Students need to make the best of their experiences over the summer.
Summer is quickly approaching and students should really be thinking about what they will do with their time.

We have two more weeks of the semester and, by now, most of us have our summer plans figured out. For those of you who have plans, and for those of you who don’t, making our summer busy is probably the best thing we could do for ourselves. It’s hard because we’ve been on campus taking classes for the past 10 months and all we want is a break. We want time to do nothing and we look forward to our summers for this time.

Unfortunately, with our summers being our free time, we have to fill those months with productivity. This is our time to make something of our lives. We work in our classes for 10 months to earn a degree, but a degree isn’t the only thing that will get us a job. We need experience.

We’re smart, driven college students and we all know the importance of doing something over the summer. By doing something with our time, I mean something big, something influential or something that could potentially create success in our future careers. Internships, jobs, summer classes or studying abroad are four things we all know can help us down the path of success, some day. The question is, how, what and why. How do we decide what we want to do with our summer and how do we begin the process of getting involved? What are we interested in and what are we going to pursue? Most importantly, why do we do what we do? Why do we decide to fill our only time of youth with constant work and stress?

Deciding what to do with your time over the summer is easy. Experience is key. Whatever you decide, summer is preparation for your future. Get a job, plain and simple. No matter where you are, what you do or what your plans are, having a job can never be detrimental. Even working in a restaurant, nannying or mowing your neighbor's lawn can earn you good money. Internships are supposed to be the ideal way to spend your summer. But they’re hard to get, they don't always paid and they're not always that exciting.

We’re supposed to have experience, right? Well, sitting in a cubical and not getting paid for it doesn’t seem like experience. Although you think of it that way, initially, that company will be on your resume. You may think you’re not getting experience, but you really are. You’re making connections that could potentially set you in the right direction.

According to an article from Boston University's, BU Today, the 2011 internship and co-op survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 40 percent of new-entry hires were from internships or co-op programs. This explains perfectly that prior experiences achieve new experiences, so getting a job or an internship is an ideal way to spend your summer. For more information about the advantages and opportunities of internships and jobs, visit http://www.bu.edu/today/2011/internships/ or explore Purdue's opportunities for individual majors or interests.

What it comes down to is that you have to do what you have to do in order to graduate and sometimes that means working and taking classes at the same time. Are you behind on taking any classes, need to retake any classes or just want to get ahead? Register for summer classes, now.

What’s nice is that you can do distance learning classes, which allows you to take classes online, no matter where you live. Ask around about residency, and you can take a Maymester course for four weeks. So take these few things into consideration and decide what’s best to do with your time. Look into the opportunities Purdue provides, talk to your advisor and even talk to your parents. It’s all about connections. Regardless of who or where the opportunity comes from, it’s an opportunity. Don't traveling overseas. 

You would think that studying abroad is too stressful. You have all of these preparations to take care of and its months and months of anxiously waiting. One thing to consider is how all of the preparation is well worth the trip. Studying abroad is an experience you will never forget. Whether you're studying a language or not, living in another country for a period of time will make you appreciate culture and people. You will see that there's more to life right now than class after class and constant worries about your future. There's life outside of our own lives, and exploring the world is great to put on a resume. According to an article in the Princeton Review, changing your perspective of life is a key quality that can prepare you for your future. An experience such as studying abroad in another country, makes you capable of tackling any problem, and gives you real life examples of solving conflict and adapting to change. (For more information about the advantages of studying abroad, visit http://www.princetonreview.com/why-study-abroad.aspx, or even our own Purdue University website http://www.studyabroad.purdue.edu/)

Some may decide to do nothing. Sometimes doing what you need to do means giving time to yourself. The school year is rough and having so much stress can build up. If sitting by the pool, relaxing and giving yourself time to do nothing, is going to better you for the future, then do it. All I’m saying is do something with your summer. Do something that makes the best of your experience. Get a job or internship, take classes, go abroad or even do nothing at all. Do what’s best for you, regardless of what that is, and take advantage of the millions of opportunities around us. We go to Purdue University for a reason, and that’s because we want to have a good future. So start early, give yourself experiences that will set you up for a lifetime of even better experiences.