Summer Wise: Get a Hobby!
June 12th, 2009 Jamie
How many of us use TV, the internet, or an iPod to escape the stress of family, school, and work?
You don’t have to raise your hand–I’m pretty sure we all do it, at least to some extent. But if you’re anything like me, you enjoy the mindless web surfing while it’s going on, but feel like you haven’t accomplished much at the end of the day. So kids, its time for us to get a hobby.
Outside the Box
Summer is the perfect time to get into something new, and if you find a good fit now you’ll have something relaxing and fulfilling to do with your free time when the school year starts. So I’ve thought outside the proverbial and literal box (by which I mean TV, computer, and iPod) and come up with some great new outlets for your energies.
Ready? Here we go:
- Want the same thrill of Halo with a little more action? Try paintballing or airsoft. (Just remember to follow the safety rules. My brother literally got shot in the eye and almost went blind!)
- Good old Oprah shares How to Start a Book Club
- Or, if you’re hungry for something more substantial than literature, Start a Cooking Club instead
- Want to make movies with your friends? Get inspired by these amateur film-makers who got their start in college (at my Alma Mater!)
- Learn How to Crochet or Knit from Knitting Help
- Want to learn Yoga? I like this Yoga Cardio DVD from Gaiam (the 30 minute workout is the perfect length)
- Okay this is back in a box, but what about Teaching Yourself HTML and CSS Stylesheets (at the very least it will teach you how to make your blog more appealing…)
- Learn how to Start a Skateboarding Club (or any other sport you’re interested in) when you get back to school
- Start keeping a journal with these Journal Prompts
- Start a “Meetup” group for something you are interested in, from running to painting, anything goes
- Find your local YMCA or library and see what kind of classes they offer–I’ve seen everything from martial arts to music programs and practically everything in between!
Keep it Up
If you find something you really click with this summer, don’t let it slide during school! It will be easy and tempting to slip back into your old afternoon TV rituals, but don’t let your electronics rule your life!
And what is the other great reason for you to take up a new hobby? That’s right–you can put most of these on your resume or scholarship applications. And who doesn’t like a healthier resume?
As always, feel free to share your own tips and thoughts in the comments. And feel free to offer suggestions for future posts you’d like to see!
Photo by tangerine1
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Related Posts
Entry Filed under: social life
Loading ...
3 Comments Add your own
1. Tiffany | June 17th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Just thought I’d throw another one out there: live theatre. It’s fun, gets you to meet new (and nine times out of ten friendly) people, looks great on a resume (theatre requires being a team player, after all), and is easy to transfer into your school schedule once summer ends (I’ve never heard of a school without a theatre department, and school productions come with the benefit that they likely can work around your course load).
And, believe me, when tech weeks rolls around, you won’t have time to even think about Facebook, no matter how small your role is.
(Though once it’s all over most would give anything to be back at rehearsal.)
2. Jamie | June 17th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
@ Tiffany: Theater would also be good preparation for interviews for scholarships or jobs because it helps build confidence in your public speaking. I love that idea! Thanks for the contribution.
3. Lauren Wright | May 12th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Airsoft is the name of our game. me and my 3 brothers always play airsoft in closed quarter battles.:,;
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed