5 Tips to Make the Most Out of Your School Holidays
School’s out! Here comes the time to let your hair down and finally take a breather from the stressful semester. But - before planning out your hangouts or heading overseas with your schoolmates, remember that school holidays are also prime time to prepare yourself for the future. Not sure how? We’ve come up with five ways to make your school holidays more wholesome. Read on to find out how!
1. Upgrade your Skills
Skill building may be the last thing on any student’s to-do-list during the school holidays, but with the speed at which technology is taking over all jobs, this down time might be best used to upgrade yourself to stay relevant.
Programming. Sounds intimidating? Even primary school students now have to learn how to code as part of Primary schoolers’ compulsory syllabus! If you’re not already familiar with programming, be comforted that there are many courses and seminars out there to equip you with the necessary coding knowledge, so take advantage of them. Plus, most of the beginner courses are free!
Here are some useful links worth checking out for these programs:
- EventBrite Coding Courses - FREE Coding classes for adults, children and anyone in between!
- Udemy Programming Courses - For students with no programming knowledge, most Udemy courses goes for a base fee of SGD$120 for 7.5 hours, covering different programming languages.
Portfolio-building. For to-be-designers out there, a design portfolio is mandatory. Even for business students aiming for a marketing or content creator position, a credible portfolio may be required. We highly recommend you to start building your experience this holiday via interning for a company or simply working on your individual creations!
For quick applications to internships, one easy way is to search “Intern” on FastJobs! There are a lot of internships offered by different companies, so browse through for the ones that will help build your experience best!
Click here to start surfing for Student Internship jobs on FastJobs!
2. Plan Out Your Finances
We get it - it’s hard to control your spending. There are so many items that we crave to have. But there’s no time like now to start adulting. Start by thinking about the five most important spending categories for you (e.g. Food, Transportation, School Fees, etc.) and allocate your finances accordingly. It may seem like it’s too early for such planning but it’s a valuable skill to develop at an early age. How to start?
Expense Tracker Apps. Your phone is not just useful for your social updates - take advantage of Expense Tracker Apps out there to help you plan out your weekly expenditures. A great App to start with is Seedly, which is very easy to navigate through even for beginners.
Cut Down on Those Pricey Beverages. Bubble tea and fancy coffee are daily expenditures for both teens and adults, but that $5 a day adds up very quickly! Instead, opt for your regular Kopi or Teh from your nearby coffee shop.
Taking a Taxi Everyday? Cabbies have become part and parcel of our schooling or working life when we find ourselves running late, but it gets expensive after awhile. GrabShare and utilizing Grab discount codes are great alternatives to lower cab fares. Picodi provides Grab discounts for free, so use it for your next ride. Ultimately, taking the bus or train will be the cheapest alternative.
3. Work Part-Time
I’m sure that many of your friends are engaged with their own Part-Time jobs, so you should too! Fortunately, there are many part-time positions to go around during school holidays. Earning a quick buck is one motivation, but ultimately, think of part time jobs as a good way to beef up your job experience. When you eventually look for your full-time job, hirers will see that you already have a solid job history.
Learn How to Use FastJobs’ Resume Builder!
Student Internships. Most Intern positions ask for at least three to six months of commitment, suitable for students going through their long term breaks. Internships are great ways to learn new skills and have a taste of what it’s like working for a company.
Part-Time Jobs. For students without working experience, Part-Time jobs are great for you. They pay good hourly rates and usually provide flexible time slots. If you want to expand your skill set, working for different industries from your current interests/ Diploma/ Degree can be a great alternative. Check out some great part-time jobs to consider.
Gigs and Events. Events are one of the fastest ways you can see your bank account grow as most offer attractive hourly rates! Deployment days tend to range from a day to a week, thus you’ll find many students opting for such low-commitment jobs.
Click here to find Jobs Suitable for Students!
4. Keep Healthy
Home Workouts vs Gyms. Workouts are popular for those who want to keep in top shape and you don’t need to pay to look good. Instead of signing up for gym memberships, opt for workouts at home instead. Free alternatives like following a workout tutorial readily found on YouTube will give you that energy boost for the day.
Catch Up on Sleep. Many students have been through various hell-weeks of mugging, this holiday calls for more sleep! Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep everyday to keep your energy levels productive during your Part-Time jobs or Internships this holiday.
Eat Healthy Without the Big Bucks. Eating healthy can be expensive for students, but not when it’s prepared at home. Not only can you control the ingredients in your food, it helps you gain culinary skills, a great addition to your soft-skills bank in your resume. If you have no cooking experience, look for tutorials via YouTube, make use of this useful free platform!
5. Consider Volunteering
Did you know that Volunteering (or CIP) can also be a valuable addition to your resume? Many employers and tertiary institutions actually look at Community Service since it reflects well if you contribute a lot. Giving.sg is one popular Singapore volunteering platform that allows anyone to volunteer. Students can select from events like helping in nursing homes, house clean-ups and charity events.
In a Nutshell
Apart from making your holidays fruitful, we want you to enjoy your well-deserved break with your friends! Bear these tips in mind and allocate time to upgrade yourself - it’ll definitely pay off in the future. Want your friends to make their holidays eventful too? Share this article with them to spread the word! Do let us know if we missed out any pointers, we would like to hear them too!
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