7 Things to Do During Winter Break
By: That College Life
Tags: Holidays, Students, College Life, Winter Break, Student Life

Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash

Winter break is finally here! After you catch up on some sleep, you’ll have some extra time. Take advantage of this time during your college winter break to do some productive things that you wouldn’t be able to do while you’re in college.

Whatever your plans are this winter break, use your time wisely by incorporating one or all of these 7 winter break activities.

Go Outside

If you’ve been busy studying and working your whole semester, you may not have realized how much you miss being outside. If you live somewhere that is snowy, build a snowman or play in the snow. If you don’t, take advantage of the weather by exercising outdoors, playing sports with your siblings or high school friends, or simply enjoying nature. Your dog probably missed you, so you can take them for a walk as well.

Binge-watch your favorite Netflix show

When you’re going to college full-time, your study breaks likely don’t allow much time for tv. Many people forget that being a student is stressful. You can’t clock in and out, because there’s always more studying to do. Treat yourself by watching an episode, or two, or twenty, of your favorite tv-show. Hopefully, that tv show is on Netflix or Hulu so you get all the seasons at once!

Network

Winter break is the perfect time to update your resume and set up a LinkedIn account. Many recruiters and hiring managers use the platform to search for eligible candidates. Even if you choose not to use LinkedIn to apply for jobs, the hiring managers will likely search for you before calling you in for an interview. Make sure it is professional and up to date, and update your resume while you’re at it, especially if you’re graduating soon. Keep your updated resume ready for when you graduate, so you can immediately start applying for jobs.

Service Your Car

If you’re lucky enough to have a car during college, that also means you have to get your car serviced. Check the stickers. Does the oil need to be changed? Does the car need to be washed? Make sure you have jumper cables, warm clothes, a flashlight with extra batteries, and a first aid kit in the car as well. Part of being an adult is making sure you are safe while driving.

Declutter

It’s so easy to hold onto your childhood things before you go to college. After all, old high school photos, old toys, and old clothes represent your whole life. When you come back, you may find all of the stuff to be more clutter than treasure. Set up a garage sale, sell old stuff online, or donate what you don’t need. Don’t feel bad about tossing things you don’t want to hold onto.

Go to the Doctor

One of the big “adulting” tasks is going to the doctor by yourself. If it’s been a year, you need to see the doctor, optometrist, and dentist again. Call and schedule well ahead of time so that they aren’t booked full when you come back. Most doctors get busy around the holidays, so it is unwise to wait until the last minute to try and get your appointments in.

Set Next Semester’s Goals

Winter break is the perfect time to reflect on the past semester. What did you do well? What could you have done better? Write your thoughts down, and decide what you’d like to focus on next semester. If you have an intense class, you can start studying now to get a head start in the class. Maybe purchase a new planner and plan out your study time. You can also set a budget for the next semester. Your goals don’t have to be academic, they can be about anything you wish to improve.

Research Graduate Programs

It’s hard to look past your life as a college student, but there will be life after college. If you want a career that required a graduate program, winter break is a great time to research schools and prerequisites to get into those programs. See if you will meet their requirements and make adjustments accordingly.

Your winter break won’t last very long, so take a little time to relax and restore yourself. Make sure you also spend more time setting yourself up for success!

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