Summer vacation is an ideal time for children who are burdened with assignments, projects, tests etc. in their normal school routine. Summer is the time when the kids are looking for something exciting, productive and positive to spend their holidays with. Watching TV the whole day long or just playing video games is not a better summer vacation idea so why not look for some really productive and constructive activities this summer.
The purpose of the summer vacation is multifold. One is relaxation. A student gets fatigued after the end of the annual examination. He needs rest to recoup health and vitality. The second purpose is to tide over the unbearable heat of the summer months. The third purpose is to provide a chance to a student to make up for his deficiency in any particular subject. It also gives students an opportunity to visit new places, learn new ideas and think for your future plans. There are plenty of productive ways through which one can spend the vacation that can be fun, relaxing and helpful for ones education or career. They are:
Follow a routine: Although the schools have closed, you must follow a routine. Don’t laze around. Get up early in the morning and go for a morning walk . This will make you active throughout the day. Decide the previous night when you will get out of bed, then make sure you follow your decision.
Clear the clutter: Clean up your living space, your work space, and your computer. Clear out old files, old clothes, papers you no longer need, and other clutter and you will not only have a cleaner, more organised place, than what is stacked all around you.
Destress: If the past several semesters has brought too much stress to your life, take this time to destress by pampering yourself, getting enough sleep, not over scheduling, taking time to focus on your breathing and meditation, getting exercise, eating right, and having fun. Praanayam and Surya Namaskar will help you destress.
Take an education vacation: Instead of just taking a vacation with no purpose, take a vacation where you can learn something. Travel is a productive way to spend your vacation. You can plan short (day) trips to places that are closer to your homes
Join a park clean-up: Local parks, hiking trails, and beaches are places where people often litter. Students can come out and help clean trash and make simple repairs.
Volunteer at a retirement homes/
orphanages: Make visits to these places just to chat, offer a presentation, do art, share some music, or bring your badminton rackets/football/cricket bat and ball and hold a tournament.In fact tou can read for the blind and dyslexic. There is a saying: “Helpfulness is the source of happiness.” Voluntary work can be a challenging and rewarding experience.
Go for an internship: You can find internships for a productive summer no matter what field you are studying such as media internships, law internships, hotel internships etc. You can gain experience and also test the waters to ensure you enjoy the type of work as well as build contacts for your future. You can include this experience in your resume.
Read: Make a list of books you’ve always wanted to read or find a list of best-sellers and give yourself plenty of reading for the summer. You can even buy second hand books or take them on rent. Read motivational blogs.
Get fit: Take on an exercise programme, examine and change the way you are eating, and make positive changes that can help you become healthy and fit. Try Yoga and see the change. Become an early riser and give yourself a good night’s sleep by going to bed at a reasonable time.
Buy books early: Buy the books for your next session early and get started reading them before classes start. If your session has already begun then surely you would have got holiday homework and projects to complete. Do not leave them for the last week of your holiday.
Take a non-academic class: Maybe you think that since classes are over for the summer you should stay away from school, but now is a great time to take informal classes to learn art, music, language,pottery, or any other subject that interests you.
Take up a new hobby: If you’ve always wanted to make a model airplane, learn to knit, collect coins, or any other hobby you can imagine, then this is the perfect time to learn new hobbies.
Tutor students: Whatever subject or subjects are your strong ones, use that ability to tutor students who need extra help.This is a kind of revision for you.
Study for admission tests: If you are heading off to college use the summer to get ready for admission tests you may be facing.
Create a resume or make your profile: It’s never too early to put together a great resume. Whether you will be in the job market soon or not, spend this time working on your resume so it is ready when you are in need of it.
Improve your writing skills: Writing is incredibly important during school and in your career. Establish excellent writing habits and learn to communicate effectively to see improvement in school and a great skill for your resume.
Learn a language: Go online, or buy some books or software to help learn a new language. Whether you go on vacation later or can use that skill for language requirements at school, you’ll be on your way to speaking the language.
Learn to manage your time: Children, you must have heard the saying that time and tide waits for none.Time management can help you complete assignments and projects more efficiently and is an important skill to carry over to your career.Children, time passes away; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. —Aniket Raja
Simple Living, High Thinking
Deena always used to pass with first class marks in his examination. His classmates used to talk about his intelligence. They were really keen to know the mystery of his success.
Some students thought that he had several books. Some others supposed that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and therefore, able to afford all sorts of required resources for his study, and had also nothing to do except study. However, mystery can not be solved through gossips. Some classmates came forward and planned to go to Deena’s room. Deena lived at the student hostel of his college. One day, his classmates unexpectedly arrived in his room. They found themselves surprised to see the room. The reason was that the room was not gaudy or showy. No doubt, it was clean and organised. There was a cot , a table and a chair, a few clothes hanging from a wall hook, and course books and notebooks, etc.There was no store of thick books just for pomp and show. They could sense there his simplicity.
Deena who was later on known as Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya had set before them an example of ‘Simple Living, High Thinking’.
-Dr Ved Mitra Shukla
