Looking towards an internship-free summer

While many students opt to spend their summers gaining experience of the industry they want to go into through internships, this might not suit everyone and placements can be difficult to find. If you don’t manage to secure work experience, don’t worry – there are plenty of other ways you can make productive use of the three months off. Whether this be finding a part time job and earning money to spend on travelling or saving for the next academic year or starting a new hobby, there are so many things to do over the summer besides an internship.

For those of us who still want to make productive use of our summer without a work experience placement and do things that we can add to the CV, there is the option to do some volunteer work. I volunteered at an Oxfam Bookshop for two years which allowed me to gain transferable skills I am able to put on my CV and it was also a really fun opportunity for me to recommend books as I love reading. You could even do something as exciting as volunteer abroad. There are bound to be plenty of volunteering opportunities wherever you live.

You could try painting, creative writing or something to help you relax after the stress of exam term such as yoga and mindfulness

Another way to add something to the CV and make good use of the extended period of holiday is to get a job. Summer is the perfect time to gain valuable experience of the world of work and earn some money to use on travelling or to save for the next term of university. I worked on the reception at a Premier Inn the summer after A Levels and it was a great experience, I learned so much and saved up to go on holiday to Italy. It also prevents the boredom of being stuck at home!

After a year of intense study, it is important to take some time to relax and do things you really enjoy. Something I intend on doing this summer is visiting my university friends in their hometowns. This is a great way to see more of the UK and see the people you are away from for three months. Another obvious but exciting choice for the summer is travel. You could explore more of the UK, going on day trips to places such as York, Manchester and Bath or go interrailing and see more of Europe. As a DiscoverEU Ambassador, I am going interrailing to Prague, Budapest, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik and Munich this summer.

You might also choose to spend your summer working on developing skills and hobbies on a personal level. The three months we have off is the perfect opportunity to start a new hobby. You could try painting, creative writing or something to help you relax after the stress of exam term such as yoga and mindfulness.

Your summer doesn’t have to be a waste of time just because you don’t manage to find yourself a work experience placement

Summer for many people means festival season. There is nothing better than camping and seeing some of your favourite artists with your friends. This August, I’m going to Boardmasters festival in Newquay which has headliners such as Florence and the Machine. Other popular choices are Reading, Leeds, which has an extremely good line-up this year, and Glastonbury, which is somewhere I want to go one day.

If you’re lucky enough to live near the beach, summer is the perfect time to spend some days on the beach in the sun, maybe surfing or just sunbathing with a good book. The heat in the UK is as ever unpredictable so we have to take advantage of the good days. If you don’t live by the beach, why not have a BBQ with friends and family or get together with friends and play a game of rounders?

Or maybe you want to spend this summer learning something new. You could try a new language on Duolingo or start reading around your modules for next year.

Whatever you decide to do this summer, it is essential to remember your summer doesn’t have to be a waste of time just because you don’t manage to find yourself a work experience placement. After all, summer is a time to have fun and do what you enjoy before a gruelling routine of studying begins again.