Like most of you I am incredibly excited for summer to commence. I cannot wait for the warm weather, not having to worry about essays or readings. However, my problem is that once I get a vacation, I tend to become incredibly bored and restless, which leaves me unproductive.
My suggestion is, before exams start, is to chalk out your summer plan now so when it starts , it won’t be till the last week of august that you wished you did something more fruitful.
There are a couple routes you can take when planning out your summer. Firstly, if you are looking to make some extra money, I highly suggest you start your job search now. Come April, exam stress will take over, and you wont have as much time to research availabilities. U of T’s career page has many job opportunities available on campus. This would be great for a student wanting to get work within their faculty, or wanting to stay on campus. The hours are fairly flexible, so if you are taking a summer course, or have family commitments, this would be a great option.
If you are looking to take the academic route, I would suggest you look up the 2015 Summer Preliminary timetable. Summer is a good time to complete your breadth requirements, as well as filling in courses needed for your major, that you may not necessarily have time for during the year.
For example, I have not been able to take POL222 for my political science major due to workload and schedule conflicts. This summer, I am hoping to stay in Toronto for the first half, finish the course and perhaps have a job on the side.
If you are contemplating taking a summer course I suggest you keep these factors in mind.
- What will your workload be like in the following academic year?
- Will you be near campus during the summer?
- Are you short on credits for your major or breadth?
- Will the summer course allow you to work if you choose to?
I have taken summer courses twice. The first time I was taking pre reqs to get into another major. Only after taking the course did I realize it was not something I wanted to pursue. While I did “waste time” on the course, it saved me from blindly entering into a program not for me, and had I taken it during the year, it would have affected my grades in other courses.
My only caution is to not take on too many courses during the summer. I have seen friends take multiple courses over the summer and burning out once school began. No matter what you do during your summer, you need to factor in mental and physical rest for yourself.
If you are wishing to combine academic and jobs together, I would suggest starting looking for internships. The easiest way to find is through your program faculty. I am lucky that PCJ sends a newsletter at least once a week, highlighting different opportunities that have come up. If your faculty does not do this, then I would contact professors if they need any research assistants, contact local companies or NGO’s and advertise yourself and your interest for an internship.
It may seem daunting to randomly message a company or an organization. But if you are passionate and interested with the line of work that they do, they may be willing to create an internship for you.
I hope you all have a happy and safe summer!!