Back at Home for the Summer: 5 Ways to Adjust to the Transition

5 Ways to Adjust to the Transition of Going Home For the Summer

Being back home presents a huge transition for a college student who has just completed their freshman year. For the most part, new college students hit the ground running and don’t get a chance to stop until the year is over. Sometimes, students will arrange for an internship or part-time job while other times students simply need to rest and recuperate from the previous semester. It can be difficult to adjust to being in a different town or state, but there are several things students can do to keep their summer at home productive and prepare themselves for their sophomore year as a university student.

1. Short-term internships

Students who would like to participate successfully in an internship but also want to have some rest should consider getting a short-term internship. Many internships are only a week or two weeks long and allow students to get a sneak peek into what a longer internship would be like down the road. For the most part, these positions simply allow college students to see the office environment they might be working in while they help out with support tasks. Students who are feeling overwhelmed after their first year of college are encouraged to consider a short-term internship and enjoy the remainder of their summer (READ: 5 ways to learn about art this summer).

2. A Paycheck

Getting a paycheck over the summer can make the school year a whole lot easier. Many students work part-time every week throughout the school year, but others will only work during the holiday break and summer. If this is the case, every dollar becomes more important, and summer work allows students to have more fun and flexibility during the year. Additional funds give students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs and organizations and avoid additional part-time work during the year so they can focus on academics. Students may even save up a little bit of money for a study abroad opportunity.

3. Volunteer work in your field

Another excellent way for students to make a summer at home productive is to do some volunteer work within their major field of study. This is a little bit more complicated than filling mandatory volunteer hours to graduate high school in that the student will have to do a fair amount of research to find the best fit for them. There are many websites that help match potential volunteers with appropriate organizations, and once students turn 18, there are more things they can participate in within a professional environment. Some volunteer work is casual, and students can just attend a few hours a week while other positions are full-time and require an application similar to that for a paid job (READ: Why you should get a test prep tutor over the summer).

4. Road trip

Another great way for students to fill their time while living at home during the summer is to go on an educational road trip. Depending on where a student lives, there are tons of things from natural habitats to state parks to national monuments that are of educational and historic interest. If a student travels to a neighboring state, they will be able to broaden their horizons and view life a little bit differently. Road trips are often ‘just for fun’ but they can also hold educational and cultural value.

5. Rest and recuperate

Freshman year of college can be extremely draining because students need to adjust to the advanced academic rigors that are required. In many ways, just resting and relaxing after the first year of college can be of great benefit to students so they can fully participate in their sophomore year. Hopefully, college students will show up to their second year on campus with a renewed interest in education and ability to participate in more advanced educational courses.

Now that you’re back home for the summer, catch up and get ahead for the next academic year with the help of an Irvine summer tutor from TutorNerds. Call us today for more information.

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