Summer break is like compound interest: ignore it, and you’re burning value. Use it wisely, and you build leverage. Unfortunately, most students treat their summer like it’s a three-month all-you-can-eat TikTok buffet. So here’s your wake-up call: summer isn’t a break from your future—it’s a chance to build it.
Let’s break down how to not screw this up.
1. Have a Plan (Seriously)
Don’t drift into summer like it’s a vibe. This isn’t Burning Man (ask your parents). Want to travel? Work? Study? Pick something. Then schedule it. Your calendar is a reflection of your priorities. Get a daily rhythm—even if it’s chill. Wake up. Do hard things first. Your brain is sharper in the morning, and frankly, it’s all downhill after lunch.
If you don’t plan your summer, someone else will—and it’ll involve minimum wage, your mom’s basement, and a slowly withering soul.
2. Try New Stuff (and Kill Off What Sucks)
Summer is R&D season for your life. Pick up a new skill, hobby, or weird obsession. Learn to code, write a blog, take improv. Try things that scare you and make you suck at first. That’s how you grow.
Equally important: stop doing stupid shit. Unfollow that toxic friend group. Toss the clothes that scream “first-year orientation.” Audit your habits. You’re pruning the dead branches so your tree can grow. Oh, and yes, this includes weed, sports betting, and any other degenerate behavior that is a gut-punch to who you want to be.
3. Get a Job (Any Job, Really)
As I’ve mentioned in many, many other blogs, the world doesn’t owe you anything. Go work. Work is good. I don’t care if it’s an internship at a startup, flipping burgers, or delivering weed gummies—okay, maybe not that last one. Work gives you reps. It teaches discipline, humility, and how to not be the guy who thinks Excel is “optional.”
Ideally, find something aligned with your interests or degree. But even if you’re scooping ice cream, show up early, crush your tasks, and make the manager say, “Damn, I hope they come back next summer.”
Pro tip: use the job as an excuse to do informational interviews. People love to talk about themselves. Pick their brains and build your network.
4. Travel (Within Reason)
If you can afford it—financially, academically, or emotionally—go see the world. Go somewhere that makes you feel stupid and small. That’s where growth lives.
But don’t use travel as escapism. Paris won’t fix your procrastination problem. Backpacking through Peru won’t magically fix your résumé. Travel because it challenges you, not because it looks good on Instagram. Come back with enough time to make some cash, wash your clothes, and hang with friends from home.
5. Clean Up the Mess (Yes, You Have One)
Summer is for deferred maintenance. Get your teeth cleaned. Get that weird mole looked at. Fix your sleep schedule. See a therapist. Go through your digital clutter and delete half your photos and all your ex’s texts.
This is the unsexy work that pays dividends in mental clarity and emotional bandwidth. No one talks about it. But the most successful people I know are maintenance freaks.
6. Don’t Be a Sloth: Move Your Body
I’ll put it plainly: strong people are harder to kill. Lift weights. Run. Take long walks and listen to podcasts that don’t involve two influencers arguing over zodiac signs or baseball stats. You don’t have to be David Goggins. Just engage in a daily routine that moves you through each hour with some semblance of progress.
Physical fitness is a superpower in your twenties. You’ll look better, think clearer, and show up more confidently. It’s not about being ripped—it’s about being resilient (or even better, anti-fragile).
7. Connect Like a Grown-Up
Here’s a depressing stat: loneliness among young adults is at an all-time high, especially among young dudes. You know why? Because texting isn’t a relationship. Get off your phone. Meet people in person. Make eye contact. Ask your grandparents how they met. Give your damn thumbs a break.
Host a barbecue. Call your weird uncle. Go to a local event that doesn’t involve Red Bull and DJs. The secret to life is relationships. Start investing.
8. Learn Something That Doesn’t Suck
Don’t let your brain turn into guacamole. Take a class. Read five books. Prep for the LSAT. Watch YouTube lectures on economics. It doesn’t matter what—just keep your neurons firing.
If you lose your intellectual momentum, the fall semester will hit like a brick wall. Learning doesn’t stop when class does. Make it a habit. Keep the blade sharp.
9. Set One BIG Personal Goal
Here’s your assignment: set ONE goal that scares you but is still achievable. Not “be more productive.” That’s garbage. Make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
Examples:
- Write 10 blog posts.
- Run a 10k.
- Apply to five internships.
- Learn enough Python to automate a boring task.
Track it. Share it. Do it. Then reward yourself with something ridiculous—like a new pair of sneakers or a weekend trip with friends. Notice a theme here? It’s about doing, not promising.
10. Don’t Schedule Every Damn Minute
Paradox alert: you need structure, but not too much structure. Leave space for spontaneous road trips, late-night porch talks, or waking up and deciding to learn how to make sushi.
Life is lived in the margins. Don’t overschedule yourself into a summer that feels like homework. Allow some “chaotic good” to sneak in. Plan > Execute > Adapt > Plan > Execute > Adapt.
Final Thought: Your Summer Is a Startup
Treat your summer like a startup. You’ve got three months of burn rate. What will you build? What will you kill off? How will you come back smarter, stronger, and more valuable?
The average college student wastes 900+ hours each summer. That’s 37 full days. You could start a business, write a book, or become fluent in something other than sarcasm.
Don’t be average.
Now go get it.