After breaking free from the bonds of exam week, UCD students have over 3 months of summer to look forward to! With the sun out and the temperature up, there have been no shortage of beach days and picnics thus far, but what else can students get up to with their summer hols?
J1 Work and Travel
Ah yes, we’ve all heard of this one. Organisations like SAYIT and USIT send no shortage of Irish students to the US each year to staff their restaurants and deplete their alcohol supplies. With most students heading to warm sunny areas like Chicago or San Francisco, there’s no shortage of fellow Irish to keep you company abroad, and you’ll likely end up sharing a house with 15 of them anyway. Guaranteed green eyed jealously from all your classmates stuck at home!
Volunteer Abroad
Whether you have one month to spare or three, there’s no shortage of volunteer opportunities to send you to any corner of the globe! Popular amongst students are Suas or UCD Volunteers Overseas. Their volunteering projects in Asia, Africa and South America can range from teaching women and children, building schools and wells, or sharing IT skills – so no matter what your skill set, there’s something to suit you!
Research or Internship
For those of you looking for a little something extra on your CV, summer is a great time to get one-up on your classmates and get some worthwhile experience in! There’s no shortage of research opportunities for students in UCD, and some projects can be carried out abroad, so you can still follow that wanderlust! Internships can be organised through the university or independently, and similarly there are no shortage of opportunities to keep you busy! Definite brownie points with future employers, and something to talk about in interviews!
Inter-Railing
Speed tourism at its finest. Just buy one all inclusive ticket to whizz around as many European cities as you want. This one fits nicely between other summer projects, as you can go for as much or as little time as you want. With multitudes of other students doing the exact same, I hear the long train journeys are actually the best part! Guaranteed new profiler somewhere along route.
Summer School
Bleuch! Extra school? Think again – summer schools are basically congregations of students, and we know what happens when students gather… These courses generally last one or two weeks, tend to be abroad, often have a social programme where they’ll bring you to all the cool places, and can sometimes be funded by your university! Check out Universitas 21 and UNICA Summer Schools if you wouldn’t mind joining the multitudes of international students already doing these courses.
Chill Out
The good old fashion favourite – if you just need a bit of time off to rest and recooperate, summer is the perfect chance to lather yourself in sunscreen, show off your slick new shades, and head to the beach while the hot weather lasts!
