Summer vacation is the best time of year. No school, warm weather and endless things to do. How do you make the most of your summer vacation? Whether you’re looking for something worthwhile or looking for ideas, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a list of the top five best ways to spend your summer.

Interning

A great way to spend your summer is doing an internship. Internships can be fun and are a great way to gain experience and network. You can intern in your field or something unrelated to what you’re studying in school. Interning gives you an opportunity to get a closer look at the industry you plan to have a career in, and you’ll meet a lot of people. Maybe you’ll make friends with another intern or impress your boss and get offered a job. It gives you a chance to explore different industries if you’re not knowledgable on them or you’re not exactly sure what you want to do. It’s a good resume builder and a fun time.

Music Festivals

One of the most fun things you will ever experience is going to a music festival. I’ve been to many in my lifetime, and some of my best memories are from music festivals. There are festivals for all different types of music interests — EDM like Hard Summer in August or EDC in May. For more pop or R&B settings, try FYF Fest in July. Rolling Loud in May always has a full lineup of popular rap artists. If you’re a country music fan, Stage Coach is at the end of April in Indio, California. Music festivals can be pricey, but it’s worth the money. Instead of paying $150-300 for a concert ticket to see one artist, you can pay $400-600 to see 20 artists. It’s the perfect opportunity for great Instagram pics.

Volunteer

If you’re looking for a meaningful way to spend your summer, go on a service trip or volunteer. Service trips are a great way to travel and help people simultaneously. It’s an easy way to make new friends and make an impact in the community. Service trips can be outside the country, in another state or in your own community. If a service trip is not what you’re looking for, volunteering for any organization during the summer can is meaningful. Volunteering for an organization during the summer can help you build better relationships with the people in that organization as well as the community you help. You can impact your community and build your resume. If you’re looking for places to volunteer, check out the Bennion Center website.

Vacation

A fun way to spend your summer break is, obviously, going on vacation. Vacations are always a fun time whether they’re with family, friends or yourself. You can go anywhere and have a good time: Disneyland, Cabo, Hawaii, any beach ever, across the country, across the world. Vacations can be expensive depending on where you go and how long you stay, but they are a much needed reward after a hard semester.

Study Abroad

The best way to spend your summer is studying abroad. Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to travel the world and study at a different school. You can get some credits out of the way by taking them over the summer and experience the culture of a different country. Try new foods, sightsee, take the road less traveled, meet new people, learn some history and even experience a new culture. Go with a friend and experience the country together. Go by yourself and broaden your comfort zone. If you are studying a language, travel to the host country and immerse yourself in the language and culture. If you aren’t studying a language, take gen-ed requirements or classes for your major. Studying abroad over the summer can help you graduate sooner and earn your degree in a unique and meaningful way. You can simply take classes abroad or participate in research, find an internship, volunteer abroad or work somewhere. The Learning Abroad Office has great resources if you’re interested in studying abroad. It’s too late to apply for this summer, but you can start planning for next year. I guarantee it will be an unforgettable experience you will always cherish.

There are several ways to spend your summer vacation that weren’t included on this list that are still a lot of fun. Sometimes taking a few months to do absolutely nothing is the best way to spend your summer. A lot of the items on this list require you to spend money, but there are ways to spend your summer without breaking your wallet like joining an intramural sports team or playing with your friends. However you decide to spend your summer, be sure to enjoy it and take the break you deserve.

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@TheChrony