Essential Springboard into the Legal Job Market for Students and Graduates

BY KATHLEEN BROWN

 Today’s schools students are savvier and more informed about the legal job market than they were a decade ago. They start to think about their career much sooner as well, sometimes even before their first year in law school. However, the market is changing so rapidly that it’s genuinely vital to keep up with all these trends. That led to law schools also changing their landscape and providing new types of course about the business of law and various employment opportunities.

Now, many schools have dedicated centers that tremendously assist students in honing vital skills necessary for the professional success of these individuals. But, before you start constructing your law career in your head, you should be aware of the few things in the legal industry.

Postgraduate opportunities

While you’re in college, you’re probably focused more on your exams and other activities related to your student life, however, as your studying time is coming to an end, you should start considering your postgraduate opportunities. In other words, what will you do once you graduate? Where do you see yourself, and is it possible to start developing your career in that direction based on your existing skills and knowledge?

From an associate in a law firm, construction accident lawyer, clerkship of various jobs in government, in-house counsel position in a particular company to a non-profit legal service provider, all of these employment opportunities should be considered. Moreover, there are also other options as a law firm professional, teaching position, support staff at law schools, and jobs in banks or businesses in other industries.

Having a Work-Life Balance

Having a healthy, balanced life is crucial if you want to be successful in your professional life. Your work-life balance should be something you’re thinking about as you’re choosing your employment option in the law industry. As many jobs in this industry can be really rigorous, it’s vital that you keep in mind how to achieve and maintain that balance from the start.

The best way to be satisfied with your professional life is to choose to do something you love, and that brings you satisfaction. Unfortunately, many jobs after graduation will be stressful and time-intensive, so at least you can do is to choose to work in the field you’ll love. Make sure you always ask for conditions before accepting a job offer, no matter how tempting that offer might sound. Working somewhere for years can only bring you numerous benefits if you’re constantly motivated at your job.

Bar Exam

 In the United States, if you wish to practice law, you will need to pass a state bar exam first. Graduating from your law school simply won’t be enough to practice law. In other countries around the world, students will need to work a certain amount of time as an intern before they can start practice law.

There are several job opportunities in the law industry that will not require passing a bar exam, but they don’t involve the practice of law, so most of the students will not be interested in them. That’s why you will need to be pretty organized and determined to pass at least one bar exam if you wish to pursue your law career.

Conclusion

As a law student or a recent graduate, you’re very much aware that hard work always pay off. It’s not still easy, but if you’ve chosen to study something you love, you will probably adore working in the law industry as well. Just make sure you make the right employment choices. It’s as the famous saying suggests:” Choose the job you love, and you will not have to work a day in your life.”

Kathleen Brown is a passionate entrepreneur and enjoys writing articles, overviews, and analyses about everything going on in the industry with a single goal of sharing her expertise with students.

Study Finds More Low-Income Students Attending College

Study Finds More Low-Income Students Attending College

A new report claims more poor students than ever are enrolling in the nation’s colleges and universities, but a disproportionate number are attending less selective or open-access institutions, which may hinder their chances for success. »

New Interactive Map Shows Stark Gaps in College Attainment by Race and Geography

By Center For American Progress

Washington, D.C. —  the Center for American Progress released “Those Left Behind,” a new report and interactive map illustrating the troubling status of national college attainment rates—and gaps—for every county in the United States. The map captures credentials earned by adults at the associate degree level and above and includes locations of nearly 12,000 college campuses, representing one of the most comprehensive maps of institutions of higher education in the United States.

The report uses American Community Survey data aggregated from 2013 to 2017 to illustrate how college attainment varies by geography and race, noting that rural areas tend to show low attainment rates and that high attainment rates in urban areas mask stark gaps by race and ethnicity. The report highlights four areas that illustrate these disparities: Lee and Pulaski counties, Arkansas; Nye County, Nevada; Washington, D.C.; and Hialeah, Florida.

