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The top 3 tips for international students this summer

 

 

Summer is finally here and many of you will be thinking about how to spend your summer break from university. You might be wondering how to find the balance between a fun summer, preparing for next year and preparing for your future career, but we’ve thought ahead for you. We’ve put together this quick read to help you enjoy your break while making the most of your time away from university.

Learn a new skill

Having time away from assignments and lectures doesn’t necessarily mean ditching learning completely this summer. The extra time not spent at university can be perfect to learn a new skill or build on an existing one that could help you next year. Take some time to think about what you’re good at, and what you could use some practice on. How are your communication skills? If you find it hard to communicate with others or with presenting your key selling points, you could try putting yourself in new situations that can help this. For example, you can network with students you haven’t spoken to before or join a social or sports club for the summer. These new interactions will help you practice how to be understood in different situations. Language exchange cafés are another good example. Think about the year ahead and what you would like to achieve then work backwards to the skill that can help you get there. If you’re going to be applying for an assessment centre based interview, researching how to tackle the assessment day now can save you stress when you’re busier later in the year.

Get experience where you can

You might use your term-time to gain extra experience that will help your employability but there’s a lot you can do during your summer break too. This time away from studies can be used to boost your CV and gain experience that you might not have the time to do the rest of the year. Have you considered volunteering before? Volunteering may be viewed differently in other countries, however in the UK it’s a great way to make connections, network and gain valuable experience. There are a number of opportunities that are also available for shorter periods of time so you can choose a quieter time, such as the summer to gather invaluable experience. The same goes for internships, they can provide you with hands-on experience in your chosen industry. These roles don’t have to be linked directly to your chosen career, think a little outside the box and try to find something that can help you with skills that you can talk to employers about during an interview. Nothing shows dedication more than spending your spare time working on skills that will help your future job!

Take some you time

Don’t forget to spend some time on things that make you happy, it is a summer break after all! Put some time aside for your employability but make sure you look after yourself too. Make time to spend with friends, especially if your family live abroad. Your support network in the UK is important so keep in touch and plan some days out in the sunshine!

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