It's Summer

[Aladdin's]

I am almost done with my first year at college, and I was wondering what do most college students do in the summer? It is a 4 months long, which is a long period of time. I have thought about entering a gym for sports activities rather than taking the beach and spending all my time with my friends"Like I used to do" - also taking some summer classes that keeps my mind active - reading a book my professor adviced regarding my major is interesting - I'm also also thinking of getting a driving license.

Actually, What do most students do during the summer ?

[michel123456]

Come to Greece.

[Ophiolite]

Work to pay their tuition fees.

Edited June 16, 2011 by Ophiolite

[Ringer]

Summer classes and work. Pretty much my regular semester schedule.

[DJBruce]

Well, I recently finished my first year of university, and this summer I am:

 

 

-Working to pay for tuition.

-Attending leadership conferences.

-Taking a spring course.

-Doing research through an REU grant.

[Marat]

Go to the summer school of another university and take parallel courses to those you are planning to take at your current university next year. If you do well in the summer school courses, apply to count them toward your degree requirements at your current school. If you don't do well in the summer courses, never tell anyone you took them so they won't affect your transcript. They will at least prepare you to do much better when you officially take the courses next year.

 

This technique has been used by more than a few people to leverage performance in order to get into competitive graduate school programs.

[imatfaal]

Pressures on students really have changed! Back in the halcyon days of grants and no tuition fees in the UK; the priorities were get out of the country, get a tan, get high, and get lai... you get the point

 

Seriously, you might well find it difficult to get away for long chunks of time in later life ... but then it was this philosophy that left me in debt for many years after university

[CaptainPanic]

Travel.

 

Go backpacking.

 

Find out whatever is the cheapest way to make many kilometers, and get get the hell out of there for a couple of weeks. Cross some borders if you can.

[michel123456]

Well said Captain.

Know the world.

 

At my time, you could by very cheap ticket to travel by train through Europe for one month. As a student, you must have advantages, even by airplane, maybe.

Edited June 17, 2011 by michel123456

[imatfaal]

Yep it was called "inter-rail" in my day and it was still going a few years ago when my nephew did it.

 

Or if you don't fancy travelling around day after day too much - follow Michel's advise and head to Greece, specifically the islands - heaven on earth in my opinion.

Edited June 17, 2011 by imatfaal

[michel123456]

Yep it was called "inter-rail" in my day and it was still going a few years ago when my nephew did it.

 

Or if you don't fancy travelling around day after day too much - follow Michel's advise and head to Greece, specifically the islands - heaven on earth in my opinion.

 

Inter-rail, correct. Good memory.

That was the way I went from Belgium to Greece for the first time. July 1981.

I didn't go to the islands then (no money for the boat).

Now I am an unconditional.

-----------------------

Besides, Greece needs you.

Edited June 17, 2011 by michel123456

[A Tripolation]

...people have free time in the summer?

[Marat]

If you are planning to fill your summer with travel and you are not a cold-blooded animal so you a) don't have to rely on the circumambient temperature to keep warm and b) have the circulatory capacity for a well-oxygenated brain and some degree of intelligence, then go somewhere for the historic sites and the museums, rather than to a hot beach, which you will find to be pretty much the same in most of the world. Or just save yourself a few thousand dollars and pour some sand and hot water into the bathtub and turn on a heating lamp.

[michel123456]

(...) then go somewhere for the historic sites and the museums, rather than to a hot beach, which you will find to be pretty much the same in most of the world.(...)

 

These are not mutually exclusive choices. You can do both.

 

(...)Or just save yourself a few thousand dollars and pour some sand and hot water into the bathtub and turn on a heating lamp.

 

Bad advice. Never put sand in your bathtub.

 

Marat, I have the feeling you need experience. Beaches are very different around the world.

 

I go there for relaxing and thinking.

Archimedes died on a beach.

Edited June 18, 2011 by michel123456

[Aladdin's]

Wow- Major thoughts are heading towards travelling That was clearly out of my mind.

 

Actually, I can afford travelling but I don't find it useful to do over the summer - I'm actually not looking for a liesure time to spend.

 

Greece is an awesome place to spend your honey day's !

 

Regarding working to pay my fees, working is a nice thing to do but I can't stand working if I wasn't a boss.

 

Thanks for the help,apprciated.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Aladdin's

[Marat]

Archimedes died on a beach by being run through with a Roman soldier's sword there. That seems more like a reason for not going to the beach -- too many bullies kicking sand in your face.

 

True, Werner Heisenberg settled his ideas about Quantum Mechanics by taking a vacation to the beaches of Ruegen, but to get that benefit from the beach you need to be Heisenberg first, then go to the beach. A young university student should still be working on step one and go to beach much later for step two.