“A college education is still among the most important tools to achieve economic prosperity, but degrees are not distributed equally across the country,” said Colleen Campbell, director of Postsecondary Education at the Center for American Progress and author of the report. “While a greater number of Americans have a college degree than ever before, more than 60 percent of adults still have not earned one. When we take stock of college attainment nationwide, we can no longer overlook the role of place in who has access to college and goes on to get a degree.”

Among the top-line place-based findings, the interactive map shows that degrees are held largely by those in urban and suburban areas:

• Ninety-two percent of bachelor degree recipients live in urban/suburban areas.
• Of the bottom 10 percent of counties in terms of attainment, 84 percent can be classified as mostly or completely rural.
• Of the top 10 percent of counties in terms of attainment, just 16 percent are rural.
• Rural counties are home to just 14 percent of the nation’s college campuses, despite covering 97 percent of U.S. land area.

Likewise, while it may seem like urban areas do not have an attainment problem, high-attainment counties are also home to some of the largest racial and ethnic attainment gaps in the country. The concentration of highly educated people obscures the low attainment rates within urban communities—in particular, for people of color, including black, Latinx, and Native Americans.

No one solution can address college access and attainment, especially recognizing that the returns of a college degree are not the same for all individuals. As such, the report provides recommendations for local, state, and federal policymakers to improve overall economic prosperity, encouraging approaches that include postsecondary and workforce-based reforms that would better support the Americans who have been left behind.

Click here to read “Those Left Behind: Gaps in College Attainment by Race and Geography” by Colleen Campbell.

Ways to Travel the World While in College

BY SYLVIA KOHL

Student life is definitely one of the most exciting periods in one’s life. From meeting new people, widen your knowledge, enhancing your skills, learning new things to visiting new places, students really have the whole world on their palm.

When talking about new places, it’s widespread for students to travel the world while in college. Some of them will decide to have a gap year and travel during these 12 months while others will visit new destinations when they finish their semester. Whenever you choose to travel, it will always be a good time as traveling is one of the most rewarding things in life.

It’s one thing to have dreams of traveling the world and another to find ways of achieving this. If you’re one of those students who are looking forward to exploring new places, learning about new cultures and making friends from all over the world, we bring you ideas on how to travel the world while in college.

Student discounts

Let’s be honest, as a student, you probably have a very limited budget. Sure, you can find part-time jobs and earn money while studying but that money will most likely be spent on some other more vital things such as books, food, courses, etc. But, if you are eager to travel the world despite your budget, we have some excellent news for you: You can! There are plenty of websites that provide student discounts on train, bus and airline tickets on certain occasions.

Subscribe to their newsletter as these sites also tend to have additional discounts for those who are part of their community. Also, search for other student discounts that are not related to travel. After all, you will need to save money, and the best way to do it is by having a discount on anything you can find, from groceries, restaurants, cinemas, etc.

Internship abroad

Whatever you might be studying, you will always find internship options abroad. You will probably not be able to find options in every country in the world, but most of the studies provide their students with plenty of international internship opportunities. Ask your professors or university staff that is in charge of these internships to help you with your application. As many students have the same dream of combining their course with traveling, you will need all the help to get that opportunity.

Before you go on your internship abroad, contact the company or organization where you’ll be an intern and ask them all the information you’re interested in. Also, try to learn as much you can about this new destination, which will be your home in the next few months. If that country speaks a foreign language, it won’t hurt to enroll in the course to learn a language a bit.

Working and traveling

Wouldn’t it be great if you could travel to an unexplored country and earn money as well? Luckily, you can easily do it as there are many organizations that will help you find a job and ensure you have plenty of time to travel around. This option is favorite among those students who would love to travel more, but their financial situation doesn’t allow them to do it as frequently as they want. So, choosing to work and travel will bring you two tremendous benefits: money and journey.

