Blog by Shirley
Summer was always a time that I looked forward to in high school, as it clearly marked giving myself a well-deserved break after semesters of academic work and classes. But as a university student, summer can sometimes feel like a weird in-between time. It starts feeling as though you’re getting a break after months of deadlines, group projects and early morning lectures, but that break can come with its own pressures. All of a sudden, friends and classmates are posting about upcoming internships, summer projects or big travel plans, and it’s easy to feel like you need to “make the most” of your summer otherwise you’re falling behind. It’s one of those feelings that I experienced myself during my first summer at university. But I have realized over time that your summer doesn’t need to be a checklist of achievements, but can instead be a great opportunity to rest, reflect, try something new or just reset before the new semester hits.
In this blog, I will share five top tips on how to build a summer that can work for you in a way that feels meaningful and balanced, while avoiding anxiety and burnout.
Tip 1: Be Intentional and Start Early
One thing that I learnt about summer planning is that the earlier you start thinking about your summer, the more choices you will have, and the less stressed you’ll feel later. Being intentional about your summer doesn’t mean that you’re expected to have everything figured out months in advance, but it does mean doing small mental check-ins with yourself in the months leading up to summer. Ask yourself: what do I want and need to achieve this summer? Am I prioritizing rest? Do I want to gain professional experience, try new hobbies, travel, or a bit of everything? I started asking myself these questions around the start of the second semester in my second year, and I felt that planning early and little by little helped me track several different versions of what my summer could look like.
Planning early allowed me to map out a summer that I felt suited me – balancing part-time internships that explore my academic interests with a bit of travel – and ensured that I had room for flexibility and intentionality. For example, I knew I wanted at least one internship over summer that would build my research skills, so I tracked key application deadlines early and planned around those. Similarly, I wanted to visit my friends in South Korea during early summer, so I had notifications turned on in my phone for cheap flight deals at the beginning of the semester. Planning ahead, even in small ways, helped a lot with making space for things that mattered to me both personally and professionally. It grants you both the flexibility and autonomy to build a summer that actually aligns with your values, goals and the break you deserve after a long semester, rather than last-minute scrambling to fill up your time once summer begins.
Tip 2: Don’t Let the Comparison Trap Define your Summer
At the same time, when doing our summer planning, it’s easy to fall into the “comparison trap.” That is, the trap of measuring your summer against what everyone else seems to be doing. One friend of yours might be doing a mega backpacking trip in South America, another lands an internship at a big-name company, and suddenly your summer plans may just feel a bit underwhelming. But there’s a reason why it’s called a trap, because that kind of comparison, as I have come to realize, usually tells you more about your insecurities than the fact that you are “not doing enough” for the summer.
One thing we need to realize is that everyone’s summer looks different for a reason – not because someone is “better” than others, but because we are all in different seasons of life, with different priorities depending on our goals and needs. Some people genuinely need a travel break to reset, whereas some want to build work experience, and others are still figuring out what they want in the first place. All of the above are completely valid plans. When telling friends about my summer plans, I used to feel like I had to justify them: why I wasn’t travelling as much as I wanted to, or doing enough, as if my plans of spending an entire month watching Netflix and suntanning at the beach at home was “inferior” to what I saw others posting online.
But the truth is that no one knows better about what you need for the summer than you. So instead of asking myself “am I doing enough?”, I try to implement questions like “does the summer I am planning for myself suit ME?”. That small shift in mindset truly helps in paying less attention to chasing someone else’s version of “making the most of summer”, and more on doing things that actually bring pleasure and clarity to me.
Tip 3: Balance Purpose with Pleasure
Whether you are in the stage of planning for summer or have started the summer season already, it’s easy to swing to one extreme as a university student. That is, either packing your schedule with internships, volunteering or supposedly “productive” things like taking on an extra summer course, or completely checking out and doing nothing at all. This is where I think university summers are the most special, as they offer a rare opportunity to find that sweet spot between purpose and pleasure. We have the luxury of time to explore professional internships, build new skills or try out different paths, while still having the freedom to slow down, rest and enjoy the moments in between.
Whether it’s spending a few days travelling, picking up a hobby you’ve missed, or just allowing yourself to be bored without guilt, that balance is something we might not always have in other seasons or stages of our lives. It’s important to make the most of that balance. For me, it meant structuring my week with a few part-time commitments like internships and research roles that align with my academic interests, while leaving space for things that simply bring me joy. Whether that’s planning a day trip to a nearby city, visiting the Fringe Festival or just sleeping in a bit longer, I’ve learned that making room for pleasure doesn’t take away from your productivity – it enhances it. When you allow yourself to slow down and enjoy the little things, you return to your responsibilities with more clarity and motivation. And ultimately, it’s the balance that makes summer feel truly meaningful.
Tip 4: Be Creative About Your Summer
Building a summer with both purpose and pleasure doesn’t mean that your summer experience must follow a traditional path of working and travelling to be meaningful. Sometimes – especially when we don’t have a clear idea of what our summer may look like or what we even want to achieve – it’s the perfect time to experiment. From starting a small community project for fun, volunteering remotely or internationally, or learning a new skill online, the opportunities are endless for you to explore with the time that you would usually never have during term time. Rather, being unsure and open-minded about what your summer could look like is usually one of the best ways to create memorable and rewarding experiences. You’re letting yourself think beyond the limits of a conventional summer by asking yourself: what have I been curious about but never had the time to try? For one of my friends, that was doing stand-up comedy for tourists on Princes Street during the Fringe Festival – something that was completely outside of their comfort zone, but ultimately they enjoyed doing and the experience developed their public speaking skills. So, whether it’s something bold like stand-up comedy or something more low-key, like learning how to cook your favourite childhood dish, creativity opens the door to growth that doesn’t need to be graded, evaluated, or posted online. The freedom of summer lies in its openness, so don’t be afraid to make it your own.
Tip 5: Reflect Along the Way
Last but not least, no matter what you have planned for summer or how your summer turned out in the end, don’t forget to reflect along the way! It doesn’t have to be anything formal, and can be as simple as journaling once a week, videotaping or voice-noting your thoughts, or chatting with a friend over coffee about your expectations and realities of your summer. Personally, I’ve found that even small moments of reflection help me notice growth I might have missed in the rush to “do things.” It also helps me re-centre and adjust course when I need to.
If you really want to reflect but also need something to keep yourself accountable, consider joining one of the university’s SLICCs, which are Student-Led, Individually-Created Courses for first- and second-year undergraduates to complete over the summer as a stand-alone project. Or, if you’re working over the summer, consider signing up for the Edinburgh Award Work Experience to gain recognition for the work you are doing, as well as reflect on how you have been intentional with developing top three skills at your workplace. This was something I chose to do in my first year of university while teaching young kids English in China during the summer break. Reflecting helps with maximizing your time during the summer by taking advantage of the fact that you get to “listen” to yourself without all the distractions and noise of the semester, and it sets up a habit that you can carry through into the rest of the year.
You can read Shirley’s blog about the Edinburgh Award here.
At the end of the day, your summer doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Whether it’s filled with internships, spontaneous adventures, quiet days of rest, or something in between, the most important thing is that it feels right for you. Don’t let comparison, pressure, or expectations steer you away from what you actually need. This is your time to slow down, explore, recharge, and grow in ways that matter to you.
Hope you have enjoyed reading this post about planning for your upcoming summer, and stay tuned for more content!
