What can I do in the summer holidays?

What are some good things that one can do in summer holidays?

• Since I am in my first year, I do not wish to take part in a summer internship in a technology related field. Even something socially active would help. Please provide a broad range of options to consider. And, I am a developer.

• Answer:

  Summer Experiences: Freshman Summer: Took courses and worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the Wealth Management Division Sophomore Summer: Worked at Google as a business analyst in the Large Client services Division while taking courses Junior (upcoming) Summer: Will be working at Goldman in the Investment banking division It seems that you are a technical major and in the future may want to work at Google, FB, or some start-up as a software engineer. Here are some things to consider for your freshman summer: 1. Immediately look at your School's study abroad program and see if it is too late to try to study abroad even in a field that may not be technical. Many of my good friends took advantage of their freshman summer to study in the London School of Economics for one month and still had time to come back and work an internship in some business related field. 2. Find a part-time finance or marketing internship Many of my engineering friends have found exposure to simple finance, i.e. valuation, accounting, trading, etc. to be extremely valuable in terms of understanding a tech company from a more holistic point of view. Same goes for marketing and these skills may become very useful if you decide to start your own company in the future. 3. Take courses (online or at school) I took courses for the last two summers and although the work and course schedule may become mundane, being able to take a lighter load during the school year to focus on other activities has been extremely helpful. To be honest, I probably would not have taken courses again my sophomore summer if I could go back, but some of my classmates swear by summer school for both getting ahead and GPA help (summer courses are usually easier). 4. TRAVEL There is SO much you can learn about other countries and yourself while traveling. This past winter break, I went to Europe for the first time to visit Germany and England and it was an incredible experience. I felt extremely humbled entering Germany not speaking the language and being completely foreign to the customs. It gives one a completely different perspective on how diverse the world is and everything does not just revolve around the United States. 5. Windsurfing I picked up windsurfing my freshman summer at the local Berkeley Marina (~15 min drive from Berkeley). I really enjoy water sports coming from San Diego and  thought that windsurfing is a very cool skill that could come in handy during vacation. Check your school's website and local gym for partnerships with local water organizations and any active clubs in general 6. Golf I have played golf since I was 7 years old, but didn't have that much time during the school year to play. However, the days are endless in summer and I finally got the opportunity to play nine holes every Sunday throughout summer. Even just hitting the range and learning the sport would be very useful when you are >40 and can't play football or basketball without injuring yourself. 7. Gym No excuses in the summer time. 8. Summer Fling FInd a significant other that you can share your experiences with, which will make them all the more special :) -- Feel free to ask me to expand on any of the above!