For such an adventure, you will need to be very careful with your packing. You will need to bring a lot of things with you, from your clothes for the job to your equipment for exploring the country during the weekends. To ensure you don’t forget a thing, and you stay organized during this journey, consider getting luggage organizers. They are a lifesaver for travelers who are always on the move as you will be if you choose to work and travel.

Conclusion

 If you were thinking for a while now you would like to go and explore the world, consider trying out one of the options provided in this article. Don’t wait for a better moment as student years are the best time to travel around, make friendships that will last forever, and learn things you will never learn in college. Start packing and prepare yourself for the best adventure of your life!

Sylvia Kohl is an IT teacher with more than 8 years of professional experience. Her main spheres of interest are e-education and she convinced that learning process doesn’t stop after years in school and university.

Why Campus VPNs Are Not Enough to Ensure Privacy

By Melissa Burns

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be described as a tunnel between you and the Internet. It encrypts the data that passes through it, hides your location, masks your identity and protects you from many dangers of the Web. These days, it is a good idea to use a VPN even if you don’t worry about privacy all that much – it is just safer.

It is particularly important for students, as in college you do a lot of work on the Internet, and a good portion of this work is done in public places: on campus, in libraries, on the go. You need extra protection if you access the Internet not at home, especially if you use public Wi-Fi. Some colleges do offer their own campus VPNs, but don’t be too eager to rely on them – there is a number of reasons why you should consider getting a commercial VPN on top of them.

Campus VPNs have aren’t configured for your convenience

Campus VPNs exist for very specific purposes, and making life convenient for students isn’t one of them. Usually, they serve to provide access to various licensed databases that are limited for the use by your college’s staff and students (article indexes, electronic journals, library databases, etc.). In fact, quite often you are outright obliged to use them – as a security precaution and an easy way to control who gets access to the university’s resources. This means that they aren’t built for your convenience. For example, some are available only on campus, others only off-campus. If you use them, it means that you remain unprotected half the time, and it will be where you are most vulnerable – while using public Wi-Fi hotspots that are notoriously dangerous.

Campus VPNs let others decide what you can do on the Internet

On-campus VPNs often limit your access to specific websites and services. Even if you don’t realize it right away, you may suddenly find yourself incapable of using a website or a service simply because it is deemed inappropriate. If you want both protection and complete freedom in what websites you get to visit, consider taking a look at VPN overviews and choosing an independent VPN that will suit your needs.

Campus VPNs don’t protect you from offline identity theft threats

This one concerns not only campus VPNs but VPNs in general. Nevertheless, students who believe that their college already took care about protecting their privacy and do not want to lift a finger to get a VPN of their own are more likely to be complacent in other security matters. One of them is that even a genuinely effective campus VPN does nothing to protect you from offline threats to your identity, which are often much more simple than we are used to believe. For example, an ATM company servicing your college may equip its ATMs with top-notch security measures, but you still have to apply your own common sense to protect yourself from low-tech fraud methods like shoulder surfing. The same goes for many other situations: you should be careful when you use your devices in public places, for you never know who watches over your shoulder when you input a password to your bank account or social media.

Campus VPNs don’t let you connect from another region

One of the most popular functions of VPNs allows you to appear to be in a different geographical location than where you really are. It can be done for a variety of reasons: for example, some websites and services are region locked and may be inaccessible from your real location using normal means. Naturally, your campus VPN won’t give you such an opportunity – if you use it, you will have to connect to these websites from your university network.

Campus VPNs often don’t allow you to use torrents

While torrenting doesn’t automatically equal illegal practice, it is commonly perceived as such. Therefore, many campus VPNs block you from using torrents by default or even don’t allow you to visit torrent websites. This is why if you want to torrent freely and protect your privacy while doing it, an independent VPN is in order.

Campus VPNs aren’t exactly concerned about your privacy

Campus VPNs are primarily designed to protect the university’s assets, not your privacy. This is why most (if not all) of them keep logs of your activity on the Internet, which can be accessed if needed. Look for independent VPNs that don’t keep logs if you really value your online privacy.