[CaptainPanic]

Wow- Major thoughts are heading towards travelling That was clearly out of my mind.

 

Actually, I can afford travelling but I don't find it useful to do over the summer - I'm actually not looking for a liesure time to spend.

The usefulness of traveling only become obvious when you've done it a couple of times. The benefit of traveling is "life experience"... and it's incredibly hard to quantify. I can understand that you would prefer a summer job, which gets you a very quantifiable amount of money on your bank account. Or study, which gets you a quantifiable thing called a degree or a driving license. But I really urge you to consider traveling, even though the benefit of it doesn't seem obvious at all.

 

My experience is that it's nice to travel especially in the summer because (1) you actually have the time for it and (2) a lot of other people are traveling, which means you can meet some people in the hostels you stay in (hostels are cheaper and better than hotels, and often enable you to meet other backpackers in the living room / social areas of the hostel - and it's always nice to share experiences).

 

Generally speaking, I maximize traveling. I'm away as much as possible, limited only by my free time and money. And I really think it really expanded my horizons (literally and metaphorically).

[Athena]

How about traveling and volunteering? Do it with a friend if you like. There are many travel and volunteer opportunities. Besides enriching your life, they can look good on a resume. Here is one http://www.globalcrossroad.com/ .

[michel123456]

Never forget each of us have a finite number of summers at disposal. About eighty for a male with good expectations. If you are 25, that is 55 summers left. That is not enough to do whatever you want: you must make a choice.

Now I realize that the most important is to do something memorable. And traveling is always memorable. Unless you make the mistake to go always to the same place.

On the other hand, about 80% of what you learn is condamned to be forgetted.

[CoBases]

This spring I got a job so I will be there each and every day during the summer.

 

Of course my work isn't really active and I have to sit in lab for 8-10 each day so I bought a trampoline at home to get some sport activities and keep up the good shape.

 

Best suggestions for summer is to get some part time job or internship to get your real life things doing and do some sport activities to make your body happy

[Athena]

Never forget each of us have a finite number of summers at disposal. About eighty for a male with good expectations. If you are 25, that is 55 summers left. That is not enough to do whatever you want: you must make a choice.

Now I realize that the most important is to do something memorable. And traveling is always memorable. Unless you make the mistake to go always to the same place.

On the other hand, about 80% of what you learn is condamned to be forgetted.

 

I like your advise. However, for those who can not travel, my grandmother taught me a library can take us around the world. Not the same thing as actually traveling, but I sincerely believe, knowing about the world and history are very important. Having a rich and full life is extremely important when we start thinking of our lives as what is behind us instead of in front of us, and using math to figure the number of summers we have left, puts things a good perspective.

[michel123456]

I like your advise. However, for those who can not travel, my grandmother taught me a library can take us around the world. Not the same thing as actually traveling, but I sincerely believe, knowing about the world and history are very important. Having a rich and full life is extremely important when we start thinking of our lives as what is behind us instead of in front of us, and using math to figure the number of summers we have left, puts things a good perspective.

 

You are right about the library, but you must be carefull that 99% of what you read is fantasy, romance, politics, lies.

Traveling is not always costly. Only that the lower the budget, the more courage you need, like these crazy french 2 guys: around the world by foot with a budget of 2 euros a day. A little extreme.

[CaptainPanic]

[...]However, for those who can not travel [...]

 

Why would you not be able to travel? I can only think of a few reasons:

 

1. Money.

Can usually be solved by saving or getting a job. But also by traveling cheaply. Campings can be as little as 10 euro per night. A hostel night should cost only 20 euro (compared to hotels being at least double that). Bus tickets can get you 1000 kilometers for 50 euro, if you search carefully. Interrail (Europe) can get you 10 days of unlimited train in a 22 day period for just 250 euro. Even budget airlines can get you pretty far for little money. Only intercontinental flights are expensive. But a 1000 euro budget should be enough for proper backpacking holiday of a month.

 

2. Time

We're working under the assumption that you have time.

 

3. Paperwork

Let's assume you're in a free country, and that you're able to get a Visa without trouble... or that you don't even need one. Btw, this too can be solved.

 

4. Initiative

This is really up to you. Just go.

[michel123456]

5. Mom & dad.

[CaptainPanic]

5. Mom & dad.

Good point. You should be older than 18 to travel without parents, and possibly even older to go alone. (Well, at least your destination should be in line with your age).

 

If you travel for the 1st time, I would definitely recommend to travel with at least 1 other friend that you can trust.