What should I be doing over summer?!?

Summer...just the word fills my mind with sunshine and the sound of ocean waves. Summer for me is a time to regather my strength to face another tough year of nursing school. It means I get to read books for my own enjoyment, although I try and make time during the regular school year. It can also mean real friends and human interactions apart from study groups and work! 

But if you are anything like me, then you probably hate laying around doing nothing after the first few weeks. Going from full steam nursing gears to nothing is a complete shock for my body and mind. So to prevent all my nursey learning from going to waste I use my summers for preparation for my future. Here are my tips for the summer months:

• Work as a CNA or tech. If you have not completed enough clinical experience to be a tech or are not a CNA, then volunteer at your local hospital. Getting accoustmed to a hospital flow will be beneficial and make you more confident during clinicals. It also allows you to pratice good communication skills. I received my CNA license over 3 years ago and during my summer I make full use of it. I love my job. Leaving work after a shift makes me feel full of life. It is also an amazing way to not forget my skills. 
• Take summer courses at your college or local community. First check with your nursing school what they will allow you to transfer. Both my Sophomore and Junior year I have taken 6 units at my local community. It was the perfect amount to keep my mind active and lighten my load during the school year. My senior year I will only have 13 units each semester because of my summer school. That is a huge difference for 15 or 16. 
• NCLEX prep. If it is the summer before your senior year, then think about what kind of prep you want to do. I am buying a comprehensive review book with NCLEX style questions in it to just start training my brain. I will create a schedule to do a couple of chapters a week. I plan on taking a Kaplan course when I graduate so this is nothing too heavy. 
• Organize. As nursing students we accumulate tons and tons of paper. Go through and keep the essentials. Make a portfolio of your important work that really showcase your nursey knowledge. I have a binder of notes that I plan to refer to as a Senior Lab Assitant for my school. Otherwise I pretty much have recycled everything else. I still hold onto my end of the year study guides and textbooks. I also will clean out the documents on my computer.
• Be active or take up a new hobby. Now is the time to give that new exercise class a try or practice your photography. Do what makes you happy!

What do you like to do to keep busy during the summer months?