Campus VPNs often cannot be used everywhere

When you deal with campus VPNs, you don’t have any choice – it is a take it or leave it situation. They decide what services to give you, and you have no say in it. Some are only available on campus, others can only be used off-campus. Whatever the case, your protection will be lacking – you will have to spend part of the time open to all the dangers the Internet has in store. This includes the time you need protection most of all – when you connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots. In addition, campus VPNs are sometimes limited in terms of which and how many devices you can use with them.

As you can see, campus VPNs are far from being an optimal solution for your online privacy and security needs. Fortunately, there are plenty of independent alternatives to choose from.

Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University. Nowadays she is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Follow her @melissaaburns or contact at burns.melissaa@gmail.com

Lessons That Coffee Shops Teach Us About College Student Retention

BY SOPHIA THOMAS

Coffee could also be called the miracle drink, as it literally breathes new life into our dull and grey mornings. Whether they are the biggest names in the game or a small and simple patisserie round the corner, we all have our favourite coffee shops. Each coffee shop has its unique way of making its customers feel special and unique, whether it is by knowing their regular customers by name, or by remembering their orders perfectly and taking great care to make them.

In many ways, coffee shops can teach us a thing or two about college student retention. The basic factors remain the same- the students make their choice according to the treatment they receive at the institution, the involvement opportunities, and of course, the quality of Wi-Fi. The competition faced by different coffee shops is in many ways similar to that faced by different colleges.

Of course, there are certain tricks that both coffee shops and universities can implement to create a solid consumer base- in this case, students.

1. Little acts of kindness can go a long way

When a ‘regular’ walks in with a long face, asking them about their day could be a nice act of kindness. If they don’t wish to respond, you could do something else for them- like put a smiley on their coffee cup, or give them one of their favourite sandwiches for free. These little acts of kindness can create a deep impact on the student’s mind, and can completely turn their day around. The more memorable the experience is, the more likely the student is to come back to the coffee shop.

As a student, if you were treated kindly by any of the officials on the campus, it would stay with you forever. You would be interested in continuing your term in the particular university because of that one time when the Dean clapped you on the back and said that you’re doing a great job. These simple nice things play a major role in determining the student’s choice of university.

2. An atmosphere of comfort and acknowledgment is always helpful

Most students have their favourite coffee shop, where they go on a daily basis and order the same thing every day. The atmosphere, customer service and product quality all chime in to bring a student to the same coffee shop each day. With customers like that, doing small things like remembering their name, asking them about their day, or even referring to a previous conversation that the two may have shared creates a special impact on the student’s mind. Like colleges, coffee shops intend to seek out student engagement first, before acknowledging their needs to win their loyalty.

You could also win customer satisfaction by keeping personalized options. A right coffee shop POS will help you conveniently manage modified recipes and serve people who ask for non-dairy, vegan, or gluten-free versions of popular drinks or desserts. This can ensure that you attract a loyal customer base by catering to their personal needs. This is similar to the way in which colleges and universities provide increased opportunities and courses to students to attract their attention.

A lot of college students choose to study in their favourite coffee shops. It is probably because they see it as a safe space. This is also why you should work towards creating a more comfortable atmosphere for the students who walk through your door. You should do your best to meet their needs, and if they are confused about what they want, you can guide them with your own ideas about what would work for them.

Both college administrations and coffee shops should keep in mind that engaging with the students is the primary step towards ensuring their welfare. It is more important than researching what the students want and demand.

3. Connectivity – both online and offline- is essential

It would be wrong to assume that college students drink coffee to simply stay awake for their morning classes. Coffee is also a great conversation starter. It is a way in which students can connect and reconnect. When a student goes to college, he or she is looking forward to making new friends and meeting new people.

A great way to start and sustain a conversation between individuals is by starting out over coffee at a quiet corner. The presence of the drink and the cosy atmosphere create a suitable space for a conversation to flourish. Drinking coffee together can also be a great way to establish a more personal relationship, outside the confines of a classroom or office cabin.

