The summer is fast approaching and now is the time, the last time, when you can feasibly start preparing to take advantage of those two glorious months to benefit your education. In truth, many students already have commitments lined up for their summers, but fear not, you still have time to decide on how you want to spend your summer.

Some students have found jobs, while others have found seasonal work, paid and unpaid internships, volunteer positions, and even educational boot camps. Some students seek personal enrichment and choose to travel. There is a lot to learn in life that can help you academically, so take advantage of your summers to help you boost your academic performance.

So, assuming you have nothing lined up for the summer, but you want to find a job or volunteer position, here are a few quick tips that can help you out.

  • Do not write off summer camps, like overnight camps or day camps, even ones located at your local community college. There are educational camps out there that specialize in math, physics, computer science, and so much more. You can find camps on English, theater, and practically any subject that you are learning in school. This is a great option for students who are either unsure of what they want to study in university and need a taste of what the subjects are like, as well as for students who want to prepare well in advance for their university majors.
  • Ask your guidance counselor at your school about local opportunities. All the jobs and volunteer positions on the guidance counselor’s job board may be filled, but that does not mean that no positions are available. It takes 5 seconds to ask your counselor about new opportunities. You never know what they will recommend. They may have found a position that morning or the night before. And, if not, they will at least be able to notify you should a position open up in the future that they think you are qualified for.
  • Work a job that has a scholarship program. Many jobs that cater to teenagers and young adults have scholarship programs for their workers. Other jobs offer scholarships to the children of their workers. Look around at the local opportunities and see which positions will be beneficial to you once you are enrolled in university. Sure, working as a cashier or barista or receptionist is not glamorous, but it may help you fund your university major just fine. There is value in work, even work that you are not that passionate about. It is all about the silver linings.
  • Apply to as many scholarships as you can. Obviously, this tip is more for students who are not going to be working this summer due to the time requirement involved. If you are going to keep your days free, you may as well be productive. Finish those college essays if you are applying for the Winter semester, do remedial work in your prospective major subjects, and go to the library and learn about new and interesting things. Apply to at least 2-3 scholarships per week. You may not be able to find a job this summer, but that does not mean you cannot be productive.