Undoubtedly, summer vacation is the best time to pursue our hobbies and refresh our minds. Just before these holidays, we spent days and nights consumed with books for the sake of exams, leaving no time for anything else. Thus, it is our right to be granted a pause from the monotonous routine.

Now many of us would be thinking how to fully utilise this precious time. So, I have got some suggestions that could make this summer vacation more enjoyable and memorable.

Do what you like I believe that the first and foremost relief you should enjoy is to detangle yourself from the tough routine you have been following previously. Enjoy your freedom and obey what your heart says, at least for the first few weeks.

There might be things that you wanted to do, but the burden of studies did not allow you to do so. Now is the best time for it. Reward your mind for the hard work it put in during exams, by leaving no effort in entertaining it.

However, I know the feeling that you are free and are not bound to a strict routine is the best feeling for most of us. But you must realise that too much of anything is not beneficial, so, in my opinion, two weeks are enough and then you must organise your days, to do some useful and productive things. It doesn’t mean that you get involved again in some tough routine of any sort, the idea is to do something which makes you happy, or things that you had been planning to do, but couldn’t because of your school routine.

There are many different activities that offer learning and entertainment simultaneously. Such activities should be encouraged as they inculcate different qualities in a person and bring out your hidden talents. Some of them are mentioned below.

Take up online courses

As we all know, this is the age of technology and accessibility. Internet has blessed us with uncountable resources and opportunities and it is our duty to utilise them for our benefit.

Rather than spending hours on Netflix, why not use this time on Coursera? This is a website that provides its users with free courses on a wide range of topics. You can choose the course according to your interest. If you want to pursue software industry, join a programming course; but if you idealise orators, then the speaking courses can be taken up.

There is so many websites that provide users with free courses. Make this vacation fruitful by polishing your extra-curricular skills through these courses.

Focus on physical fitness

One of the greatest issues that we, the youth, are facing today is fitness problems. Some of us are a bit overweight and not very agile, while others experience malnutrition. Our immunity is weak and this becomes a problem when we catch illnesses in the midst of tough study schedule. Physical exercise and diet control, however, can improve our health. This becomes difficult during school days as we cannot spare time and give attention to our health-related goals. This is absolutely wrong.

As we are free these days, we should focus on exercising regularly and avoiding junk food. Remember that it is better to eat ‘good’ rather than eat ‘less’ to maintain good health and control weight. Use the internet to watch fitness training videos and practice them daily.

Read storybooks

Reading storybooks has immense benefits. From enjoyment to improving creative thinking, from improved knowledge and comprehension to learning new words, this activity is packed with immense advantages for its users.

Many of us, unfortunately, dislike this habit and call it boring. For those people, my sincere advice is to explore your interests. Try to evaluate which genre of storybooks appeals to you. Make a target of reading a number of storybooks/novels this summer. I assure you that this habit will help you in the future, as it benefited me with not just enhanced vocabulary, but also greater understanding of the world I am living in.

Indulge in recreation

Another activity that should be pursued is exploring new surroundings and experiencing new places. The idea might seem unattainable to many and unimportant to some of us, but believe me, confining yourself to one fixed surrounding might dull your brain and limit your creativity.

Ask your parents to take you to a trip to the city’s tourist spots or places you do not get to visit or see on regular days. If this is not possible, just wander in your neighbourhood along with your relatives or friends, and have fun. In fact, another way of experiencing new surroundings is simply to change the arrangement of the furniture in your room and give it a new setting!

Moreover, you can persuade your mum and dad to take you to those relatives whom you don’t get to meet regularly. So in this vacation, give yourself a chance to boost your relationships.

Try something new

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

— John C. Maxwell.

Indeed, the saying should be an eye-opener for all of us. Children are known for their curious brains but the burden of studies has suppressed our innovation and curiosity. Now is the time to resurrect your potential.

Try to recall the laws you studied in sciences and mathematics, and prove them by your experiments in real life. Similarly, you can practice new things in the kitchen. For example, add ingredients in a new way to alter the traditional recipes of making fried egg, chapatti, meat, etc. and surprise your family.

Define your target

This time is precious and you cannot afford wasting it. Many a times, we realise the value of summer vacation when we are about to start our new academic year. This year should be different. Make a list of all the achievements you desire and give yourself deadlines. In this way, you will not waste any time or not know what you have to do with yourself.

In short, dear readers, the basic purpose and objective of summer vacation is to relieve your mind after it has become exhausted of repeatedly practicing one activity. Thus, this purpose should be accomplished so that by the time our vacation ends, our brain is fully refreshed and ready to bear another tough year.

The suggestions I have given above are primarily derived from my own experiences and interests. Do plan according to your own personal preference and interests, or follow my tips, but do not waste your days. Rather, do what you are most excited about and want to do. At the same time, do not start an activity that is difficult to quit once the vacation ends.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 8th, 2023