Having a space on the premises where students can let down their guard and be themselves for a while is important to their own mental health. This is why most colleges and offices insist on having a cafeteria or a break room, where students can engage with others and build interpersonal relationships. It is a place where students can let their guard down, and let go of their professional, business-like attitude to breathe easy for a while.

That being said, it would also help if your coffee shop had a free Wi-Fi service. It has been proven that students gravitate more towards a coffee shop that has Wi-Fi because it allows them to connect to their social media or friends online.

 Conclusion

Creating a better experience for students should be the primary inventive of both coffee shops and universities, and adopting some of these methods should help them achieve the same.

BYLINE: Sophia Thomas is a media professional with over 6 years of experience, I like telling people stories on Student development, Women’s Empowerment & Entrepreneurship

How are student’s employee rights protected by law?

BY DAVID GUTIERREZ

Working as a student can be challenging not only because you have to juggle all your numerous activities but also because many students are not familiar with their student’s employee rights. But, to feel motivated to work and feel safe in that environment, being protected by law is crucial. Luckily, just as you’re protected by law after you graduate and start working in a certain company, you are protected during your student years as well.

To help you understand and learn more about another aspect of your student job, we’ve decided to take a closer look at student’s employee rights and highlight the most critical sections of it.

Understanding your situation

From the moment you were hired to the moment you walk through the doors the last time, you always have the right to know all the details regarding your job in that company. You have the right to know your work schedule, duties, responsibilities, and other requirements your supervisor might have. Of course, this also implies that you should be treated equally as all other employees, and you deserve a fair and equal approach from your supervisor as well as your colleagues.

When you’re working in a company for a while now, you have every right to know how well you are performing either through verbal communication or performance evaluations. In case you need an explanation regarding the evaluation, your work schedule or your duties, you have the right to that as well.

Time to Act

Unfortunately, although students do have all these student’s employee rights protecting them, it doesn’t mean there aren’t people who will neglect these rights and break the law that way. Every experience always has the possibility that something terrible will happen and student jobs are not an exception. But, in case if you think that your rights are not being respected due to some reason, you shouldn’t stay still.

On the contrary, the best thing you should do is to consult a student rights employment lawyer. Such professionals can tell you more about your options and suggest ways of handling this particular situation. Just because somebody disrespected you in your workplace doesn’t mean you should do the same thing to yourself and ignore your rights. Consult a lawyer who is skilled in these situations and knows how to provide the best outcome for you. After all, you will want to have another student job, and learning how to protect yourself could help you a lot in the future.

Using jobs as references

Your student life will be probably longer than the duration of your one student job. This means you will work several student jobs until you graduate. After your first job, you will want to use it as a reference for your future employers or even credit institutions. Luckily, you have the right to use the reference, and it’s impossible for anyone to forbid you to do so. Regardless of that, you should always ensure you’re leaving on the most agreeable terms, and you’ve done your best while working in that company. That way, if your potential employer calls your previous employer, he or she will highly recommend you for this job. Not to mention that having your former employers saying nice things about you is sometimes more important than the information you have in your resume.

Conclusion

Your student years are one of the most beautiful experiences you will have in your life. As you’re probably working to provide yourself with everything a typical student needs, you should be aware of your student’s employee rights to ensure your life in these few years is truly remarkable.

David Gutierrez has worked in the field of web design since 2005. Right now he started learning Java in order to get second occupation. His professional interests defined major topics of his articles. David writes about new web design software, recently discovered professional tricks and also monitors the latest updates of the web development.

Tips to Be an Effective Engineering Student

BY KRISTIAN KRISYK

Earning your engineering major is not an easy achievement in our life, but it will undoubtedly provide you with a rewarding career once you graduate. To complete all of your student activities successfully, you will need to be skillful in time management and also passionate about what you study. To ensure you enjoy your student years and make the most of your engineering studies, we bring you useful tips and trick to be an effective engineering student.

