How to Make the Rest of Your Summer Count

For the average student, most summers are spent in front of a register, a desk, or a TV, and regardless if you're making bank or not, a lot of us are left wondering if we've squandered one of the last summers we're going to have. You want that sense of accomplishment before you go back to school, but with basically a month left, what is there to do? A ton of stuff, that's what! Here are some ideas that you can try out if you have some time on your hands (or if you're getting tired of Family Guy reruns).

Join A Crowd-Sourcing Platform

If you're like me, you might have had to take an internship that pays a little below the minimum wage (like, $7.25 below the minimum wage), and that's why I started looking for ways to make a little money on the side. Enter Amazon Mechanical Turk. Don't let the name scare you. Mechanical Turk (or mTurk) is a service where Requesters post HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) that computers can't quite accomplish yet. Most of these HITs come in the form of surveys that net you around 50 cents to 2 dollars, and if you're looking to make a quick buck, this could be an easy way to save up for all that late night pizza when school starts. Plus, most HITs come from colleges and universities conducting research, so not only are you helping yourself, but you're helping some poor grad student too!

Turn That Flab Into Abs

via fitgirlsdiary

I confess, I don't have some super secret method to get you that six pack, and I swear I'm not that ripped Asian guy from YouTube, but there are some quick and easy exercises that everyone can do for less than ten minutes a day, including many yoga poses. The American Osteopathic Association lists a ton of benefits on the subject, and when both your mind and your body benefit, what's there to lose? Since there's no equipment required (unless you want to spring for a mat), there's nothing stopping you from getting started today.

Save the Planet, Man

via Buzzfeed

No, you don't need to buy a Prius or anything like that. In fact, you don't even need to leave your home to help save the environment (and some money on your bills each month). For starters, unplug anything that glows, including phone chargers, printers, and anything that could use "vampire energy" when it's off (just don't unplug your fridge, duh). If you're already a champ at unplugging things, check out this website that lists 50 easy ways to go green, and see how many you can check off before the summer ends.

Help Those Who Can't Help Themselves

Even though we all want to help those less fortunate than ourselves, sometimes it's hard to find a place to start, and with the summer winding down, it's difficult to throw yourself right into it. If you're ready to fill the role of couch activist, then it's time to become reacquainted with our old friend freerice.com. For those of you who didn't attend middle school, freerice.com is a website that allows you to donate rice to the World Food Programme by answering vocabulary questions (shout out to all the other English majors out there). If vocab isn't your forte, check out these other sites to help you get started with saving the world, one click at a time.

Become a Certified Forklift Operator

Ah, the majestic forklift. So graceful, yet so powerful. Have you ever wished that you could tame one of these majestic beasts? Well now you can! Thanks to the Internet, you can become an OSHA certified forklift operator for around 50 dollars. If forklifts aren't your thing, there are plenty of other certifications that you can add to your resume before the summer is out that can help you stand out from the pack when it comes to securing a job. Or, you know, you could be the king of the warehouse atop your noble steed.