Hey Tigers! Happy Summer! Even though we have another month before the official summer solstice truly begins, finals week and spring semester classes are over, so it pretty much looks like summer to me. Typically around this time, we are planning vacations or just excited for the break, but this year, summer can seem oddly daunting. What do we do with such a big chunk of time when the world around us seems like it is in disarray? Fear not! Here are some suggestions about how we can utilize our summer and make it the best one yet.
1. Summer Classes
This is arguably one of the best times to take summer classes because if we are social distancing, then we will find ourselves with plenty of alone time pretty often. This does not have to be a bad thing! People take summer classes every year, and enrolling in some for the summer term is a smart idea if you want to knock out some credits ahead of time or simply occupy yourself with a mental challenge. It’s not too late to register! Regular registration begins on June 1st and ends on June 5th, so there is still time! Click here for the entire summer schedule. It is important to note that there are two options: semester-based and self-paced courses. Semester-based courses start June 8th and end July 31st and are typically instructor-led with weekly assignments, discussions, and quizzes. Self-paced means that you can enroll any time, work independently, and can take as few as six weeks or up to six months to finish. For more information, click here.
2. Remote Internships
I’ll admit that the first time I heard the term “remote internship,” I may or may not have thought it had something to do with TVs. Anyways, I was far from the truth because remote internships are so much better than anything I could have imagined. Many students around the world were devastated to find that internships they secured months prior were either rescheduled or canceled altogether, leaving a lot of college students with nothing to do. Fortunately, many organizations recognize this problem and are offering remote internships for the summer. Since this is such a unique time, even applying for these at the end of May is completely understandable and acceptable. The best part is that you can literally work from anywhere, stay safe, and gain valuable work experience. Some of these even pay! Popular sites include Indeed.com, Internships.com, and LinkedIn, but there are hundreds more. All you have to do is open your search engine and explore!
3. Self Care
One of the biggest excuses not to engage in self care is “I don’t have enough time.” Well, we are looking at three months of nothing but time, so there is absolutely no excuse not to treat yourself. There is a common misconception that self care has to be something elaborate and drawn out, but really it can consist of little things you do every day. For example, you can start your day meditating or with yoga for 10-15 minutes. You could make it a goal to only eat out once a week. You could go for a walk outside for 30 minutes a day. You could buy some bath bombs and decompress with a new color each day of the week. The opportunities are endless, and the results are priceless! Feel like you are not creative enough? Don’t worry, here are 102 suggestions for you to try. I’m sure at least one will do the trick!
4. Binge-watching
If this idea seriously hasn’t crossed your mind by now, then hopefully you take advantage of it ASAP. At this point, nearly everyone on the planet is subscribed to Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, or some other form of streaming service. If not, that’s ok! Some of us have cable television and can relive the old days watching TV on the sofa for hours into the nighttime. Some of us have neither and can use this opportunity to pull out old CDs or DVDs and enjoy the vintage feeling of re-watching old shows or movies. Since most college students have laptops, binge watching can extend to sites like YouTube. You could binge watch music videos and sing along, finish all the videos that your favorite YouTuber has, or even find free full-length shows or movies that a kind soul has chosen to upload. If you are willing to spend a little cash and invest in one of these, here is a very detailed list of highly recommended streaming services offered in 2020. Some even have discounts for college students or families. Check them out!
5. Rebuild Relationships
Let’s be honest. One of the biggest things during this time affecting us all is loneliness. Even being in a house full of people can do little to ease your loneliness, which is why it is important to reach out to your loved ones and let them know how much you appreciate them. This can include relatives, but it also means friends. Being away from good friends for a long time is hard enough, so give them a call, send a text, or even talk over video just to have some human interaction and spread some love. If you feel that you may not have any relatives or friends to turn to, Mizzou wants you to know that we are always here for you to reach out, and the school has even developed a free mental health app called Sanvello for any University of Missouri student. Another good relationship to rebuild could be the one you have with yourself. Self-improvement takes many forms: reading, thinking, exercising, etc. Being more in-tune with your feelings, wants, and needs can go a long way during this time and can most importantly make you the best you can be so that you can be strong enough to be there for others.
Hopefully these suggestions came in handy and you were inspired to try one or two (or all) over the summer. Many of these can be combined, so feel free to mix things up. My hope is that everyone can find the time to occupy themselves with something productive that encourages growth in some capacity.
Stay safe, and Fight Tiger!
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