With summer right around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan what your summer is going to look like. Here’s a list of the best and easiest things to do in the summer for college students!
In trying to figure out my own summer, I wanted to be able to balance doing productive things with having some fun.
With these ideas, you can get the best of both worlds this summer and truly take advantage of your time off before you head back to school in the fall.
This post is all about things to do in the summer for college students!
read some books
I know it may not seem like it, but reading can actually be your new favorite hobby if you find the right books. Especially with it being summer, you won’t be distracted by school-required books that may not be too exciting.
Instead, spend the summer months trying out some different genres and reading books that you are actually going to enjoy. If you want some recommendations to get you into reading, I’ve got the perfect ideas for you: 23 Best Books For College Girls That You Have To Read. This covers a bunch of different genres, so you are sure to find something that you like.
go on a picnic
For something fun and easy to do, grab some friends (or just yourself) and go on a picnic. Pack fun foods like a charcuterie board, snacks, drinks, desserts, and more.
These are such cute photo ops and make for such a fun time. Depending on where you live, you can do these at a park or the beach!
take a course
Whether online, at your college, or in your home town, try taking a course this summer. It can be on something new you’ve always wanted to learn or something you need to take for class credit.
If you are going with the former, try to find some fun and interesting courses to teach you hobbies or skills you’ve always wanted to try.
get an internship
This is pretty basic, but it never hurts to add some extra experience to your resume with a summer internship. Whether it’s paid or volunteer, any experience is better than nothing.
To find internships, try working with your college or checking for openings on google or LinkedIn.
try some new exercise
Branch out of your usual exercise in the summer and try something new. Maybe go on a bike ride instead of a run, or try yoga, pilates, and more!
There are thousands of different exercise ideas and youtube videos that will teach you whatever it is you want to try out!
go camping
If you have the supplies, another fun adventure activity this summer is going camping.
You can get super serious about it, or just have fun and camp in your backyard.
travel
This one is definitely more of a commitment, but if you have the time and money, spend some of the summer traveling.
Summer doesn’t get much better than being in another city, state, or country. You can spend your time relaxing on a beach and adventuring through someplace new.
get a job
If you want to make some extra money, a part time or full time summer job is the perfect thing. Make it fun by getting a job doing something that you like, so it doesn’t get too boring over the summer.
Pick a hobby that you enjoy and see if you can find a job that corresponds.
learn how to cook/bake
Back home during the summer is the perfect time to learn how to cook or bake. Especially if you are moving into an apartment the following year, learning how to cook yourself some basic meals will definitely come in handy when you go back to school.
Learn some common recipes from whoever cooks in your family. You don’t need to learn everything, just enough to be able to feed yourself if you are in an apartment.
With this, don’t forget to learn some non-cooking food basics as well. For example, learn how to store foods, how to grocery shop, and how to meal plan. Although these things may seem obvious and unnecessary, they will definitely come in handy when you are cooking on your own.
volunteer
Volunteering is another great summer activity that also doubles as an awesome addition to your resume. Like a job, make this fun by volunteering for an organization you like or doing something you enjoy.
clean/organize
It wouldn’t be a “things to do in the summer for college students” list if I didn’t add cleaning and organizing at least once!
It might not seem super fun, but spend some time going through your things and decluttering. Whether it’s your dorm room, apartment, or home bedroom, anything helps!
Try to edit out as much that you don’t use/wear as you can. This will leave you with such a more clean and simplistic space.
disconnect
Take advantage of the summer break by disconnecting from your phone. Give yourself a few phone free days (or hours).
You can also do a social media freeze for part of summer to give yourself a break from all of those apps.
Just think of all the time you would save if you spent an entire week without social media.
find a new restaurant
Go around your town and find a new restaurant that you want to try out. Pick some friends or family to go with and just have some fun (and some good food)!
explore parks/gardens/nature
Depending on where you live, check if you local town or county has a parks system. If they do, there are probably dozens of local parks and gardens around you that make for the perfect activity.
Spend time in nature while the weather is nice!
play tourist in your town
Similar to the last two, spend some days playing tourist in your own town and explore everything you’ve never seen before.
Whether it’s restaurants, museums, parks, and more, try it all out this summer.
organize your school stuff for next year
Back to the productive activities this summer, take some time at the end of summer to organize your school stuff and get yourself together for the next school year.
Organize your classes, buy your notebooks and textbooks, and do whatever else you need to prepare for your coming year of school.
start going to the gym
The summer is the perfect time to try out the gym if you don’t already go. Pick a gym that’s not too expensive and local to you and start going regularly.
Going to the gym is such a good habit to create for yourself and will set up your days for success.
declutter your phone
One super commonly missed place to declutter is your technology.
Whether it’s your phone or your computer, take some time to declutter all of your tech. This includes text messages, emails, contacts, photos, apps, and more.
get into podcasts
Spend time finding some podcasts that interest you and start listening regularly. This is the perfect mindless task to pair with so many everyday activities.
You can listen while on a walk, driving in the car, cooking, and more.
make a killer vision board
With your next school year around the corner, spend time making a vision board for what you want your life to look like in the coming months or years.
You can make a digital vision board and get lost on Pinterest, or use magazines and other websites to make a paper vision board.
Of all the things to do this summer for college students, this one is one of my favorites!
take a (well-deserved) break
In addition to all the cleaning and working and productive stuff you can do during the summer, don’t forget to take some well-deserved time off.
Whether you finished out a year of high school, college, or just life, you deserve to take some time to yourself to just relax.
Give yourself a few hours or days or weeks to spend with yourself! Trust me when I say it is well worth the time.
This post was all about things to do in the summer for college students!
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