As your high school career draws to an end, spring break is the ideal time to spend time with your loved ones, pursue interests, and indulge in some self-care. It is also the time that is typically associated with questions like “What next?” or “How do I prepare for college?”
For any student who is looking forward to the next big milestone in their life – college – spring break is just the time to get ready for college and be productive.
While breaks are necessary, sometimes we feel the need to plan ahead a little bit to get ourselves back on track.
This spring break, translate your college aspirations into reality and plan in advance for what lies ahead. This is the best time to build the right skills, be more informed about your potential colleges, and enhance your personality.
Here are some tips to make your summer break fun yet productive if you are a student planning to study abroad in the future:
- Spend some time getting to know yourself better
Realizing what you really want is a life-long process for many, and figuring it out within a few months can be exhausting. This is exactly why psychologists and counsellors in the field have done extensive research to help you assess yourself and discover your interests and patterns. Going to a career counsellor or a psychologist will help you be more in touch with yourself, including your personality traits, patterns, interests and abilities. This information will further guide your career choices, college-preference as well as your emotional and behavioural patterns. - Create a road map
Every high school senior is gripped by persistent thoughts about which college to attend and how to choose the right college. Think about what you want the rest of your life to look like. Discover your areas of interest, do some research, curate a college list, and inquire about them from your friends, family, and acquaintances, as well as career counselors. For high school seniors, this is a crucial time to make a college list. By your senior year, you can gain a high degree of clarity about your options. You can also get in touch with counsellors at Oneiro to learn more about your prospects. It is a good time to start preparing a list of potential colleges based on your interests, aptitude and cultural-fit. - Go on a college visit
Much to our relief (and delight), many colleges provide the opportunity for students to visit their campus and tour it. If you do enough research, you will find that many colleges provide special programmes for students to explore their college, talk to the faculty (or students), and find out if they are a good fit. When determining your next important career move, this is incredibly helpful. After all, nothing compares to seeing a live preview of your future./ - Volunteer
Volunteering programs give you the space to meet people as well as a glimpse into ground-realities and a chance to make a contribution to society. There are many non-governmental organizations or charities out there that could really use your help. Participating in these organizations helps you develop a profile that may be helpful for college applications. Go to the internet and find out about your next mission. - Practice life skills
Typically, everyone is striving to be more confident, self-reliant and independent. As you usher into your new phase, you may struggle with building a skillset that literally helps you get through life. Things like cooking, driving, banking, taxes, or even changing a tire- are skills that many adults are still in the process of learning. Consider taking an independent trip to a different city and observing how you adapt! - Take a part-time job
A large part of being independent is simply financial independence. Taking a part-time job or doing an internship doesn’t just help you become financially independent, it also helps you get control of your own life. This further motivates you to take charge of your own life and make independent decisions. - Find a mentor
Navigating through the maze of careers, responsibilities, and adulthood can provoke anxieties and various other difficulties. However, having a mentor can prove extremely useful because they can offer you support through difficult times, helpful resources, and sometimes even a different outlook on life. Furthermore, observing them helps you get a sense of what it is like to be in their position, including the amount of work, the responsibilities, and the learning curve. - Compartmentalise
Doing everything in a single day can exhaust your resources. Therefore, it is important to compartmentalize your habits, tasks, hobbies, study-time, work-time and self-care. Ensure that you dedicate adequate time to studying for your college admissions and researching potential colleges. Compartmentalizing also protects you from the panic of “not doing enough” or “not being productive.”. It regularizes your daily habits and keeps you on track. Do not forget to take care of yourself amidst all this.
Making the best use of your spring break can be daunting but also an enlightening experience. This is the time you will discover yourself better and identify your strengths and limitations. Remember that everyday you are coming close to learning something new and getting better for what’s lying ahead.
