Apple from our Sixth Form gives some tips on making the most of your summer holiday.

As summer is approaching, I thought it would be beneficial to give an outlook on how you can reach your full potential over the coming summer holiday.

Through my own experience I have often tried to go out of my comfort zone to be a better version of myself who is ready to embark on the next academic year. Therefore I have a few things you can do over the summer to truly utilise this precious time to make you grow into the best version of yourself.

One way you can do this is by developing your subject knowledge and interest. For example, I am intrigued by the field of psychology therefore I tend to watch lectures, read books and magazines or learn about new fields of research. This is a great way to further enhance your knowledge of the background of your interest, which may ignite a potential career path or university degree. Another way, is to use this time as an opportunity to go out of your comfort zone. For example, last summer prior to my journey to South Korea I had learned a little bit of Korean, but I was scared to utilise my knowledge to native Koreans so I decided to push myself and speak to strangers. From this experience I learned so much more about their culture and about their language, which I could not have done if I had listened to my fears. So this summer, I challenge you to go out of your comfort zone, it could be small or big but you never know what opportunities could arise unless you try. Remember that the only barriers you have are the ones that you have built.

I also think the most important thing that you need to do, not only just for the summer, but always, is having time to take care of yourself. A lot of students tend to always focus on their academic work and forget about the most important thing which is themselves. I tend to watch motivational speeches or read empowering books, or do charity work as giving to others often brings me joy. I also tend to work on things I need to improve about myself in order to be the best version of myself. My advice for you, is to make some time for yourself to relax or build on things you need to improve on and I can guarantee you, that applying this concept can help you come closer to achieving your personal goals.

Therefore, I challenge you this summer, to go out of your comfort zone, further your intellectual curiosity and most importantly spend time to take care of yourself because that’s what’s the most important at the end of the day.