Are you using your time off to prepare for graduate school?
The four months between spring and fall semesters often leave students with a large window of time in which they are free to do whatever they want. It’s a much-needed break from stressful exams, group projects, and early morning lectures, but it doesn’t have to be a break for all things school-related.
For those planning on graduate school, summer is the perfect time to prepare. Whether you’re ahead of the game as a soon-to-be sophomore or a recent graduate about to start your program in August, there is a constructive summer activity for every student.
Summer activities for rising sophomores and juniors
Apply to summer internships in your field. An internship is not only a great resume booster for highlighting your qualifications, it also enables you to discover the areas in which you excel as well as those you enjoy the most. All the better if it’s a paid internship, which allows you to start saving money. You’ll thank yourself later when schoolwork makes time for a job nearly impossible and student loans pile up. Unpaid internships can benefit your undergraduate schooling, too, if you ask about completing the internship for credit.
Take a GRE prep course. Available in person, live online, self-paced in a 24/7 online classroom, or through private tutoring, GRE prep courses are the perfect summer activity to fit any schedule. The GREs are typically taken in a student’s junior year, but it’s never too early to start studying. Kaplan’s Higher Score Guarantee program even allows you to retake your program for free one time or get your money back if you aren’t satisfied with your final GRE score.
Graduate school prep for rising seniors
Visit the colleges you plan on applying to. Make the visit an excuse for a fun road trip and give yourself enough time to explore the campus and surrounding town or city. Pictures and videos are a nice preview of what to expect, but nothing compares to feeling the school’s atmosphere first-hand to determine if it’s the right place for you.
Read a book for leisure. The school year often keeps our reading limited to what’s required for class, which can become a chore. But with no textbooks or painfully long class assignments to read over the summer, you can grab the book you’ve been meaning to read—or ask friends for recommendations. Reading helps boost your intelligence—the perfect summer activity for graduate school prep.
Getting ready as a recent college graduate
Meet others in your program. It’s standard nowadays that there will be a Facebook group for you and other students in your program to join. Haven’t found one for your program yet? Be the one to make it. It’s an easy way to meet the people you’ll be working closely with for the next two years, ask any questions leading up to the semester, and even scope out a potential roommate. As August approaches, it’ll make the transition easier to know a few familiar faces.
Take a vacation. It’s much-deserved for both earning your undergraduate degree(s) and being accepted into the graduate school program you’re about to start. While it’s no secret that grad school is insanely busy and takes away time from socializing, it’s sometimes forgotten how relaxing the perfect vacation can be. Whether it be with friends, family, or both—give yourself a solid week away from responsibilities so you can create lasting memories to look back on and smile about when the stress levels peak in graduate school.
Ready to cross test prep off your summer activity list? Check out our GRE course options and upcoming classes.
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