Your summer break is valuable. Do you want to go back to school in August bragging about what Netflix series you binge watched? Or would you rather go back to school full of pride and accomplishment on achieving one of your goals? Make your summer a productive one and set at least three goals you want to achieve. Brainstorm ways you will work towards them. Last summer, I set three goals for myself and my experience was remarkable.

Look for free resources

One of my goals was to learn programming so that I have a coding mindset to use on engineering challenges. I worked on Lambda School’s Mini Bootcamp for the few weeks before summer semester classes started, which gave me a crash course foundation for web development. I built on that foundation after the summer semester ended by attending local Free Code Camp meetups. I also benefited greatly by attending the Frontend Masters’ live JavaScript for WordPress Workshop. If you are looking to build on your programming knowledge over the summer, a quick internet search will provide you with resources.

Money matters

Becoming more financially stable and literate was my second summer goal. I was able to get a position as a Student Ambassador over the summer semester. In addition to earning a paycheck, I gained valuable experience on campus. To increase my financial literacy I attended a workshop at my credit union. I learned how to set up a Certificate of Deposit that will mature when I transfer to a four year institution. I’m in community college with a grant that covers tuition, but a Certificate of Deposit is a great way to earn money effortlessly (through interest) on your savings!

Plan for the future

My third goal was to research four year colleges. I will soon be graduating from my community college and will need to transfer to a four year institution. I visited a local state school as well as a local private school to learn more about the transfer process. Different schools have different transfer requirements. For example, the private school would only accept my freshman year credits as transfer credits. I would need to take three years there! Yikes! It’s important to know all of your options before making a decision.

Summer is what you make of it. You can use that large chunk of time to build something great or wither away with a three month Netflix binge. The choice is yours.

What will your goals be this summer? Share with the Pearson Students Community by commenting on my blog!