You did it! The academic year is now over, which means you have several months off to relax, recuperate and prepare yourself for the next year. Although doing nothing may be appealing, we thought it would be worthwhile to share our top insights on how to get the most out of your summer academically, professionally and personally. Whether you’re still a student, or now a recent graduate, this advice will be incredibly useful for you. We will discuss 5 important areas all students and recent graduates must look into, which include: preparing for your career, looking into a gap year or study abroad, writing your dissertation, summer crash courses and travelling.
Career prep
Whether you’re a recent graduate or still have a year or two of uni left, your summer is a great time to enhance your CV. With all this free time, finding something worthwhile to add to your CV is a must.
Nowadays the job market has become even more competitive. This means that simply graduating with a degree is no longer enough. When you are fresh out of your undergraduate degree, you’re still expected to have gained some experience over the years.
The type of job or experience will vary depending on the field you’re studying or the career you’re working towards. If you are in finance, law or business for example, finding an internship at a reputable company or firm would be optimal. This will not only give you a better idea about your intended industry, but also show potential employers that you’re serious about your career and have taken measures to get ahead. If you’re in the social sciences, arts or humanities, then looking into volunteer positions in NGOs, museums or any area that may be of interests to you, is probably your best bet. There is less money in these industries, which means they usually don’t have the cash to spend on entry level positions or internships. However, you never know, there may be sectors, such as the civil service or international organisations, that have some interesting paid opportunities.
We know it’s unfair to expect recent graduates to have work experience, but that’s the reality. With more and more university graduates, employers now have more applicants, and therefore can raised the bar. If for some reason you really don’t have the opportunity to do an internship or volunteer, this will mean that you will have to start with those options after you graduate, rather than going straight into a full-time job.
So, starting this summer is a great way to make sure you’re fully ready for the job market once you graduate. If you have any questions about internships, volunteering or your career don’t hesitate to contact us and get set up with one of our expert career consultants who are here to help you find, prepare for and get the job of your dreams.
Travel
Travelling when you are young is an incredible and unique experience. There is a sense of freedom you can only experience when you are a student and not yet settle into a career with “gown up” responsibilities. You may hear that cliché all the time, but it’s true.
So why not take some time this summer to experience that feeling of freedom, broaden your horizons and discover a new and exciting world?! You can either focus on traveling for a few weeks, or if you’d like to get the most out of your abroad experience, why not do a “workaway”? This scheme matches volunteers with hosts around the world. They are private individuals who need help at home, on their fares or in the tourism industry. Basically, anyone who needs a hand. For more info about workaways, and other student travel ideas, check out the Guardian’s Summer holidays: 10 of the best trips for students.
Consider gap year or study abroad
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that every student should take advantage of. This momentary break in your expected life path is an experience you will cherish for the rest of your life. We believe so strongly in encouraging students to study abroad that we’ve written an entire blog about studying abroad and all of the wonderful benefits you’ll gain from it.
A gap year is an equally worthwhile experience. However, as it will not be affiliated with your university, you’ll have to do more of the research and planning on your own. The best solution for planning your gap year is usually finding a work and travel programme. To give you an idea, and popular gap year choices, check out StudentUniverse, a programme that can help you set up your year in Australia or New Zealand.
Hundreds of programmes like this exist in countries across the world, so why not take a pen and paper and start writing down destination ideas and top things you would like to experience?! For study abroad make sure to check about deadlines. They will vary depending on your university and the programme you’re applying to. Although many are in August, September and October, there are some at other times throughout the year. It really depends on your school, your choice of programme and the time of year you choose, which will either be the autumn semester, spring semester or a full year.
Summer crash courses
The summer break is a great time to relax, travel and enjoy yourself. However, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to catch up on what you fell behind in last year and prepare yourself for your next academic year. It’s important to rest but signing up for a crash course is a low key, minimal commitment, that could greatly benefit your next year at university and your overall degree.
A popular request we get throughout the summer is for the essay writing crash course, which gives students who have had average essay results to catch up and learn the skills to get 2:1 and 1sts. This course consists of a 4-session plan, whereby an expert tutor goes over the key skills of essay writing needed to get stellar results.
In addition, setting aside time for this when you are relaxed means that you will be learning in a stress-free environment, and therefore really absorbing the material. You’ll start this autumn feeling refreshed, relaxed and confident, ready to excel at university. We also offer summer crash courses in all university subjects, for bachelor, master, as well as PhD students!
Dissertation
If you’re a MA or MSc student, now is the time to write your dissertation. The sooner you start the better. Lay out a plan to help you know what you need to get through, and when certain sections must be done.
For example, set aside one week to go through all of your sources, narrowing down your pile into three smaller piles: the crucial one, potential one, and useless one. Set out mini deadlines for different parts of your dissertation. For instance, for one week just focus on the lay out. Then spend some time the following week writing out the key points for your intro. Breaking down this overwhelming task will make your life more manageable and get you through what you need to do.
Try not to panic too much. It’s basically the equivalence of 2 or 3 essays, which you should be accustomed to writing by now. If you need expert advice to make sure you’re on track to getting a 1st, don’t hesitate to contact us so we can set you up with one of our expert dissertation tutors.
We hope this advice was useful and you have thought of some cool ways to enhance your summer. If you’re looking for more similar blogs, why not check out:
– Our top 5 summer career tips for university students
– Thinking of studying abroad next year? Here are 5 reasons why you should.
– 5 top CV tips for a standout application
– How to structure your dissertation: Guidance from our experts
We’re always here to answer any questions relating to your education and career. If you would like to speak to one of our career consultants or set up a private tutoring plan to make sure you get stellar academic results, contact us at 02030867311 or at info@ubertutors.co.uk.
