How to Maximize Your Summer
Whether you are a prospective or current student, or even a working professional, the summertime can present the opportunity to take advantage of much needed rest and relaxation. Being intentional about resting and recharging is something we at Ebonies in the Ivory deem an essential component to holistic living. While carving out time for self-care, vacations, and family gatherings is necessary, it is also important to be strategic about taking advantage of any “extra” or unstructured time to work on your academic and career goals. Lisa Velkoff’s article for the American Psychological Association, entitled “Making the Most of Summer in Graduate School”, highlights three key areas that prospective and current doctoral students can focus on, with some strategies being applicable to those already immersed in their career. Lisa encourages those who want to use their time well over the summer to:
Devote time to research activities
As a graduate student, summer is the perfect time to tackle research initiatives. Regardless of where you are in your program, you can benefit from engaging in research. Prospective students can use the summer to research programs and faculty, as well as job outlook for the interested field of study or. For students who have been accepted to a program but have not yet started classes, exploring academic funding resources, program plans of study and timelines, potential research interests, etc. may help to ease the jitters that accompany embarking upon a new academic journey, while simultaneously help to build a foundation of academic success. Current students have already interfaced with the curriculum and culture of their program and have the opportunity to build upon their academic work and begin to undertake doctoral milestones by joining a writing group, finalizing dissertation topics, developing literature reviews and annotated bibliographies, and even seeking out a dissertation chair and committee members, when appropriate. Those seeking to be published should seek out opportunities to collaborate with faculty and other colleagues, in addition to penning their own thoughts.
Engage in professional development
The slower pace of the summer can afford the time to engage in professional development opportunities that were unattainable in the busy fall or spring semester. This includes attending/presenting at conferences or workshops and networking with those in your future field, finding internships or assistantships to gain direct experience that will greatly benefit your future career, beefing up your resume/CV and even setting up informational interviews with professionals that are already engaged in the work you are interested in.
In addition to attending to enhancing knowledge through attending seminars, taking courses and completing certifications that will enhance your career journey can prove to be a great use of time. Personally, a number of my summers were spent studying for exams that were prerequisites for licenses and certifications I have earned.
For those who are interested in a career as a faculty member, being a teaching assistant or an adjunct faculty member for a summer course will prove to be invaluable experience along your career trajectory. Reading books on pedagogy and best practices for instruction and practicing presentation skills with a peer group or through Toastmasters, Inc. will further help in building skills vital to the classroom.
Work on personal goals
As we undertake academic and career goals, we would be remiss not to tackle our own personal goals. Lisa is careful to include in her article that self-care should be one of those personal goals that should be prioritized and is vital to the wellness of a graduate student. This is advice is no less pertinent for those of us who have careers that can be demanding throughout the year. Planning and following through on summer leisure activities that are beneficial to wellness are crucial. Other personal goals could include checking off things that may have been placed on the back burner through the year such as blogging or podcasting, implementing a personal wellness plan, reading a book for leisure or finally finding a therapist. Whatever your personal goals, utilizing the summer to ensure that they are not neglected is a must.
On the next podcast we will continue the discussion on how to maximize the summer and will be sharing our personal strategies developed over the years, but we also want to hear from our tribe! As a prospective or current student, or working professional, what plans do you have to maximize the remainder of your summer! Drop us a line or two in the comments!
