10 Awesome Ways to Spend your School Vacations

School vacations are possibly the most awaited event for all students. The leisure of free time and a clear schedule, offer a pleasure like no other. After all, who among us doesn’t want to retreat to our happy place, away from all the hassles and stresses of a daily routine? In the million pros that vacations possess, they do also present a glaring con- we can end up idling away our time, and end up not doing even half of what we expected to achieve. Which is where this list comes to your rescue. Ensure that you never spend a single vacation day being bored by following these 10 awesome ways of spending school vacations-

10. TAKE UP EMPLOYMENT

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Getting a part-time job during your vacations, is possibly the best thing you can do for yourself. Not only do you score on the funds department, it does a world of good for your personality. Summer jobs could range from doing an internship in an office, working in a departmental store, or volunteering your time for a good cause at a not-for-profit organisation. Working over the vacations equals tons of productivity, which gives a tremendous sense of self worth and accomplishment. It increases your confidence, time management abilities, discipline; and even gives you the competitive edge you need in this fast paced world. Moreover, the job will allow you to network and make social contacts, which is a fun and useful asset to have.

If traditional employment is not to your interest, you could also explore your entrepreneurial side, and create some work for yourself during the vacations; for example, selling your artwork, or volunteering to do odd jobs for money. These too go a long way in making you mature, responsible and constructive.

9. EMBRACE THE OUTDOORS

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Being in school means you spend most of your time in that one building, and very little of what’s left is spent outside. This is problematic, because not spending time in the lap of nature robs you of some serious emotional, physical and intellectual benefits. In addition to building a healthier, fitter body; physical activity helps you feel good, and rids you of stress and depression, problems your are liable to face in school. Participating in sports allows you to build lasting relationships, and teaches you the value of teamwork and perseverance. Giving your bones and muscles a good workout results in better sleep patterns, which makes you more energetic, alert and focussed. The benefits are endless! So grab your running shoes and athletic gear, and go outdoors. Play a sport like tennis or soccer, go trekking/hiking/rock climbing, cycling or swimming. The fresh air will do you a world of good!

8. LEARN A NEW SKILL

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You’ve got time on your hands, away from the rigmarole of daily school; what better way is there to spend this time, than to learn a new skill? All of us are always talking about occupying ourselves with some or the other hobby. We’ve all got a ton of things we’d like to do, but can never make time for. School vacations are the solution to all your problems. Pick up one thing that fascinates you, and get to work! It could be learning a musical instrument, learning a new language, artistic skills like illustration, painting, designing etc.

Aside from this, you could learn a new sport, self defence, website designing, knitting, cooking, or repairing things. Learning a new skill, makes you more capable and mature, and a more well rounded person.

7. BECOME A READER

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As a student, the habit of reading is of the utmost importance. But it takes patience and attention, something not everybody is willing to give when they have a million other things to distract them. School vacations allow you to own your own time, and developing the habit of reading is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it reduce stress, it improves concentration, increases memory, and teaches you things you never even thought you needed to know.

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.”, said W. Somerset Maugham, and rightly so! Reading is highly enjoyable, and to cultivate the habit of reading is easy. Make a list of compelling books you want to write, carve out a specific time for yourself to read in the day, tune out the TV, find a quiet place- and you’re good to go! Carry your book everywhere, so you can catch up on reading when you’re stuck in traffic, or waiting at the doctors office. Become a bookworm today!

6. GET OBSESSED WITH A NEW TV SHOW

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While an obsession isn’t the healthiest thing in the world- it’s bunches of fun!

This is the age of great TV. A variety of interesting topics and stories are now being developed, and they will keep you glued to the screen. What with shows like House of Cards, Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey; TV shows are coming up with dynamic storylines that get you thinking a mile a minute, feeling hundreds of emotions all at once, and consuming your being completely! Of course it’s essential to prioritise, and complete all your work and commitments before you move on to binge watching something. But it’s exciting to have something amusing to look forward to at the end of the day. Try to get your friends or family involved with you, so you can follow the show together, discuss it, and be in awe of it together.

5. TRAVEL

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The most obvious option, but the most exciting one by all means! Take in the sights of Tokyo city, the romance of Paris, the majesty of the swiss alps, the peace of Bali, the cuisine of Italy- and your life will never be the same again. Travel changes you as a person, and gives you a wealth of experience. But travel doesn’t always have to be international, or even too expensive. Travelling is an adventure, which is all about exploring a new place, and learning more. You’d be surprised by all the places that are just a few miles away from your home, and by all the things they have to offer. So do a little research and circle your map! It’s also an excellent opportunity for you to bond with your family, or friends, depending on who you go with.

4. EXPLORING NEW THINGS WITH FRIENDS

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You find your friends in your classmates, experiencing the daily grind of school with you. But what if you were to take these friendships deeper, and cultivate long lasting bonds instead? Sounds just about perfect, right? Well, the school vacations are the best time to do this. Invite your friends over and plan to do something new every day. You can find something interesting to do both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, you can have a board game night, movie marathon nights, make homemade pizza, bake cupcakes, organise plays or dance parties on rainy days or do some crafts. Outdoors, you can plan a day out to a museum, historical park, amusement park, beach, animal farm, etc, go camping underneath the stars, go on a photography expedition, go on a drive, catch a ferry or a train or go on a nature hunt. Doing these activities will make for an entertaining and educational vacations with your nearest and dearest!

3. CONNECT SPIRITUALLY

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The stress and demands of a daily routine can often take a toll on the mind. Your self esteem can take a hit when a test doesn’t go too well, and the pain of having fights with friends is sometimes too much to take. Which is why you need to invest some time into learning to love, and take care of yourself, i.e, connect to yourself. Invest some time into taking guided meditation or yoga classes, make a list of things you love about yourself and look at it everyday and spend some time reading up about inner peace and soul satisfaction. These will certainly make you more self aware and peaceful. It’s never too early for spirituality, and the faster you get connected, the better the quality of your life is.

2. BE ON TOP OF THINGS

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School means you can often feel like you’re all over the place, and you often lose track of things, and forget to fulfil all your responsibilities, instead choosing to focus on just one thing. Your vacations give you the much needed opportunity to simply, be on top of things. You can finish your projects, complete your chores to the point of perfection, work on your creative hobbies, and still have plenty of time to have one. Pack your day with a healthy mix of enjoyment and productivity. Make a day plan to make sure you can make the most of your 24 hours, instead of just idling them away.

1.MAKE A SCRAPBOOK

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School goes by so fast, and someday it can all seem like a blur. Which is why it’s a great idea to document your vacations-undoubtedly the best part of school life, by making a scrapbook. Collect little mementos of your exciting vacation exploits, for example, shells from the beach, badges from camp etc., as well as pictures with your friends and family from all the exciting days spent with them, and arrange them into scrapbook. Give your vacation moments cute and interesting captions, and you’re good to go. Making a scrapbook will also motivate you to make all your days off, more and more extraordinary and fun.

So follow this list, and make your vacations better, and more memorable than ever!