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How to Make the Most Out of Your Summer

If you’re sleeping in until 1 p.m. or spending your evenings watching the television, you’re probably wasting away summer break. The first day of school will be here before you know it. So instead of staying home to watch your favorite daytime talk show, try to be productive, and do the things you didn’t have time to do during the school year.
Here’s a list of activities that will help you make the most out of your summer:
Pick up a cookbook: Sick of eating macaroni and cheese? Learn how to cook this summer and find recipes that are inexpensive, easy to make and dorm-friendly. Take a look at the cookbook, Freshman in the Kitchen as an introduction. Look for recipes that have less than five ingredients. Less ingredients means less wasted counter space in those crammed dorms. By the time school rolls around, you’ll be able to a put together a meal that doesn’t come out of a cardboard box.
Lose the winter weight: You may have put on a few pounds throughout the school year like the Freshman 15, but now you have the time to get back down to your normal weight. Ride your bike around the neighborhood or hit the gym. Try to find a workout regimen that you can stick to during the school year, so you don’t have to carry that winter weight every year.
Take a summer class: Going back to school during the summer is probably the last thing you want to do during your vacation. But summer classes are a great way to get ahead, and they help you avoid the summer brain drain. Take the time to knock out some of those extra curricular classes. Pick something fun like pottery or yoga.
Volunteer: Beef up that resume and help a stranger. Contact Volunteers of America or The Red Cross to learn about volunteer opportunities. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, and it helps you develop communication skills that can be later used in the workforce.
Read: You’ll finely have something to discuss with the English literature majors. Pick up one of the classics like “The Great Gatsby” or brush up on your current events by reading the newspaper every morning. Reading stimulates your brain and improves your writing skills.
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