Never stop reading

Your studies can get exhausting, and you’ll probably spend time reading other books that are not a part of your literature. However, if you wish to continually develop your skills and work on building your engineering mindset, you will need to read a lot of engineering books. If these books don’t help you relax from your studies, find some engineering magazines that will provide you with useful information but will not make you feel like you’re studying when reading them.

Using your free time for preparation

All semesters all challenging for engineering students, but some of them will be easier than others. What you should do when you have more free time is to prepare for the upcoming semester. This will provide more balance in your student life as, during the more difficult semesters, you will have an equal amount of free time as you did during the easier ones. If you have more free time than you’ve expected, look for some engineering courses and enroll in the one you like. This will show you another side of this industry and suggest some ideas that might help you make your employment decisions in the future.

Always find time to relax

While studying is crucial for your engineering success, you shouldn’t be focused on your studies all the time. Having time for yourself and your friends will help you recharge your batteries. After all, when you’re relaxed and well rested, you will feel more motivated and concentrated on learning. Think about things that make you feel good but are not connected to your engineering classes or other related activities. It can be anything from finding a dream house and a pool where you’ll be spending your student years to going out for drinks or jogging. Anything that makes you happy and satisfied with both your student and personal life, you should go for it.

Sharing knowledge with your peers

Studying together can be very beneficial to you. Not only you have an active social life, but you’re also approaching your studies from another angle. Discussing engineering topics with your peers can also raise more interest to find other activities that could build your engineering mindset. Of course, this should not become a priority over your own study time, but you should combine it with team study as both provide enormous value to your student performance. More importantly, when studying together, you and your peers can help each other understand topics that were not very clear during classes.

Signing up for tutoring session

You can be a very successful student, but you still shouldn’t neglect the importance of tutoring centers for engineering students. You can understand course material really well, but a tutor will always provide additional value to your existing knowledge. Your professors work within a specific time limit and curriculum so it might be difficult for you to get the information you want from them. However, a tutor will always be at your disposal, from preparing you for a test to merely answering your questions about a recent subject you’ve discussed during class.

Conclusion

Only engineering students know how much challenging it can get to perform successfully with all of your studies; however, the benefits of an engineering career are genuinely motivating. Start implementing our tips and trick and enjoy your student success!

BY LINE–Kristian Krisyk had been working in the field of web design for 7 years before becoming an entrepreneur in 2014 in design and marketing. His professional interests and hobbies defined major topics of his articles. These days Kristian runs his business and looks for new development opportunities. Follow him @KristianKrisyk or contact at kristian.krisyk@gmail.com

7 Ways to Keep Your LInkedin Account Up To Date in College

BY LORRAINE McKINNEY

While you are attending college, your Linkedin account may not seem like a priority. That is not the case. Keeping your Linkedin account up to date will help you with a career once you are ready to start looking. Here are seven ways to keep your Linkedin account up to date while you are attending college.

