Since the schedule for most international schools varies, most of us end up with a lot of time on our hands, waiting for college to start. Personally, I spent a good percentage of it worrying about my visa interview and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, so here we are. Here are some things you can do to be ‘productive’ during your long break.

1. Read blogs and watch YouTube videos to mentally prepare for what’s coming at you. You’re moving to a new country and switching to a new lifestyle, so watching and learning from other people’s experiences will help you spend (*cough* waste *cough*) time, and get nervous and excited at the same time!
2. Learn how to cook. If you’re like me and trying to save your coins, you’ll want to eat out a lot less. However, eating out less also means more hard work. I was/am definitely not a good cook, and I wish I had taken some training from my mother when I had the chance.
3. Get some work experience. I did an internship during my break, and it definitely gave me an upper hand while looking for a co-op! Even if you don’t know what you want to do yet, it’s always nice to get some experience.
4. Travel. When moving to a new country, chances are high that you will miss home. Travel around your home country, and make some quality memories with people you love.
5. Skim upcoming course material. Obviously, this isn’t required, but it can be very helpful to get into the mindset of studying and doing homework.

These are all the things I did/wish I did, but be aware of the “productive” trap because chances are you won’t have as much free time once you start college. Enjoy your break too!