This is it. We made it. After the hours of studying, the
late-night paper edits, the countless dollars that were sacrificed to caffeine
boosts, winter break is upon us at last. I don’t know about you, but I have
been waiting for this day since roughly the 3rd week of classes. The
days of Netflix binges, ugly sweater parties, and endless Christmas music
playlists are finally here!
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| An accurate list of what I accomplished last winter break. |
Winter break is, of course, a time of relaxation for college
students everywhere. However, last winter break I found myself pretty bored
after about 2 weeks. I had nothing to do, and the feeling was so foreign to me
that it drove me crazy. By the time spring semester started, I was almost
relieved to get back into an intensive, work-heavy schedule (how’s that for
irony?). While relaxation is important, and college is the last part of your
life that will have built-in month-long vacations, winter break is an
opportunity as well as a break. Here are three easy ways to make the most of
the weeks ahead.
1. Update your resume. Oh, right, that one page that summarizes
my entire life… that thing still exists. It’s easy to fall behind when classes
are in session, but winter break is the perfect time to dust off your resume and
make some changes to it. If there’s not much to change, it’s also a good time
to think about what you can do in future semesters to improve your resume, and
fill the gaps in your skill set. Check out this brief video from Business
Insider about quick fixes to your resume if you need some ideas. Sprucing
up your resume is also an important step in a process that you should
definitely start (and maybe even finish) over break, which is….
2. Research and apply for summer internships. In most cases, it
might be too late to find a spring internship (though not always – if you have
time, you can always look for last-minute application
deadlines!), but winter break is a perfect time to make serious progress on
your summer internship search. If you’re home for break, and plan on being home
for the summer, it’s a great time to ask around and network within your
community. If not, there are plenty of resources offered by the Career Center to search for internships in the Boston area or anywhere in the world. If you’re
a sophomore or junior, summer is an especially crucial time to develop
real-world skills that will make you stand out in a job search after
graduation. You don’t necessarily need to complete an internship, either – you could
take summer classes (at Tufts or back home, or even online), get involved in a research
project, or find a summer job. All of these options have their benefits and
drawbacks, and all would certainly yield a productive and rewarding summer.
3. Do some long-term planning. I know, I know, I just made a
huge leap from thinking about next summer to thinking about entering the real
world, but like I said before, this is one of the last times in your life that
you’ll have a free month to relax and work at your own pace. Winter break can
be a time of reflection and self-exploration. If you’re overjoyed to be
finished with this semester, think about the implications of your happiness.
Was this just a rough semester, a mere anomaly, or have you been consistently
disappointed or unhappy with your classes? If the latter is true, you may
want to think about making a change. I don’t mean changing your major or career
path, but maybe tweak your spring schedule and add a class in a subject you’ve
always wanted to explore. You may enjoy it so much that it becomes your new
dream, one that you’re more excited and passionate about. You can also use the
time off to investigate careers. Spend a day or two shadowing a professional in
your intended field (or maybe in a completely different field that you’ve only considered) to get a real sense of what it means to do ___ for a
living. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a rigorous, weeks-long internship;
it can be a little pet project, something that you do just for yourself. It may be due to
my employment by the Career Center, but I often find myself doing something
with the ulterior motive of putting it on my resume. This is
important, but it’s also important to have experiences that mean more than an extra line. Winter break is a great time for such experiences.
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| Channel a little of your inner Leslie Knope this break. Or, if you haven't watched Parks and Rec, get on that. |
When it comes down to it, you have 4 weeks to do whatever
you want. I can tell you from experience that it’s a lot more gratifying to
have accomplished at least a few things on your to-do list than to waste away
on your couch for a month. Whatever you decide to do, have a safe and warm
holiday season, and enjoy your time off!
Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017
