are so many fun and exciting things to do over the summer. For this reason, I’ve decided to compile a list to make the most of your summer break.

Learn a new skill

You should definitely have at least one hard skill on your resume. A hard skill is any taught skill. They are often learned in school or work experience. Some of them allow you to earn certifications. Recruiters look for hard skills on resumes to ensure how well you would be able to perform job duties. They also use search tools to filter out all resumes that are not equal to the job description. For this reason, students should expand their knowledge beyond their major.  If, for example, you are student majoring in coding, website design or anything related, then you should try to focus on learning a programming language that is not offered at your college.

Get an Internship

Another key factor of your resume is your work experience. All future juniors and seniors should start sending out resumes to get internships. I can’t stress enough the need for an internship in your professional career. Internships not only provide experience and knowledge on your major, but they help you gain insight into your future work task. Internships also help you build a strong resume that recruiters are looking for. Not to mention, if you invest your time in an internship, you could build a valuable connection.

Study Abroad

For those students enjoy to travel and need to take summer classes, this is your perfect option. School offers students the opportunity to study abroad. Students can take courses overseas while exploring a new country. Studying abroad helps students develop skills that classrooms cannot provide. Studying abroad forces students to become independent by pushing your boundaries. Studying in a different country also helps students to expand their world view. As well as meeting new and exciting people from different backgrounds.

Take a Summer Class

Most students finish FSC in four years. If you are one of the students who is trying to graduate as fast as possible, then you should get ahead in your schoolwork and take summer classes. I would recommend taking a required basic class or your foreign language requirement. FSC also offers students placement tests for those students who are bilingual. Placement tests are often simple and count as if you were taking a foreign language course. If you are trying to stay away from campus, you could also take an online class. Online students save money and time because they don’t have to commute. This is very convenient because students lessen their workload for next semester. Not to mention you could get back on track to graduate on time.

Fix and polish your resume

Building the perfect resume can be stressful. We learned that obtaining skills and work experience is essential for your resume. But how do we put everything together? You should definitely update your resume during your summer break. Start by getting rid of all the information that is not related to the field you are applying for. And add any leadership roles and club involvements in campus. The information inside your resume should reflect the job description. Try to polish your resume until you only have meaningful information. LinkedIn is a great tool for students who look for a job and try to show their skills. You should use LinkedIn because this is the only way recruiters will find you. So a great way to invest your time is to build a profile during summer. A perfect resume will help you stand out from other candidates.

Take a break

Take a break from everything related to school. We all understand that college can be a place very stressful for students. For this reason, make sure your recharge your batteries and relax this summer. You need time to de-stress. Take a trip somewhere, or even if you stay local try to have fun.

All in all, students should definitely keep a balanced summer break. Your summer should be a mix of interesting and productive activities. Remember whatever you do during your summer break, summer is only a couple of months so make the most of it!