How to Make the Most of Your Summer [EdSurge Tips]

Summer is almost here! For some of us, that means school is out and now it’s time for some much needed vacation. For others, it just means it’s getting hot out. In either case, we’d like to caution you against giving in to the summer slump. So, we’ve prepared a few "summer school" recommendations to help you enhance your skills.

Attend a summer program.

This can be a great way to immerse yourself in a strategic career-building experience. It can give you that additional experience you need to level up in your role or move into a new position.

Organizations like Education Pioneers offer summer fellowships (full-time) and visiting fellowships (part-time) that provide leadership development opportunities among other skill-building activities in the education space.

Take an online course.

We all know there are tons of MOOCs and the like out there online. Most of us have watched a preview and then bookmarked it for later (or never). Take that course!

Check out the wide array of online offerings from 2U, Coursera, EdX, LinkedIn Learning, MasterClass, Skillshare, Udacity, Udemy and many more.

Look into certificate and badging providers like Degreed to get an aggregated view of your course options.

Have a look at the free training videos, resources and recommended certificate programs in Google’s professional development corner Grow.Google.

Sign up for an in-person course.

There is an abundance of online resources, but sometimes what we really need is live instruction with classmates alongside us to get the most out of a course. Fortunately, there are many out there, including full-time immersive coding bootcamps, part-time technical and non-technical workforce training courses and all of the above plus traditional courses at your local community college. If you're curious about a full-time coding gig but don't know if you'd like it, coding bootcamps like Fullstack Academy offer summer month-long pre-bootcamp courses to give you exposure and prepare you for the real deal.

Go to a skill-building event.

Programs and courses often require substantial work and financial investment. Short events or workshops can be a lower commitment way to gain exposure and start to build new skills. Check out events like Startup Weekend in your city to get a taste of the startup life and connect with other innovators. Attend Mission Collaborative’s career changing workshop (or a similar style event) to flesh out your next move.

Last but not least, get outside and soak up the vitamin D. The best summers include some outdoor adventures and relaxation. Whatever you do, make the most of it.