1. Picture perfect – If you have not changed your Linkedin picture since you graduated high school or earlier it is time to do so now. You want to have a professional looking picture that shows you have grown and matured since your high school years. You can find tips online that will help you take a professional picture, or you can pay a professional to take one for you. Either way you want to be sure your picture is up to date.
2. Cover Letter – If you have a generalized cover letter in your Linkedin account, you want to be sure it is updated with your current class information and extracurricular activities. If you have joined the newspaper or are a member of the student governing body you want to include that in your information. You do not want to list too much, but put down any classes that might show what degree you are working towards and any extracurriculars that will pertain to the career you are going to choose. It will show future employers that you are not just studying, but you are active in your college.
3. Resume – Potential employers will be impressed with your up to date resume. If you have taken higher level classes or have gotten an internship you want to include that information on your updated resume. You also want to include any extracurricular programs and volunteer work you have participated in. Not only do you want to update what is in your resume, you want to polish the look of the resume itself. You can find different resume examples online that will show you how to give your resume a fresh new look.
4. Personal website – Take some time to update your personal website so that future employers will see how you have progressed. You can link your assignments and more to your personal website and then link it all to Linkedin. It is important to keep up to date with your personal website as you advance in your college career. Updating it every semester will help you remember what you have accomplished and will show future employers that you are concerned about your potential career.
5. Network – Now that you are attending college, you can add to your network. The more you experience, the more your network grows. Find people who are interested in the career you are looking into and see if you can add them to your Linkedin profile. You can ask professors, administrators, coaches, and others. The more you network, the greater your potential to advance in your career once you have graduated.
6. Recommendations – Now that you have a larger network, you can get some updated recommendations to put on Linkedin. You want to have recommendations from at least two people you have taken a class from or have gotten to know from your extracurricular activities. Make an appointment to talk to them and ask them to write a recommendation on your Linkedin account. You can also ask them to write a general letter of recommendation you can keep with your resume and your cover letter.
7. Blog – Start a blog or be sure to continue or update a blog you have started. Potential employers can see what you are currently doing and know that you will keep up with things even when you are busy. Continuity is important to potential employers and you want to be sure they can see that in your blog. You should link your blog to your professional website and your Linkedin page.

Lorraine McKinney is an academic tutor and elearning specialist.

5 Ways To Make Your Summer Vacation Productive

BY CONNIE BENTON

Summer is a lovely season. The days become longer, the weather is warm and sunny, but apart from this, you get a chance to have some time for yourself.

It’s 90 days that you can spend productively and become a better version of yourself. It’s the high time for spiritual, health, and mental growth. Check out these tips to make the best of your free time and enjoy the summer to the full.

 1. Take Care of Your Health and Body

Over the winder we don’t get enough vitamins and vital resources to maintain our body properly. During the summer you can find all sorts of fruit and vegetables, so it can be a great idea to start a healthy diet. Our body is our temple. Everyone should take care of it and love it.  

In addition to this, you can set a goal for this summer to lose some weight and keep your body fit. There are various ways to do it:

• join a gym;
• take up yoga or pilates classes;
• download an app to do daily exercises; or
• watch videos on YouTube and work out at home, etc.

 2. Volunteer

If you want to make a change in this world or learn new skills, become a volunteer. Nowadays, you can find numerous programs to volunteer abroad that also gives you an opportunity to travel. Help with recycling, take care of homeless people, work with kinds, or volunteer for animal shelters. All of these can benefit you and teach something new.

 3. Learn Something New

Just think of it, you have three months to learn something new. What would you like to do? It’s possible to learn a new language or at least start. Languages like Spanish or Italian are not that hard to master over the summer. Or maybe art is your passion? Then it’s a great time to take up painting classes.

 4. Get a Summer Job

If you have some long-term goals for the future, finding a job for the summer is great solution for students. It will bring you a lot of benefits like:

• mastering your communication skills;
• learning how things work within the company;
• enhancing your knowledge in particular sphere;
• making new acquaintances, etc.

And above all, you learn how to be independent and earn money for a living. You’re going to need these skills in the future, so the earlier you start to develop them, the better. What is more, money is what you can invest in yourself in your dreams: go on a trip, take a course and study something new, start your own business, etc.

5. Grow Spiritually

Over the year we go through some rough experiences that can greatly influence our inner world. So, you might consider taking a trip to some place all by yourself. It’s good to make a change and go to isolated and deserted places, or you can take a long walk along the Camino.

The Camino is a number of routes that begin in Spain, France and Portugal, and all lead to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Not only people who need retreat can enjoy it, but also the ones who like hiking or cycling also like to take these paths and go on a tour. Just imagine all the picturesque nature and cozy towns you’re going to see.

We live in the world of numerous opportunities, so make the best of your summer vacation by turning it into a productive one.

BIO: Connie Benton is a passionate freelance writer and regular contributor.