End of Exams – What to do?
As I was done with my exams, I found myself in a strange situation – what should I do now? To be honest, as I am writing this article, I don’t have a clear plan myself. However, planning out your entire life is no fun way to live. Saying that vacations are a fantastic opportunity to grow. Grow in what way? Grow physically, emotionally and professionally.
At this point, some of you might have secured internships, planned vacations abroad or if you are an international student – looking forward to a visit back home. Whatever category you fall under, it is a wise choice to utilize your vacation to the fullest.
Before we jump into action, it is necessary to figure out the areas for improvement. Here’s how you can approach this.
- List down all of the activities you would like to do during the vacation.
- Filter out a few activities (I would say up to 5) that you are passionate about. Look at these activities through the lens of practicality (time and effort).
- Design a plan for each of these activities.
The hardest step is the unlisted step
- Follow through with the plan
Like the New Year resolutions, which usually are abandoned before the second week of the year, the plan we’ve designed might face the same fate. So, it is important to make the plan feasible for the vacation. It comes down to what your priorities are during the vacation. If you feel the vacation is a good time to recharge, you may have to customize your plan accordingly. If you feel the vacation is a good time for networking, you may have a different plan in your hands. So, it again becomes necessary to make this plan achievable during the vacation. That said, here are a few general tips for the vacation in the next section.
Tips for the vacation
- Take a break
Taking some time off to relax or catch up with your friends might not be a bad idea. It would help you feel ‘ready to go’.
- Read books
If you are not a regular reader, picking this habit is a good choice for the vacation. Reading books is a good alternative to watching Netflix or movies. Yes, the mentioned activities might be our principal pass times, however, these come with their share of side effects. On the other hand, books help you build your vocabulary, gain knowledge, reduce stress and stabilize your sleep cycle. I am sure there are many more advantages to reading books. So, this is one of my recommendations for your vacation.
- Focus on Developing new skills
After setting up a plan for what skills you want to learn during the vacation, you can start by spending small amounts of time every day on this. A word of caution here, don’t overwhelm yourself with too high expectations. They are sure ways to get nothing done. That said, in this day and age, you have many different resources at your disposal. You have free (and paid) online courses, books, workshops, and boot camps to develop your skills. In my experience, a combination of these resources has worked the best. Remember, in today’s world, you don’t have to spend too much to get good at some skill.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, the vacation period is an opportunity for growth. It’s up to you to charter up a plan and more importantly follow through with it to make it a positive change within you.
