As college kids, we often see breaks as time to relax, and summer is no exception. Although it is important to recharge in preparation for the next school year, it’s also important to realize that our summer break can be a time to maximize productivity. Whether it be taking some summer courses at your local community college or getting a job, a successful college career is dependent on your efforts during these times of flexibility. Knowing this, I have spent my last few summer breaks making the most of them, and preparing myself for the future, and there are two ways I did so.

Take summer classes

Once I graduated high school, I wasted no time and took advantage of the courses offered at my local community college over the summer. Community colleges offer thousands of courses, making it easy for students to get some of their required curriculum out of the way. In addition, taking advantage of this is a great way to finish your more “basic” classes for a significantly cheaper price. These last two summers, I took about 19 hours, and I can’t justly express how incredible all the benefits are of doing this. Taking all my English, histories, and sciences at my local community college saved me tens of thousands of dollars and put me on track to graduate a year early. You will not regret taking these basic courses ahead of time for a fraction of the price.

Try something new

Summer break can be the perfect time to learn a new skill, complete an internship, earn extra money through a summer job, or launch a new endeavor. I started my own small business, something that taught me discipline, consistency, and perseverance. During the summer after my freshman year, I started my own pressure washing company. I invested several thousand dollars of my own money in equipment and advertising. Walking door to door in the Texas heat, I created a name for myself and my business. I met dozens of business owners and earned myself my first internship working for a prominent construction company whose CEO I pressure washed for. In addition to reaping the benefits of my investment, I also acquired the effective art of selling as well as learned the importance of networking. The experience of owning my own company taught me so many valuable lessons and I would highly recommend doing it. 

Summers in college are some of the most valuable and flexible periods of time you will ever have, and many don’t realize it until it is too late. If you want to get ahead, save money, learn something new, and meet new people, I highly suggest taking some summer courses and starting your own small business that you’re passionate about.

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